Founding Brothers is a rather problematic title for this collection of essays by Joseph Ellis, since its group of "brothers" includes Ben Franklin who was old enough to be the father of the other well-known members . of America's founding generation and also a strong appearance by Abigail Adams. Despite this and the author's overtly neoconservative leanings, this work remains an interesting read for both academics and the more casual history reader. The armchair historian will probably not notice the chronological shift in the chapters and will surely appreciate the free-flowing narrative as it tells half a dozen intimate stories from the lives of the most devoted of this legendary generation. The author's twenty-page preface details "The Generation," in which he argues that despite current research trends, the true essence of the revolutionary era lies in the thoughts and deeds of this handful of patriotic elites , who publicly pledged, at great risk to their own lives and fortunes, their undeniable support for the ideals of our founding documents America's most famous (or infamous) duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron. Burr provides the backdrop for the first chapter. This might suggest that Ellis intends to go back in time through the book, given that it happened on July 11, 1804, but this is not the case. case as mentioned Ellis manages to present a fairly balanced view of the role played by both participants in the long war of words that ultimately led to the deadly confrontation near Weehawken, New Jersey, by providing an account of the. historical scholarship on this well-told chapter of our history. .The second chapter describes "The Dinner Party", hosted by Thomas Jefferson at his residence in New York around June 20...... middle of paper ...... Efferson through their correspondence during their later years . Here again, he reveals a human side of the two remaining giants of the Founding Era, arguing that they put aside their differences because they recognized the importance that history would place on them and their actions and that They expressed concern in tandem about the growing divide in sectional politics in the country. Jacksonian era. Despite some twists and turns with the times, the book flows smoothly and the author's story easily keeps the pages turning. Although there is a strong bias towards the patriotic elite, Ellis manages to in many ways maintain a reasonably objective point of view in the narrative and recognizes that these founding brothers were indeed mere mortals, that the destiny or providence seems to have been perfectly placed. Works CitedEllis, Joseph J. Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation. New York: Knopf, 2000. Print.