Someone on LinkedIn asked if I would share a list of resources on the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration, and the founding generation, that I have found useful.
Context: Years ago, I did a 20-part video series called ‘Freedom’s Charter’ (now lost down the internet memory hole).
Below is a partial and unorganized list of books I read, with (non-affiliate) links to Amazon. I’ll tell you what I told my inquirer.
I have not pre-screened the authors for political, theological, or other, biases. I have found that understanding folks who disagree with me sharpens the mind, and trains me to respect others.
- Gordon S. Wood: The Creation of the American Republic: 1776-1787
- Akhil Reed Amar: America’s Constitution: A Biography
- Catherine Drinker Bowen: Miracle at Philadelphia: The Story of the Constitutional Convention, May – September 1787
- Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay : The Federalist Papers
- Pauline Maier: Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution, 1787-1788
- Gordon S. Wood: Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic 1789-1815
- Bernard Bailyn: The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution
- Richard Beeman: Plain, Honest Men: The Making of the American Constitution
- Jack N. Rakove: Original Meanings: Politics and Ideas in the Making of the Constitution
- Pauline Maier: American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence
- David McCullough: John Adams
- David O. Stewart: The Summer of 1787: The Men Who Invented the Constitution
- Various Authors: The Anti-Federalist Papers and the Constitutional Convention Debates
- Akhil Reed Amar: America’s Unwritten Constitution: The Precedents and Principles We Live By
- Akhil Reed Amar: The Bill of Rights: Creation and Reconstruction
- Jack N. Rakove: Revolutionaries: A New History of the Invention of America
- Forrest MacDonald: Novus Ordo Seclorum: The Intellectual Origins of the Constitution
- Forrest MacDonald: E Pluribus Unum: The Formation of the American Republic
- Ron Chernow: Alexander Hamilton
- Ron Chernow: Washington: A Life
- Edwin Meese, et. al.: The Heritage Guide to the Constitution
5 replies on “Scott Ott’s U.S. Constitution Bookshelf”
Scott, I emailed, once again, PJ Media/Townhall to politely ask them to release the entire 20 episodes of Freedom’s Charter. I tried to reason with whomever was reading the email (paid intern I’m sure). Imagine all the parents and homeschooled teenagers who could benefit from viewing your series.
The response from PJ Media?
Crickets.
Thanks a lot, Scott. Make my reading list even longer, whydontcha? 😉
Really, though, thank you for this.
Thanks!
I am currently reading Ron Chernow: Grant… It’s a very interesting read, although over 1000 pages long, and I’m little over the 1/2 way point, at the end of the Civil War. I like Chernow, he’s very detail oriented, also getting into thoughts and strategy (as expressed in quotes).
Ironically, I would never have found this book on my own. However, in these covid times, our local library has offered ‘grab bags’ of half a dozen books at a time, you chose the genre’s, and I chose historical fiction and non-fiction.
I guess the closer you get to modern times, the more material the historians can find to put in their books. As I recall, Chernow’s Hamilton book was “only” 800 pages.
For your next grab bag, let me put in a request for “Political philosophy, Alex, for 3000 pages!”. Be interesting to see what you get/ find. I keep seeing names like Fortesque from 1479, Sheldon (or Seldon?) and Coke (=”Cook”) from the early 1600;s, John Milton 1644 or so, as major early contributors to this genre, beyond the more commonly mentioned Hobbes, Locke, or Montesquieu. Need to find the time to look into these guys some more.
I have begun learning about some historians of the law as well. Seems the Pope in 1075 or so claimed legal authority over all of Christendom including the temporal kingdoms thereunder. Another important date is 1154 when King Henry II instituted a set of courts across his domain, thereby pushing adjudication down towards the people and juries of peers, etc. Legal contributions from the 800’s-900’s Angle-Saxons as well? I took survey courses in history in high school but never got into more detailed studies at the college level, so now I am trying to fill some knowledge gaps during retirement. Too bad I read so slowly!!
I really enjoyed Chernow’s Grant.