---
product_id: 42609582
title: "The Founding Fathers: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)"
brand: "r. b. bernstein"
price: "€ 21.15"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 9
url: https://www.desertcart.ie/products/42609582-the-founding-fathers-a-very-short-introduction-very-short-introductions
store_origin: IE
region: Ireland
---

# The Founding Fathers: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

**Brand:** r. b. bernstein
**Price:** € 21.15
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

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- **What is this?** The Founding Fathers: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) by r. b. bernstein
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## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Outstanding Introduction to the Founding Fathers
  

*by M***D on Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2016*

An excellent, eminently readable, intelligent, and refreshingly balanced introduction to the founding fathers of the United States.Bernstein's treatment of the Founding Fathers excels for three reasons: the quality of the writing, the scholarship of the author, and the fairness of the treatment.First, the sheer quality of the prose is praiseworthy. Writing about such a vast topic in such few pages requires enormous amounts of discipline, and Bernstein strikes this balance masterfully, all with a genuinely "readable" style. With minimal effort, one could finish this book in a single weekend-- while thoroughly enjoying the process.Second, Bernstein's scholarship is apparent on every page.  Combining an intimate knowledge of the primary sources with an impressive understanding of the historical scholarship and literature allows for a concise yet comprehensive picture of the founding fathers.  Avoiding a simple narrative or chronology, Bernstein demonstrates a gift for moving fluidly from revealing details and tidbits that challenge our preconceived notions only to then take a step back and through dispassionate analysis, consider the meaning and importance of the topics addressed. What we get is so much more than simply "telling the story" of the founding fathers, or a series of biographies. Rather, this book is an analysis of their time and how their actions and notable inactions (read: slavery) affected-- and were interpreted by-- subsequent generations.Lastly, Bernstein succeeds in his goal to "[take] the founding fathers down from their pedestals without knocking them down." This is important, because it's easy to fall prey to the competitive "Hamilton or Jefferson?" mentality, or the equally dangerous tendency to fall to one's knees in praise of these historic figures. Rather, Bernstein treats the founding fathers as simultaneously praiseworthy, deeply flawed, unavoidably human subjects capable of great feats of achievement and hypocrisy.Towards the end of the book, Bernstein quotes a selection of Warren G. Harding's speech at the dedication to the Lincoln Memorial in 1922.  Harding's words should guide us in our study of the founding fathers, as they have obviously guided Bernstein in his: "Abraham Lincoln was no superman... Lincoln was a very natural human being, with the frailties mixed with the virtues of humanity. There are neither supermen or demi-gods in the government of kingdoms, empires, or republics. It will be better for our conception of government and its institutions if we will understand this fact."Bernstein understands this fact, and we, the readers, immeasurably benefit from that understanding.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Excellently concise work on a complex topic! All Americans should read this!
  

*by D***H on Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2016*

In just 183 pages, Professor Bernstein manages to brilliantly and superbly demonstrate his intense focus and expert scholarship on the founding of our nation, and as such, makes being able to understand the Founding Fathers very readable and enjoyable. We often revere them as gods or larger than life people, but as he himself said, the goal was not to "[knock] them down [from] their pedestals", but to "meet [them] eye to eye" and thereby see them as for who they were really were: humans like us who wanted to better themselves, and their society, towards a brighter future by forging and crafting this idea called America. I have read about them somewhat, but was really looking for a concise and more understandable version of the writings I had read. I took a couple of Political Science classes at my local community college, and so wanted to further that understanding from those courses, and this work fits the bill in that regard, even starting out with an explanation of the origins of the term "founding fathers" (which I had not known about in previous study). I like how Prof. Bernstein has managed to collate the history of the Founding, the Founders and their accomplishments and how said accomplishments and views connect to the present day. I especially like how he, at the end, manages to use five very prominent African-Americans' words to signify that the work that the Founders first set foot upon is still going by, in JFK's words, "a new generation of Americans". I will definitely read this again. Therefore, I rate this work 5 out of 5 stars.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    well written, but biased politically to Left
  

*by H***R on Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2018*

This is a very well written book, one of the best in this series of Very Short Introductions. Still, the author cannot help but elevate and praise the views he himself holds, by, for example, only quoting Democrats and liberals in the final chapter of his book. But then again, he would not be a part-time professor if he could not preach his own political views to his students. Still, I would hope as author he could be less biased, and think more & higher than just the rightness of his narrow political party.

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*Last updated: 2026-03-17*