In the 1830s slavery was so deeply entrenched that it could not even be discussed in Congress; which had enacted a "gag rule" to ensure that anti-slavery petitions would be summarily rejected. This stirring book chronicles the parliamentary battle to bring "the peculiar institution" into the national debate; a battle that some historians have called "the Pearl Harbor of the slavery controversy." The campaign to make slavery officially and respectably debatable was waged by John Quincy Adams who spent nine years defying gags; accusations of treason; and assassination threats. In the end he made his case through a combination of cunning and sheer endurance. Telling this story with a brilliant command of detail; Arguing About Slavery endows history with majestic sweep; heroism; and moral weight."Dramatic; immediate; intensely readable; fascinating and often moving."--New York Times Book Review
#417747 in Books 1993-09-28 1993-09-28Ingredients: Example IngredientsOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.00 x 1.70 x 5.20l; 2.60 #File Name: 0679743758832 pages
Review
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Boorstin is not as good with Creators as he is with DiscoverersBy jon pollardAfter reading 'The Discoverers'; which I loved; I was disappointed with 'The Creators'. I suspect that Boorstin; who is a brilliant gatherer and expounder of facts; is out of his depth when analyzing the creative instinct. I am particularly interested in music; and I found that he gives brief biographies of Mozart; Beethoven; and Wagner; and some analysis of the SOCIAL impact of their music; but no real analysis of the music itself (e.g. Wagner's revolutionary use of tonality). Without that; I don't think there is much point in writing the book.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Informative but occasionally uninspiringBy Nina MurrayFor some reason; I thought this book would focus more on the personalities of various "creators" (historically significant composers; painters; writers etc.) and their lives and processes; and less on the pure history of art. So I was a bit disappointed; but; as I said; my expectations were probably off. If you are looking for a good reference book about the history of ideas; creative and otherwise; and the philosophical and intellectual trends that have made the western civilization what it is today -- this is absolutely it! It is thoroughly informative and written in very smooth prose that is easy to read and think about.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Daniel Boorstin is one of my favorite historians. I read his books in the 90sBy J. GranlundDaniel Boorstin is one of my favorite historians. I read his books in the 90s; and although I was well versed in world history; his clear writing style; and unique talent for making the connections between seemingly far flung events; personalities; and creations opened up a new way of thinking about our world and ways we interact with it.
