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13th out of 104 books
—
2 voters
Tempest At Dawn
by
James D. Best (Goodreads Author)
The United States is on the brink of total collapse. The military has been reduced to near extinction, economic turmoil saps hope, and anarchy threatens as world powers hover like vultures, eager to devour the remains. In a desperate move, a few powerful men call a secret meeting to plot the overthrow of the government. Fifty-five men came to Philadelphia in May of 1787 wi...more
Paperback, 432 pages
Published
February 15th 2010
by Wheatmark
(first published October 6th 2009)
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May 20, 2012
Kent Stuver
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
students and others interested in the U.S. Constitution
Tempest at Dawn was an intriguing treatment of a subject that has interested me for some time. Students do not always get taught about the chaos and disruption that existed during the years immediately following the American Revolution, under the Articles of Confederation. Nor is there a general understanding of the different competing interests that each State brought to the Constitutional Convention.
James Best has added color and intrigue to his depiction of the creation of one of the most inf...more
James Best has added color and intrigue to his depiction of the creation of one of the most inf...more
A most timely read, as tea partyists loudly insist that they alone preserve the letter of the U.S. Constitution and certain politicians and talk show hosts make crazy claims about what that document actually says and what the deified Founding Fathers intended. It might be far-fetched to think that rabid partisans would take time actually to study the period, but for those willing to put in a bit of time, James D. Best brings the Convention of 1787 to life. A postscript discusses the advantages a...more
I really enjoyed this book but it's probably an acquired taste.
It is a fictional account of the constitutional convention held in 1787. After the Revolutionary War ended(1781, with the Treaty of Paris signed in 1783), the country was a federation of the 13 original colonies looslely bound by the Articles of Confederation. Each state had its own form of government; there was no executive, legislative or judicial branches at the federal level. The country as a whole could not raise taxes, negoiat...more
It is a fictional account of the constitutional convention held in 1787. After the Revolutionary War ended(1781, with the Treaty of Paris signed in 1783), the country was a federation of the 13 original colonies looslely bound by the Articles of Confederation. Each state had its own form of government; there was no executive, legislative or judicial branches at the federal level. The country as a whole could not raise taxes, negoiat...more
A fictionalized account of the inventing of America: it is highly readable, though at times the reader may get a bit bogged down in some of the political minutiae.
James Madison, Roger Sherman, George Washington and Ben Franklin mastermind the peaceful overthrow of the fundamentally flawed U.S. government. They must work together and in cooperation with others outside of their established Congressional authority in order to establish the nation on stronger footing under an improved republican sy...more
James Madison, Roger Sherman, George Washington and Ben Franklin mastermind the peaceful overthrow of the fundamentally flawed U.S. government. They must work together and in cooperation with others outside of their established Congressional authority in order to establish the nation on stronger footing under an improved republican sy...more
A fictional book about the constitutional convention of 1787. Opened my eyes to the fact that George Washington was not just a figure head but understood the nature of men and how to influence the individual to accomplish the goal-which in this case was designing and putting together a constitution that would form a nation and keep it together--which makes since, George Washington would have developed these skills as commander of the Continental Army. It is amazing to see that it was a miracle t...more
This was an amazing read. The story of the constitutional convention is told in a very accessible dramatic style. I feel as if I live through the entire convention: the heat, the flies, the intrigue, the irritation and the nerves. The author does an excellent job of making all of these men so real and so individual; in particular Roger Sherman of Connecticut, James Madison of Virginia, and general George Washington. I have such respect for these men and how they did such a good job, even though...more
Thanks to James Best's masterpiece, Tempest at Dawn, I felt like the 56th delegate at the Constitutional Convention. Using vivid narrative and expressive dialogue, Tempest at Dawn presents all the major issues the Founding Fathers struggled with. More impressive, you get to know the character of the men who created our great nation.
Tempest at Dawn is based primarily on Madison’s notes to the Convention. Mr. Best adds to the story events that happened outside of the State House. It is a true cred...more
Tempest at Dawn is based primarily on Madison’s notes to the Convention. Mr. Best adds to the story events that happened outside of the State House. It is a true cred...more
Free 1.19.12 on Kindle. This could be really interesting. The reviews say it is a HF about the making of the U.S. constitution. I am in.
Historical novels can sometimes be interesting. Obviously the author can have the freedom to play a bit with the facts for the sake of dramatic license. Sometimes, if the author has done a good job with his/her research they can actually make the event come more alive to the reader.
It takes a particular kind of author to take a well documented historical event--like the writing and ratifying of the Constitution of the United States--and make it a refreshing read.
The pluses are that the author...more
It takes a particular kind of author to take a well documented historical event--like the writing and ratifying of the Constitution of the United States--and make it a refreshing read.
The pluses are that the author...more
This was a great book for folks interested in the constitutional convention. I was surprised at the fact that the book got progressively better and better as you traverse through. I found myself grinning and gripped with emotion at some of the scenes - especially the signing ceremony. The book gave me a huge appreciation for Madison and Sherman. The vignettes were terrific and added color to the story which, despite the author's protestations to the contrary, was pretty accurate historically fro...more
This book is definitely worth the time to read for those who have an interest in the early years of our nation.
It's not as comprehensive as I hoped it would be in that it did not go into great detail about things like the reasoning behind the electoral college. However, those can be found in James Madison's extensive notes, which the author points out.
The book does a fantastic job of showing how much these men had at stake both personally and politically. I never realized how dire the nations...more
It's not as comprehensive as I hoped it would be in that it did not go into great detail about things like the reasoning behind the electoral college. However, those can be found in James Madison's extensive notes, which the author points out.
The book does a fantastic job of showing how much these men had at stake both personally and politically. I never realized how dire the nations...more
A fictional account of the Constitutional Convention, Tempest at Dawn is a wonderful story that really brings to life the major participants of the convention. The story follows James Madison and Roger Sherman of Connecticut and the compromise that resulted with a house of reps based on proportional representation and a senate which gave equal suffrage to the states (protected the smaller states). It was really a fun read and based on facts in similar fashion to "the killer angels" or "gods and...more
Aug 07, 2011
Sandy
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommended to Sandy by:
Diane L
Shelves:
fiction-historical
Interesting story of what is now known as the Constitutional Convention. Fifty-five men met in Philadelphia with a congressional charter to revise the Articles of Confederation in May of 1787.They were there for 4 months debating what needed be done and how it should be accomplished. What impressed me about this was the effort and time and negotiations and debate and intrigue that were involved in this rather lengthy process. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we beli...more
This book beautifully contradict the famous quote, "Laws, like sausages, cease to inspire respect in proportion as we know how they are made." This novel inspires as it portrays the Constitutional Convention of 1787 which resulted in the U.S. Constitution. It brings the Founding Fathers back to life and and displays both their horse-trading and political acumen. My only proviso is that the reader needs some familiarity with the major figures and history of that period. I found it fascinating.
I learned a lot from reading this book, and I enjoyed it. However, I thought it was non-fiction when I loaded it onto my Kindle for my D.C. trip. When I realized it was historical fiction, I was quite disappointed. Still, the writing was pretty good. There were some typos that may only be in the Kindle edition. It made me more interested in reading more non-fiction about the founding fathers and the Constitution, though, which is a bonus.
This book marks the progress of the secret convention that wrote the U.S. Consitution. The story is told in the manner of historical fiction - although I wasn't aware this book was one when I picked it up (free from the Amazon Prime Kindle Lending Library). I may have avoided reading it if I knew in advance - but I'm glad I did not. This story was very readable and enjoyable. A great narrative describing the politics and intrigue behind the creation of the Constitution.
Excellent book. Wraps the personal letters, diaries, and notes of the people who drafted the Constitution into a total story. There are obviously points where there had to be some assumption of artistic license, but it seems to be a very accurate summary of events overall. Best describes very well the political obstacles and realities involved in the Constitution's drafting, as well as the original intent of specific parts of constitution.
I highly recommend this book to anybody looking to unders...more
I highly recommend this book to anybody looking to unders...more
Very good read. Engrossing story, particularly one gets to the meat of the plot (after the prologue set later with an aging James Madison). I found the dialogue to be very good. The author admits this is a fictional account but he tried to remain faithful. Characters were well drawn, showing the complexity, situation, and diversity at the time of the Federal Convention in Philadelphia.
All I know is it has made me want to go and learn a bit more about Roger Sherman, James Madison, and others. It...more
All I know is it has made me want to go and learn a bit more about Roger Sherman, James Madison, and others. It...more
Such a different book from Shut Mouth Society - but the best and most engaging look at the men and the effort and the pain of crafting the Constitution. I knew most of the facts, but this captures the emotions, frustrations, pride these men had while they were doing something that had never been done before - Great book.
Wonderful book. Tempest at Dawn tells the story of our Founding Fathers and the Constitution, what took place at the Convention. It really should be required reading for high school.
I love the fact that although it's told in a story format, these were the actual words spoken by the delegates present at the Convention.
I love the fact that although it's told in a story format, these were the actual words spoken by the delegates present at the Convention.
I like a good historical novel. This one seemed more novel and less historical than most. Maybe it was because James Best wrote about a well known era in the history of this country--the backroom bargaining that lead to the approval of the Constitution. I would have given this book four stars, but some of the "scenes" are so sensationalized that I'm left wondering if they are based on any part of history at all, or if they were simply added to garner added appeal for a historical book aimed at t...more
Fifty-five men jouney to Philadelphia in 1787 to revise the Articles of Confereration, and establish the longest-living republic instead. A historiaan, Best does a masterful job of recreating the characters of the founding fathers and the atmosphere of the times. I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
Normally I would RUN from a book like this. I am not a fan of American History, fiction or non fiction, but in this case, I have to say that this book was AWESOME. Very engaging. The characters held me until the very end, even though the ending is a forgone conclusion.
Have read it three times in the past 6 months. Am currently reading Best's "Principaled Action" - then I'm going to read it again to gain a better understanding of our Founders and their fight and their resolve to build a Country like no other.
I wish this was nonfiction! A great book based on historical events that demonstrates how the interactions of the founding fathers could have taken place and what their personalities may have been like.
I loved it. We all learn about this stuff in school, but its great to see the characters really come to life, and better that it stayed true to the real story line and did not over fictionalize.
Great story of the writing of our Constitution. Amazing that we ever got it done...and we're still here! Wonderful insights into the personalities, politics, debates, and compromises that it took to get it written and adopted.
I wasn't fond of the prologue or epilogue. But the bulk of the book was excellent. A must read for political history geeks.
This was one of the Amazon Prime free books, and it turned out to be a delightful read. Current day pundits tend to treat the constitution as if it was created by infallible brilliant men looking to create the perfect firm of government. Though fictional, Tempest at Dawn gives you a sense of the politicking that resulted in the document we accept as canon today. It brings the founding fathers to life and makes you appreciate how they were able to create an enduring see of principles for the coun...more
Great book which takes the notes of the Constitutional Convention, and forms a novel. fantastic concept
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| American Historic...: taking a tour of american history via fiction | 1 | 23 | Apr 20, 2012 05:55pm |
James D. Best is the author of The Shopkeeper, Leadville, Murder at Thumb Butte, The Return, Tempest at Dawn, Principled Action, The Shut Mouth Society, and The Digital Organization. James has written monthly columns for two magazine and numerous journal articles.
You can learn more about James and his books at http://jamesdbest.blogspot.com/
More about James D. Best...
You can learn more about James and his books at http://jamesdbest.blogspot.com/
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Jan 19, 2012 09:29am