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The Louisiana Purchase
From The Louisiana Purchase
Like many other major events in world history, the Louisiana Purchase is a fascinating mix of destiny and individual energy and creativity. . . . Thomas Jefferson would have been less than human had he not claimed a major share of the credit. In a private letter . . . the president, reviving a favorite metaphor, said he ""very early saw"" Louisiana was a ""speck"" that could turn into a ""tornado."" He added that the public never knew how near ""this catastrophe was."" But he decided to calm the hotheads of the west and ""endure"" Napoleon's aggression, betting that a war with England would force Bonaparte to sell. This policy ""saved us from the storm."" Omitted almost entirely from this account is the melodrama of the purchase, so crowded with ""what ifs"" that might have changed the outcome-and the history of the world.
The reports of the Lewis and Clark expedition . . . electrified the nation with their descriptions of a region of broad rivers and rich soil, of immense herds of buffalo and other game, of grassy prairies seemingly as illimitable as the ocean. . . . From the Louisiana Purchase would come, in future decades, the states of Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, and large portions of what is now North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Minnesota, Colorado, and Louisiana. For the immediate future, the purchase, by doubling the size of the United States, transformed it from a minor to a major world power. The emboldened Americans soon absorbed West and East Florida and fought mighty England to a bloody stalemate in the War of 1812. Looking westward, the orators of the 1840s who preached the ""Manifest Destiny"" of the United States to preside from sea to shining sea based their oratorical logic on the Louisiana Purchase.
TURNING POINTS features preeminent writers offering fresh, personal perspectives on the defining events of our time.
Like many other major events in world history, the Louisiana Purchase is a fascinating mix of destiny and individual energy and creativity. . . . Thomas Jefferson would have been less than human had he not claimed a major share of the credit. In a private letter . . . the president, reviving a favorite metaphor, said he ""very early saw"" Louisiana was a ""speck"" that could turn into a ""tornado."" He added that the public never knew how near ""this catastrophe was."" But he decided to calm the hotheads of the west and ""endure"" Napoleon's aggression, betting that a war with England would force Bonaparte to sell. This policy ""saved us from the storm."" Omitted almost entirely from this account is the melodrama of the purchase, so crowded with ""what ifs"" that might have changed the outcome-and the history of the world.
The reports of the Lewis and Clark expedition . . . electrified the nation with their descriptions of a region of broad rivers and rich soil, of immense herds of buffalo and other game, of grassy prairies seemingly as illimitable as the ocean. . . . From the Louisiana Purchase would come, in future decades, the states of Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, and large portions of what is now North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Minnesota, Colorado, and Louisiana. For the immediate future, the purchase, by doubling the size of the United States, transformed it from a minor to a major world power. The emboldened Americans soon absorbed West and East Florida and fought mighty England to a bloody stalemate in the War of 1812. Looking westward, the orators of the 1840s who preached the ""Manifest Destiny"" of the United States to preside from sea to shining sea based their oratorical logic on the Louisiana Purchase.
TURNING POINTS features preeminent writers offering fresh, personal perspectives on the defining events of our time.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published August 20, 2007
7 people are currently reading
96 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Fleming
127 books148 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Thomas James Fleming was an historian and historical novelist, with a special interest in the American Revolution. He was born in 1927 in Jersey City, New Jersey, the son of a World War I hero who was a leader in Jersey City politics for three decades. Before her marriage, his mother, Katherine Dolan Fleming, was a teacher in the Jersey City Public School System.
After graduating from St. Peter's Preparatory School in Jersey City, Fleming spent a year in the United States Navy. He received a Bachelor's degree, with honors, from Fordham University in 1950. After brief stints as a newspaperman and magazine editor, he became a full-time writer in 1960. His first history book, Now We Are Enemies, an account of the Battle of Bunker Hill, was published that same year. It was a best-seller, reviewed in more than 75 newspapers and featured as a main selection of the Literary Guild.
Fleming published books about various events and figures of the Revolutionary era. He also wrote about other periods of American history and wrote over a dozen well-received novels set against various historical backgrounds. He said, "I never wanted to be an Irish American writer, my whole idea was to get across that bridge and be an American writer".
Fleming died at his home in New York City on July 23, 2017, at the age of 90.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Thomas James Fleming was an historian and historical novelist, with a special interest in the American Revolution. He was born in 1927 in Jersey City, New Jersey, the son of a World War I hero who was a leader in Jersey City politics for three decades. Before her marriage, his mother, Katherine Dolan Fleming, was a teacher in the Jersey City Public School System.
After graduating from St. Peter's Preparatory School in Jersey City, Fleming spent a year in the United States Navy. He received a Bachelor's degree, with honors, from Fordham University in 1950. After brief stints as a newspaperman and magazine editor, he became a full-time writer in 1960. His first history book, Now We Are Enemies, an account of the Battle of Bunker Hill, was published that same year. It was a best-seller, reviewed in more than 75 newspapers and featured as a main selection of the Literary Guild.
Fleming published books about various events and figures of the Revolutionary era. He also wrote about other periods of American history and wrote over a dozen well-received novels set against various historical backgrounds. He said, "I never wanted to be an Irish American writer, my whole idea was to get across that bridge and be an American writer".
Fleming died at his home in New York City on July 23, 2017, at the age of 90.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 20, 2014
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. In today's version of history, the Louisiana Purchase is usually portrayed as a done deal, an inevitable fact of history, when as Thomas Fleming shows, such was not the case. Fleming really does an outstanding job of portraying the mesh of geopolitics, domestic politics, intrigue, and the personalities of world leaders at the time that resulted in the Purchase. I learned a number of interesting facts about the Purchase --- that we owe much to the Haitian revolt at the time in wiping out Napoleon's army intended for occupation of Louisiana, to Napoleon's greater concern about his British enemy, to Jefferson's genius in finding a way of avoiding war with France over New Orleans while more than doubling the size of the United States peaceably. In addition, I think we owe much to the diplomacy of Robert Livingston and James Monroe in negotiating with Napoleon's Foreign Minister, the corrupt Talleyrand, a deal that the French at times seemed intent on reneging on. I highly recommend this very readable book to anyone interesting in learning more about the Louisiana Purchase.
June 5, 2018
Very boring but I did learn a lot about the Louisiana purchase.
January 6, 2023
Very interesting book, which could have been more so with a more complete European take (it's very American), and a more general point to make. Still: very nice.
May 21, 2023
Very educational.
May 10, 2024
This book was a delight to read. Despite its short length, it offers a rich exploration of the Louisiana Purchase, brimming with intrigue and historical insights that left me craving for more.
I was surprised by the depth of drama and complexity behind the scenes of this monumental policy decision. The narrative introduces a cast of intriguing characters, although Thomas Jefferson's role remains somewhat subdued, allowing the focus to center on the negotiators.
Overall, this is a brief yet illuminating read, one that imparts a sense of newfound knowledge and leaves the reader feeling smarter.
I was surprised by the depth of drama and complexity behind the scenes of this monumental policy decision. The narrative introduces a cast of intriguing characters, although Thomas Jefferson's role remains somewhat subdued, allowing the focus to center on the negotiators.
Overall, this is a brief yet illuminating read, one that imparts a sense of newfound knowledge and leaves the reader feeling smarter.
April 29, 2015
I very much enjoyed reading The Louisiana Purchase by Thomas Fleming. He provides an in-depth study of those involved in the purchase including Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, Robert Livingston and Napoleon Bonaparte. The book moves quickly but provides sufficient detail to gain a good understanding of the events leading up to the Louisiana purchase. I would describe this book as a slice of history without having to eat the entire cake. I highly recommend this very enjoyable book to anyone interesting in learning more about the Louisiana Purchase.
March 23, 2013
Interesting and relatively brief narrative about a pivotal even in American history. It's hard to imagine America today that doesn't include the 800,000-plus square miles acquired in the Louisiana Purchase. Fleming provides all the relevant background and context for all the players involved. It's especially interesting to hear about American revolutionary characters like Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, etc governing in a newly-established America.
December 5, 2011
Napoleon really did agree to it out of his bathtub. And then he got into a fight with his brother and splashed water on him. Thats about as exciting as the book gets; even though the revolt on the island of Santo Domingo and the loss of French life there was pretty interesting.
January 16, 2015
This book is a quick read that provided a wonderful overview of the Louisiana Purchase. Fleming's writing style is fluid and made the book an agreeable respite from the somewhat long and tedious history books to which I usually subject myself.
October 29, 2008
Dull as dishwater.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews