Joseph J. Ellis has made his name, and won his Pulitzer, writing books about the American Revolution. His Thomas Jefferson biography, “American Sphinx,” earned him his initial recognition and the National Book Award. “Founding Brothers,” his immensely readable stories of the American founding, put him on bestseller lists and captured his Pulitzer. “His Excellency,” a George Washington biography, was another bestseller as is his latest, “American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies at the Founding of the Republic.” This book reads like a direct sequel to “Founding Brothers.” Like that book, “American Creation” is a series of stories, or vignettes, about the nation’s earliest days. He tells tales of “The Year,” from April 1775 to July 1776, from the firing of the Revolutionary War’s first shots at Lexington and Concord to the signing of the Declaration of Independence; “The Winter” catches up with George Washington and his threadbare American troops at Valley Forge. These are well-known glimpses into the Revolutionary era, but Ellis also looks at the tragedies of the unresolved issues of slavery and the beginning of the tainted policy of dealing with Indians. Add to that the development of a two-party system and the Louisiana Purchase. Given that Ellis wrote concise portraits of many of these players in “Founding Brothers,” he cuts to the chase of the stories here. Ellis still brings the insight of his research and knowledge to this new book all wrapped in the package of his engaging writing style. If you enjoyed “Founding Brothers,” “American Creation” has been created for you.
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VHS Class of 2012 graduates
Valdosta High School’s Class of 2012 gathered Friday night at the Valdosta State University PE Complex to celebrate the graduation of roughly 350 seniors.
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Qualifying ends
Citizens engaged in their local political landscape will have plenty of options this July and November as dozens of candidates qualified on Friday.
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Resident escapes from blaze
A citizen escaped an aggressive fire with only minor cuts and bruises Friday afternoon, as wind amplified the flames from the blaze that started inside of his St. Augustine Road residence.
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Weekend preview with Brittany McClure
Find out what's going on this weekend with Brittany McClure.
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Popular vendor taken out of the ballparks
With a wagon-load of fresh cakes, hot boiled peanuts and ice-cold bottled water she has witnessed generations of children, or as she refers to them, her angels, grow into adults with children of their own.
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Three candidates file for election
Qualifications for Lowndes County general primaries continue with the addition of a couple new candidates interested in running for elected office.
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City, county tax discussions stalled
Local Option Sales Tax “negotiations” between city and county officials have descended from open meetings to a stalemate, with no clear agreement on how the estimated $210 million in tax revenue should be split.
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Valdosta High principal to retire
After one year as Valdosta High School principal, Rufus McDuffie has announced his retirement.
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South Georgia’s Ace
High above war-torn Germany, World War II fighter ace Donald S. “Bush” Bryan led his flight toward an estimated 50 enemy aircraft.
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Arraignment set for Quitman 11
The “Quitman Eleven” are scheduled to have an arraignment on May 29, Brooks County Courthouse, according to their attorney, Roy Copeland.
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