Babitz's ideology immediately got my attention and opened my eyes up to an entire new way of thinking and hoipefully doing in the future. His work distinguishes the "real" laws of the land set forth in the Constitution by our founding fathers from the fraudulent restraints that have been imposed on people in our country by the Federal Government. The amazing part about this book is that it makes us pay attention to what is right there in front of us. Nothing is hidden. The Constitution documents the laws of our land and is available for all at any time, including in the appendix of the book. Babitz's work focuses our attention on what has always been there for us to see, but what the government refuses to see. The work gives us a framework from which we can work together to restore true liberty in our country.
This is a must read for anyone that is American. It is cutting edge, but not extreme. It is new and exciting, yet buttressed at every step of the way by the Constitution.

Babitz does a great job of setting forth the "Illusion of Freedom." The book truly makes you think about the freedoms we have, the freedoms which will be available in the future, and the degaradation or potential loss of those freedoms through flawed constitutional interpretations by branches of our government. The book demonstrates that Babitz is a real thinker and makes you become one too. Great Job!

A very engaging read on what can be a difficult topic. Babitz' style is entertaining, filled with interesting and humorous analogies that forcefully support his point. I was somewhat skeptical to some of his views...this book made me a believer.

I just finished reading C. Bradley Thompson's "John Adams and The Spirit of Liberty," and am in awe; not only of John Adams but of Dr. Thompson's masterful explication of Adams' political thought.

I had no idea what a debt of gratitude I owed to one man, John Adams, who more than any other Founding Father developed and provided the intellectual framework that became the Constitution of the United States. At the very least this book should be required reading for any person who is interested in pursuing a career in politics.

To all of you who are interested in understanding the intellectual founding of this country I urge you to read this book. You won't be able to put it down.

And to C. Bradley Thompson, I salute you and thank you for your efforts in resurrecting the reputation and honor of this great man.

John Adams and the Spirit of Liberty as a co-winner of the 1999 Best First Book awad from the Foundaions of Political Theoy section of the American Political Science Associatio. The award citation reads as follows: "In John Adams and the Spirit of Liberty, C. Bradley Thompson offers us a thoughtful and compelling revisionist account of Adams's politics and political theory. Thompson begins by showing how Adams's critical rethinking of Calvinism led him to reject it in favor of a Lockean conception of the problem of liberty, social order and political authority. The question of politics and government, then for Adams, was how to protect the natural liberty and rights to which each freeman is entitled through constitutional arrangements that are the work of philosophy, reason, and free will rather than grounded in tradition and common law. By posing the problem in this fashion, Thompson argues, Adams developed the most systematic science of politics of all early American political thinkers. This science of politics is grounded in Baconian principles of science, the lessons of history, and a science of human nature. From these foundations it is possible to identify the distinctive requirements of modern (vs. classical republicanism) and the imperatives and principles of political architecture. In the process, Thompson demonstrates that Adams's prescription for political life was both complex and original. Rejecting both direct democracy and classical republicanism, Adams opted for a republican constitution that would constrain and elevate the passions excited by commercial society. Indeed, it was Adams's belief that a properly constituted public sphere would help cultivate the kind of modest virtues among citizens that were preferable to the vaunted glory of classical antiquity. In demonstrating the complexity and depth of John Adams's politics and political thought, Bradley Thompson provides us with a cogent argument for reconsidering Adams's place in the Founding period and the relevance of his thought for contemporary politics."

In the company of Jefferson, Madison, and Washington, John Adams' significant contribution to American political and intellectual life is often overlooked. This well-written, thoroughly engaging text seeks to put Adams in his rightful place among the Founders of our great nation. Professor Thompson provides a thorough analysis of the development of Adams' political thought: his early philosophical and religious thinking, his revolutionary writings (including the brilliant "Novanglus" pamphlets), and the mature thought of Adams the statesman. Readers will finish this book with a profound awareness of the unique philosophical revolution which fueled the American Revolution, and they will come to appreciate that Adams was (like the author) a brilliant mind. As a former student of Thompson's, I thoroughly appreciate this book.

an excellent book. sad, funny, always interesting. just enough elements of cinema to draw a reader in, seduce them into thinking they're getting nothing more than a well-written drama--which it is, only with depths that movies don't bother to ever aspire to find. the subtle, sad undertones floating throughout the story make this book a humane but dark book. i wish all adpeople would read it and recoil at how shallow most of our lives are.

Dee's book has a moral weight that you rarely see in American fiction, but the writing is not at all heavy-handed. An excellent accomplishment.

Main plot: retiring professional meets reclusive neighbor who turns out to be a wanted man. Good piece of fiction that develops the characters well. Characters become well known and the main character guides the reader to an understanding of how little it really takes to get us out of our little civilized shells into a bigger, scarier world beyond the US borders and beyond our sense of humanity. The initial smoothness of the reading makes the transition to deeper thoughts all that more involving and tedious.

This beautifully written book brings to light, in an understated but poetic way, the genius and greatness of the man who, as Gaustad says, "was out to do nothing less than alter the institutional structure of the Western world." It is a measure of our time that many people-especially young people educated pursuant to the fashionable bromides of contemporary social science education-have never heard of this first founder of liberty of conscience and disestablishment of religion in America. In our epoch of attempted "faith-based" governmental initiatives, Gaustad's book reminds us, by constant reference to the writings of Roger Williams, of those principles that, after a bitter struggle of more than a century, came to distinguish this nation from the government-controlled religion and thought of the rest of the world. The life of Roger Williams shows that deeply held religious belief necessarily implies an unwavering commitment to the principle of absolute separation of church and state. Williams' life also demonstrates that at least one colonial leader tried, unsuccessfully, to overcome the tendency of the Puritans to treat Native Americans as less than human or as mere subjects for conversion to Christianity. The tragedy of Williams' life consisted solely in the failure of his decades-long effort to resolve the conflict between rapacious, religiously hypocritical English settlers and the Native Americans. The triumph of his life was his original pronouncement, in this country, of the enduring but often threatened principle that government should be restricted to civil, not religious, tasks. More than a century later, Jefferson and Madison built on the foundation that Roger Williams so nobly established in his writings and in the constitutional documents of Rhode Island.

Gaustad did an excellent job of portraying not only Williams' beliefs, politic and theology but the state of the world that led to their development and need. Very readable, never boring, practical and insightful to William's America as it is to ours. WE could learn a great deal from Williams, even so mamy years later. Gaustad truly brought him to life.

Gaustad's Liberty of Conscience is the second biography of Roger Williams I have read this summer. Perhaps because the first, Covey's The Gentle Radical, was so prolix, I loved Gaustad's work. His selection of historical data, his clear sequencing, and his explication of Williams's own writings make this a delight to read. Seventeenth-century Britain and colonial America and all those names one vaguely remembers are vividly described. The prose is clear and attractive. I came away with a new appreciation of Williams. Gaustad sees him as the first to set forth those principles of religious liberty that were picked up after him by Locke, Penn, Jefferson, and others and which we take for granted today. Toleration is a subject of current conversation within the United States. This biography depicts someone who fought for toleration in a time when people were being banished and even executed for not believing what the political powers said they must believe. It really gives a healthy perspective on our times. I recommend it highly.

I am a new middle school teaching asst. and have used this book in the classroom to help teach the American Revolution. If possible, anyone who can, I would appreciate as many copies as possible, to give to students who can not afford to buy them, themselves. I have very little money, but found this book would be great for future use and just can't find enough copies to seve a class of 25. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

than my daughter's fifth grade history text. An excellent book, this interesting Landmark History uses vivid pictures and lively text to kindle a flame of interest in the American Revolution. As a homeschooling mother I have watched my sons grow in their fascination for American history. My daughters, however, have found it dull. While my sons enjoyed listening to the Landmark Book series as much as they enjoyed the Hardy Boys, my daughters found it all quite uninteresting. I stumbled across this new (1998) book, The Liberty Tree:..., (a Picture Landmark Book) and read it to my daughters and my four-year-old son. Finally! A twinkle.

Written in short "chapters", this book is very easy to follow. With bursts of information containing cause and effect relationships, even the youngest could see how the French and Indian War led to events which led to events which led to the American Revolution. The bold-faced captions provide additional information which, when read alone at another sitting, enhance the usefulness of the book.

The reading level is not appropriate for 4 - 8 year-olds. (Lucille Recht Penner has done nice works for that age group, but this is not one of those.) As a read aloud, however, it does appeal to that age. My four-year-old was interested and remained seated for most of the book.

The girls insisted that I read parts to their older brothers -- especially the part about Paul Revere using a woman's petticoat to soften the sound of his oars during the first part of his famous ride. (They giggled when I read ..."it was still warm.")

This non-fiction picture book is wonderfully illustrated and provides a BRIEF introduction to the beginnings of the American Revolution. It covers the various taxes and Acts imposed on the colonies, the Boston Masssacre, the Tea Party, the forming of the militias, women in the war, spies, etc. and ends with the signing of the Declaration.

Each section has a large illustration and about 8-10 short paragraphs supplemented with smaller pictures and captions to provide more detail and interesting anecdotes.

I think the Amazon-recommended reading level is misleading. I don't know any four-year-olds who would enjoy this book and none who could read it. I think the actual reading level is about grade 2-3.

I read it to my almost-six year old and she loved it. My nine-year old (who is an avid reader of history with a special interest in this time period) still enjoyed listening and managed to learn a (very) few new details.

There are 18 2-page sections and the book is indexed (a nice touch for this format). I will definitely get the other books in this series.

"Imagine this...New York City, October 28, 1886... A small boy stands at the foot of an enormous statue, his heart bursting with excitement, for today he has been given the most important job in the world..." Based on true events, and seen through the eyes of a little boy, Allan Drummond details the momentous day the Statue of Liberty was unveiled in New York Harbor. As the rained poured down, the harbor was teaming with ships and boats, filled with thousands of cheering people, flying French and American flags. Everyone was there, Mr Bartholdi, the sculptor, the many workers who helped build the statue in France, and erect it here in America, the sailors who brought her over from France, the press, businessmen, dignitaries, and even the President of the United States, all waiting for the signal that would reveal Lady Liberty's beautiful face for the first time..... Mr Drummond's simple text is engaging, entertaining, and full of energy, as the excitement of that day builds with each page turn. His marvelous bright and busy illustrations, in shades of red, white, and blue, dazzle as they swirl around the pages, creating a joyous feast for the eyes. Perfect for youngsters 5-9, Liberty is an evocative masterpiece, best read aloud and shared, that leaves behind a gentle and unforgettable message. "Freedom is like a flame we must all hold high and give to others and keep burning bright all around the world."

Written and illustrated by Allan Drummond, Liberty! is an enthusiastic, full-color picturebook for young readers about the Statue of Liberty, which France gave to the United States in 1886. Telling its story through the eyes of a young boy, Liberty! follows the great statue's steamship voyage with imaginative pen-and-wash artwork and enthusiasm for the treasure that is Liberty. Highly recommended for both school and community library picturebook collections.

Allan Drummond brings to life the factual events of how Lady Liberty came to America, all through the eyes of a small boy. Drummond leads the reader through events leading up to and including the unveiling of the Statue of Liberty. The anticipation and enthusiasm for the coming of the Statue of Liberty that is felt in the people of New York and France is wonderfully shown in Drummond's writing. His delightful illustrations use wonderful colors to help portray this story of America's ideals of Liberty and Freedom.

Listen up, this is one hell of a book by one hell of an author. Don't dig around in your pocket wondering how many books you can afford right now...it's worth the price!

These fictions are wicked, funny, intelligent, moving, unashamed, and original. The stories weave in and out of capitalism and the bodies of those written over by the movements of culture. Wives, junkies, prostitutes, gay men, male movies stars stuck in the roles we won't let them leave, terrorists, athletes, models, icons, mutants and average joes all populate the underworld of LIBERTY'S EXCESS. Get this book. In this new author we've got a live one on our hands.

I see Manifest Destiny, Capitalism and Liberty lose their cover stories violently and without flinching in Liberty's excess. Pursuing the dream ricochets off the page and you are left with only desire. Old myths we've lived by tower and collapse; old rituals foam out the mouth and burn the skin, leaving scars of exhausted creeds and identities. This fiction is a luscious mouth you've been dying to kiss. And there is no languid post-sex smoke after reading these fictions: just bite marks, bruised and succulent. Just a body with a knife and words refusing to surrender. The body doesn't lie. It just gives good fiction. From the fast-food drive-thru to the Marquis de Sade, from the Texaco to Sigmund Freud, from mothers to terrorists to professors to junkies to intellectuals to vagrants to the self--these fictions writhe under the filmy membrane called America. Liberty's excess is a call out, breaking through the thin layer of tissue to let the body/landscape breathe.

Cheers. While reading "On Guard for Religious Liberty: Six Decades of the Baptist John Committee," I was astounded by the amount of talent Ms. Parry displays. I thought that the talent displayed may have been a fluke, but after reading her other work, "The Bottom Line: How to Build a Business Case for ISO 14001," I am sure that she will one day be looked upon with the likes of Hemingway, Storey (deceased), Steinbeck, and Quigley. The limits of her talents are boundless, as she has made the history of Baptists into a literary joy. I could not put this book down. The narrative style is untouchable. I cannot wait for her newest publication, "Journalism as Literature: The Syllabus". Bravo Ms. Parry. Bravo.

This is an excellent history of the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs in Washington, D.C. It provides insight into the behind-the-scenes workings of this important agency. Every Baptist should read this book.

This was a great book. How awesome to know more info. about the BJC. Most Baptists don't know all of this stuff. Thanks Ms. Parry!!!

There is something different about this trilogy. They are hard to find in bookstores, but I highly recommend them. This is just plain GOOD storytelling. Very well written. Read all 3! It's worth it! After this book comes "Patsy and the Declaration", and then "Barbara's Escape", which is about her best friend. The character's name obviously comes from the author's sister, also named Barbara.

This book was about two girls Barabara and Patsy who live Long Ago during Colonial Days. Patsy's dad owns a tavern where Barbara's family works. The two are friends and make plans for a secret club called "Daughters of Liberty." Read this book to learn more!

This book is about Patsy Black, a young girl growing up in her family's inn/tavern in Philadelphia during the American Revolution. Patsy and her best friend, Barbara Leyman, start a club called the Daughters of Liberty to help America win its independence. READ THIS BOOK!