Book Description

Customer Reviews (7)

Many people think..........
......he was a fictional character. A couple of years ago, I had this book on my desk, and a Nurse tried to argue with me to the effect that "Patrick Henry wasn't real". Poor soul, I never did convince her...Even if you accept that he was real, all you probably know is an eight second sound bite from an 8-10 minute speech. There was a LOT more to Mr. Henry than that.

This was no enigmatic Tom Jefferson or glacially distant George Washington; Henry was the nicest, and most personable of men. What you saw was what you got. Oh, he was tough in the courtroom, and in legislative debate, but he was, in most ways, an ordinary man supporting his [large] family with an extraordinary talent. He had his troubles: the initial failures at running a tavern drove him to the law [Who were the three signers of his law license? That's still debated]...his first wife's long mental illness, and eventual death just as The Revolution was starting would have taxed any man. But, Henry had a mission, and kept going.

At the time of "Liberty or Death", Patrick Henry had been a prominent legislator for ten years. Remember the "Stamp Act"?...And, before that, the "Parson's Cause", our first important court case on religious liberty? And after the famous speech...first elected Governor of Virginia...Militia Colonel...bitter opponent of ratification of the US Constitution...father [along with George Mason] of the "Bill of Rights". His ratification debates with John Marshall are the stuff of legend. Though Henry and Marshall were opponents, they remained friends, and law partners.[The famous Randolph murder case] Both were surpassingly nice guys. Henry was the father-in-law of Marshall's opponent, and enemy, Judge Spencer Roane. Marshall was so nice that his enemies liked him: Roane was so acidly unpleasant that even his friends couldn't stand him.

Henry had but one real enemy, and that was his political ally, Mr. Jefferson. The circumstances go back to the aftermath of Jefferson's unhappy time as Governor. The story is beyond this review, but was probably a misunderstanding. These are the two men largely responsible for our own freedom of religion; very different men. Henry was a lifelong devout Christian, and loyal Anglican, the nephew of a Priest, the son of a Vestryman. But, he always supported liberty. He was taught toleration early by his "dissenter" mother. [Dissenter doesn't mean athiest: in Mrs. Henry's case, it means Presbyterian: in some cases, Baptist. Methodists weren't dissenters; they were considered a branch of the Anglicans].The "Parsons Cause" was far from his only court case on the matter. When Baptist minister John Weatherford was jailed in Chesterfield County, near where I live, for preaching the Gospel, Henry got him out of the charges, and quietly paid his costs.[Weatherford didn't find out till later who had paid his fines]. Baptists telling this story will usually leave out the fact that an Episcopalian lawyer got Weatherford out of the mess...Episcopalians leave out Weatherford's name...From me, you get both. Though Mr. Jefferson wrote the "Virginia Statute on Religious Freedom", Patrick Henry laid much of the practical foundation.

On a personal note, I am honored to be, occasionally, one of the actors who regularly present a reenactment of The Second Virginia Convention of March 23, 1775 at St. John's Episcopal Church in Richmond. Yes, the original site is still an active Church. I'm not Mr. Henry, I'm either John Tazewell, or Thomas Nelson, jr. Should you ever get a chance to see either Mike Wells or Kevin McGranahan play Patrick Henry, take it. Different men, different renditions, both superb.Which do I prefer? Of course I don't dare say, since both are friends, who might read this. The honest answer is I don't know. My wife prefers one, my son and daughter the other, but I prefer both. This fine book is sold in the gift shop at St. Johns, and at Scotchtown, Henry's home in Hanover County. It is well written, and comprehensive. It is, sadly, the only academic biography of Mr. Henry we have in print. Robert Douthat Meade, famed as biographer of Judah P. Benjamin, wrote a wonderful two volume biography of Mr. Henry, published in 1957, and in 1969. Good luck finding it. But, even if you have Dr. Meade's [I do, signed; I won't tell where I got it, but it set me back $55], I can recommend this volume strongly. It's time you knew...

Patrick Henry, the forgotten patriot
Before moving to Virginia I, like many Americans, only knew Patrick Henry for his famous sound-bite, "...give me liberty or give me death." This well-written book has helped open my eyes to the depth of Patrick Henry and the significance of his contribution to American life. Consider his accomplishments: self-made attorney, elected several times to the Virginia House of Burgesses, elected to serve in the first Continental Congress, colonel in the pre-Revolutionary Virginia militia and three-term Virginia governor. He did all of this before he was 45 years old. He was a successful farmer and land speculator. He was a faithful sponsor of religious freedoms and political rights. Once our independence was established, he fought for a 'bill of rights' to protect us from the federal government. We owe a lot to Mr. Henry and, curiously, most people barely know his name.

Give me liberty, or give me death.The man behind the words


I enjoy history.I enjoy reading about the history of The United States, and the history of the world.While earning a BS in Physics I took almost enough history credits to get a BA in History.Through all the history I've read Patrick Henry seemed to be a supporting actor in the creation of the US.

Last year my family and I went to Colonial Williamsburg.For one of the events Richard Schumann acts as Patrick Henry.Mr. Schumann stands out under an Oak tree.He greets the audience, informs them of the events of the day (in 1776) and then takes questions from people.I was so fascinated and so enjoyed this the first day I went, that I went every day I could for the rest of the week, and when recently we flew back to the East Coast to see Washington DC and Colonial Williamsburg, I went again.

In response to some questions, Richard Schumann as Patrick Henry will "speculate" on the future.I asked if he thought there would be any good biographies written on him.As a typical Patrick Henry speech, he responded with a five to seven minute answer.He talked about the first biography written, about 30 years after Patrick Henry died, and gave the background on a number of other biographies written over the last 200 years.Finally he recommended "A Son of Thunder" by Henry Mayer.

This is a well written book.It is informative and engaging.

The book moves chronologically through Patrick's life.It starts with his ancestors, focusing on his parents.We learn of some of the major events in his childhood.As a child Patrick Henry was pretty easy going and had little drive.One he got married Patrick Henry finally grew up and started studying to become a lawyer.

Patrick joined Virginian politics and led a major change.For decades politics were run by the Virginian aristocracy.Patrick worked with the common men.He supported them, and they supported him.

Patrick is known for his ways with the spoken word.He was very gifted.The book gives some insight into how he developed this gift.As a lawyer he lost few cases.In fact after he beat Thomas Jefferson in a case, Thomas Jefferson gave up law.

Patrick Henry was very influential in the creation of the United States.The first ten amendments, the Bill of Rights, are largely due to Patrick Henry forcing James Madison to commit to supporting them.

The book shows that Patrick Henry was a good man.He had a few flaws, but Patrick Henry rates high in my mind for making the effort to make a difference.

This is a good book to read.If you have any interest in the creation of The United States of American, this book is worth reading.

Does not supercede earlier works by R. Meade, R. Beeman
Few biographies manage to avoid the perils of the genre, and this one is no exception.Mayer celebrates his subject, misunderstanding Henry as a fore-bearer of Jacksonian democracy and failing adequately to appreciate Henry's conservative commitment to social hierarchy, genteel leadership, and religious establishment.As a consequence, Mayer cannot convincingly explain Henry's espousal of Federalist politics in the 1790s, which makes sense only if we abandon any lingering neo-Whiggish inclination to find in Henry a self-conscious commitment to democracy.

There have been numerous other biographies of Patrick Henry.I would still recommend Moses Coit Tyler's 1887 PATRICK HENRY, which was reprinted by Chelsea House in 1980 with an introduction by Lance Banning.William Wirt Henry's three volume PATRICK HENRY, LIFE, CORRESPONDENCES, AND SPEECHES (originally published in 1891 but recently republished) should be used with care, since W.W. Henry incorrectly attributes a number of letters and other sources to Patrick Henry which more recent scholarship has established were written by others.Richard Beeman wrote a good analytic biography, PATRICK HENRY:A BIOGRAPHY, in 1974, which provides an excellent brief introduction to Henry's politics.The most comprehensive modern scholarly biography remains Robert Meade's two volume master-work, PATRICK HENRY (1959, 1967).

Mayer's prose is far more sprightly than Meade's, but Meade provides the more balanced and judicious treatment, and Meade's documentation of his conclusions is much superior. While Mayer updates Meade and Beeman in a number of places, his work does not supercede theirs, and should be read in conjunction with the earlier scholarship.Mayer's is a good book, especially as an introduction to a general audience.It is not, however, a work of historical biographical scholarship in the same class as, say, Drew Gilpen Faust's biography of James Henry Hammond, nor is it researched with the same meticulous care as Meade's account of Henry.

Engrossing Life of the Man Behind the Speech
There's much more to Patrick Henry than 'Give me liberty or give me death,' the most famous line from his most famous speech. But if ever a one-liner summed up a man's philosophy, this was the line for this man.

Sadly, many of the great figures of America's early history have faded from public understanding. Maybe we remember the ones who became President, but truly great and influential men like Patrick Henry and George Mason are all but forgotten. Mayer's excellent book shows what a tragedy this is.

From his early career as a Virginia lawyer, to the way his beliefs and oratory were shaped by circuit-riding nonconformist Christian ministers, Mayer lays the foundations for Henry's later greatness. But most absorbing, to this reader, was Mayer's depiction of the fight in the Virginia Assembly over the ratification of the Constitution. Henry's prescient warnings of the growth of centralised power at the expense of the sovereign states leads one to wonder if maybe the anti-federalists weren't right after all.

Vital insights into a vital figure in a vital period of our history. ... Read more

From the Publisher
"know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!" These compelling words from a speech delivered by Patrick Henry in 1775 at the second Virginia Convention embody the spirit of American courage and patriotism. The speeches of the 'orator of liberty' fueled the fire of the struggle for American Independence. This insightful look at one of our country's most colorful and verbal forefathers will deepen every readers' appreciation for the leaders in our past and strengthen their understandimg that, even today, freedom isn't free.

Available in December. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Thank you!
Thank you, Mr. Vaughan, for pointing out what many if not all public schools leave out of history... the fact that it was founded on Biblical principles by Christian men. I'm not saying that all the founding fathers were Bible believing or lived a moral live but that fact that Patrick Henry was such a HUGE part of it and he WAS a Christian and moral person was impactful to our nations birth.

My daughter enjoyed the humorous bits throughout the book and I enjoyed the fresh look at history.

The Cheering Section
In his biography of Partick Henry, Vaughan complains that previous biographers were unfair to the legendary statesman.Thus, he moves to correct this historical error by bringing forth a laundry list of glowing facts about Henry.While Vaughan does have a point about previous renderings of Henry's life, he does little to paint a more accurate picture of the orator.Rather, he glosses over Henry flaws, and presents us with a candy-coated version of the man.And Henry was a man--a good man, but a man nonetheless.Unfortunately, this biography fails to recognize that.

A Delightful Read
What a delightful read this book has been.The author displays a clear and deep admiration for his subject, but I find no fault in that. The book reads very easily without a lot of stilted verbiage, making it a wonderful introduction of the great orator to the student.

There is not a lot of detailed analysis here, but I don't believe that was the authors' intention.This work is meant to be an outline and introduction Henry, the Trumpet of the Revolution.

The work is actually presented as three separate volumes in one binding.Part 1 takes the reader from birth to death, touching on the momentous occasions, as well as a good bit of reference to the details of life which shaped the life of Henry.Part 2 gives Henry's views of some of life's virtues, such as Christianity, patriotism and duty and gives an insightful look at the character of this great American.Part 3 concludes with how Henry has been remembered by history, and how he should be remembered.

Overall, a delightful read which I highly recommend to students or anyone wishing to gain a basic insight to a great American patriot.

Monty Rainey
www.juntosociety.com

A "MUST READ" FOR LOVERS OF LIBERTY
It was wonderful to see Patrick Henry's Christian values and belief on the LORD JESUS CHRIST openly written about.I enjoyed it completely and would recommend it to any who enjoy studying the Revolutionary War. BUY IT!

Too didactic
I was somewhat disappointed with this short book.The author seems to have targeted the book to young people rather than older, more demanding readers.The book is comprised of very short, easy-to-read chapters written with too much moral heavy-handedness.The second half is nothing but a series of chapters on the moral lessons of his life with a decidedly religious take. A hagiography for early adolescents. This is not a book that takes much time to develop more complex themes of his life, times, and ideas.

Nevertheless, I finished the book with great admiration for Patrick Henry and an eagerness to read more about him and his ideas.I came to the book wanting to know more about the Anti-Federalists, as Henry was the most visible leader.I didn't get what I was searching for in this book.An okay book for young people but too simplistic and pat for others wanting a more intellectually demanding examination of the man. ... Read more

Book Description
Patrick Henry gave a mighty and thunderous voice to the cause of liberty and freedom in America. His words inspired our country to revolution. Kids will surely enjoy the story of this pivotal figure in the cause of freedom in America. ... Read more

Book Description
Best known for his "Liberty or Death" address, the oratorical essence of the American Revolution, Patrick Henry, Virginia patriot, statesman, and foremost orator of the Revolutionary period, is scrutinized in this eighth volume in the Greenwood Press Great American Orators series. Taken as a whole the volumes chronicle the role of public discourse in the United States and fill the void that has existed in American public address. In Patrick Henry, The Orator, David A. McCants develops fresh perspectives on an illustrious orator who excelled in two of the classical genres of rhetoric--the forensic and the deliberative. McCants gives a creative and compelling interpretation of the rhetorical efficacy of Henry's "Liberty or Death" speech, making a strong prima facie case for his evangelical explication. Rhetorical topics such as delivery, modes of proof, style, organization, effect, and more are examined within the context of the historical exigencies that motivated Henry and shaped his responses. The culture and politics of eighteenth-century Virginia as well as biographical factors that shaped Henry's development are explored in depth. Also included are six important speech texts with critical materials that provide students and scholars of the history and criticism of American public address a more comprehensive basis for understanding Henry's rhetorical reputation. Patrick Henry's development as a popular orator is traced in Part I, which presents critical analyses of the orator and his speeches during his "Protest" and "National" periods and in legal venues. In these chapters McCants focuses on the rhetorical considerations of speaker and speech, purpose and effect. Part II contains texts of the important addresses discussed in the preceding critical analyses. These collected speeches and speech reports include "The Parsons' Cause Case," the conclusion of the "Caesar-Brutus" speech in the Stamp Act Debate of May 1765, the "Liberty or Death" speech, two speeches from the Ratifying Convention Debate, and Patrick Henry's defense in the British Debts Case. A chronology of major speeches lists all of Henry's known addresses as well as the places and dates of the speeches and attests to the scope of rhetoric in the United States. The bibliography contains carefully described historical collections and gathers together primary and secondary sources that bear on the speaker and the oratory. An index closes the volume. Students and scholars of rhetoric, public oratory, and American history will find this notable study an invaluable research tool. ... Read more

Book Description
From the author's preface when the book was originally published in 1887:

Notwithstanding the great popular interest attaching to the name of Patrick Henry, he has hitherto been the subject of but one memoir founded on original investigation, and that, of course, is the Life by William Wirt.When it is considered, however, that Wirt's book was finished as long ago as the year 1817 -before the time had fairly come for the publication of the correspondence, diaries, personal memoranda, and official records of every sort, illustrating the great period covered by Patrick Henry's career -it will be easy to infer something as to the quantity and value of those printed materials bearing upon the subject, which are now to be had by us, but which were not within the reach of Wirt. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

I want to know more about Patrick Henry
I had not realized how much we owe Patrick Henry for the Bill of Rights.There is just enough in this book to encourage me to read further on the myth and reality of Patrick Henry, the fallout with George Washington, and just exactly what was the problem between James Madison and Patrick Henry. This is all briefly discussed in the book.Of course, the book was about Patrick Henry and could not possibly contain all this information.If you want to know just how important Patrick Henry was, and is, read this book.It will start you on a search separating myth from reality.

The most complete view of Patrick Henry's life
This book was written a long time ago yet is the best reference I've read so far. And the most open minded. It doesn't favor one founding father over another. It states the facts. This is a must for serious students ofPatrick Henry. ... Read more

Product Description
Graphic novels aren t just for superheroes!Patrick Henry has been plucked from history books and his life and accomplishments have been depicted in informative nonfiction graphic novels. ... Read more