
Setting the World Ablaze
Washington, Jefferson, and the American Revolution
John Ferling(Author)
Oxford University Press Inc
Published on 18. April 2002
Book
Paperback/Softback
428 pages
978-0-19-515084-1 (ISBN)
Description
Setting the World Ablaze is a biographical study of George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson and their struggle to erect a new nation. The three sections of Ferling's study chronologically examine major epochs in the lives of the three men: youth and early adulthood, the years surrounding the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and finally, defeat of the British in the Revolutionary War.
Reviews / Votes
"Powerful and fascinating....An immensely readable, well-researched volume that emphasizes the importance of individual choice and personal aspiration in the unfolding of a great historical event."--Frank A. Cassell, History"Ferling compares and contrasts Washington with John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, and in so doing provides an interesting case study of the factors that enable a few remarkable men to ride the tide of history and, ultimately, to shape it."--American History
"John Ferling tracks the careers of three leading revolutionaries in this entertaining history of the American Revolution....[An] engrossing study."--The American Historical Review
"A thorough exploration of the lives of Washington,Adams, and Jefferson, and a consideration of their personal motives for participating in the American Revolution...Ferling's effective demystification of those three Founding Fathers transforms them from two-dimensional icons into remarkable and fascinating men and captures their passionate struggles to form a new republican nation."--Kirkus Reviews
"John Ferling places Jefferson, Adams and Washington--the bard, the workhorse, and the leader of men--in relation to the Revolution and to each other. Jefferson is down, Adams is up, Washington remains first in war, and Ferling is a clear winner for sweep and instruction."--Richard Brookhiser, author of Founding Father: Rediscovering George Washington and Alexander Hamilton, American
"A major work, resting on formidable and impeccable scholarship. It tells a fascinating story of a crucial chapter in American history, and brings that story to life through the experiences of three unquestioned giants of the era. Ferling shows that John Adams is perhaps the most under-appreciated hero of the American Revolution, and brings Washington down from Mount Rushmore as a great but human figure."--Joseph J. Ellis, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of
American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson and Passionate Sage: The Character and Legacy of John Adams
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
5pp halftones and 5pp maps
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
691 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-515084-1 (9780195150841)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
07/2000
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€11.99
Available for download

E-Book
07/2000
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€11.99
Available for download
Person
John Ferling is Professor of History at the State University of West Georgia and the author of John Adams: A Life and The First of Men: A Life of George Washington. He lives in Carrollton, Georgia.
Author
Professor of History at the State University of West GeorgiaProfessor of History at the State University of West Georgia