Kiwi Phil
Commander
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2003
- Messages
- 2,182
I have just finished a book my dearly beloved gave me last Xmas.
I read when I take the family and dog to the beach, and when I am waiting for Haydens basketball practice to finish.
It is by one of my favourite authors, Stephen E Ambrose (American), and the subject I would guess is something you have all had to study and do school assignments on.
Before i tell you how much I learnt about your history and how much i enjoyed the book, I thought I would add a twist and ask:
if I was to post the following single sentence, written by Thomas Jefferson, about the man this book was written about, then how many of you would be able to identify him.
"Of courage undaunted, possessing a firmness and perseverance of purpose which nothing but impossibilities could divert from its direction, ... honest, disinterested, liberal, of sound understanding and a fidelity to truth so scrupulous that whatever he should report would be as certain as if seen by ourselves, with all these qualifications as if selected and implanted by nature in one body for this express purpose, I could have no hesitation in confiding the enterprise to him."
Thomas Jefferson.
The book was a little difficult going at times,as it was not a novel nor an autobiography or a diary. More a cross between and account by a 3rd person constructed by a lot of research of old documents, publications and personal letters etc.
I would guess every American knows all the detail about this topic anyway.
Good read......plus I learnt a lot too.
Cheers
Phillip
I read when I take the family and dog to the beach, and when I am waiting for Haydens basketball practice to finish.
It is by one of my favourite authors, Stephen E Ambrose (American), and the subject I would guess is something you have all had to study and do school assignments on.
Before i tell you how much I learnt about your history and how much i enjoyed the book, I thought I would add a twist and ask:
if I was to post the following single sentence, written by Thomas Jefferson, about the man this book was written about, then how many of you would be able to identify him.
"Of courage undaunted, possessing a firmness and perseverance of purpose which nothing but impossibilities could divert from its direction, ... honest, disinterested, liberal, of sound understanding and a fidelity to truth so scrupulous that whatever he should report would be as certain as if seen by ourselves, with all these qualifications as if selected and implanted by nature in one body for this express purpose, I could have no hesitation in confiding the enterprise to him."
Thomas Jefferson.
The book was a little difficult going at times,as it was not a novel nor an autobiography or a diary. More a cross between and account by a 3rd person constructed by a lot of research of old documents, publications and personal letters etc.
I would guess every American knows all the detail about this topic anyway.
Good read......plus I learnt a lot too.
Cheers
Phillip
