The book’s strong organization, the conversion of colonial financial sums to modern dollars, and well-paced and lively writing make for an outstanding work of American history and a joy to read. Alongside the financial history, Randall’s account of the Founders’ world is compelling and highly readable, while his description of French aid during the revolution suggests that FDR got the Lend-Lease idea from Louis XVI. Randall’s dry wit drives the true stories of French police searching Ben Franklin’s underwear and Sam Adams’ beer career.
In an engaging style, Randall skillfully compiles material from extensive research regarding the compelling impact of the Founders’ personal financial interests on their political decision-making—from rebelling against Britain through ratifying the Constitution—but contends that they were not driven exclusively by personal gain ... This accessible, concise, yet informative work would benefit from a conclusion summarizing Randall’s observations. It will appeal to general readers and academics.
...superb ... historian and biographer Willard Sterne Randall explores in extensive detail the economic circumstances of the budding republic ... The personal stories of the Founding Fathers’ wealth are especially interesting ... Randall is a biographer of Washington, Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, so he knows his territory well. The Founders’ Fortunes will hold readers’ interests with its carefully drawn portraits of personalities and insightful analyses of events.
Randall deftly follows these currents as they played out in the lives of the key founders, with numerous ups and downs for each of them during the war ... the narrative is well written and packed with human interest, providing a valuable update to the Revolutionary-era history many readers may not have studied since high school ... A vivid history of how America paid for its Revolution and why the Founding Fathers made the decisions they did.
... intriguing yet unsatisfying ... Randall downplays other political and cultural factors behind the revolution and risks oversimplifying the motivations and considerations of his subjects ... Readers will find Tom Shachtman’s The Founding Fortunes to be a more thoughtful and nuanced treatment of the same subject.
