Very readable book on how American Founders came to their freedom and individual based foundation for a country. Heavy on religion, but people are religious. ( )

Just wanted to sample it, but maybe another time I'll read the entire thing. Very readable.

believes freedom ie lack of control by Authority, discovered by Jews, Muslims & again by Americans. US meant to be republic, democracy leads to tyranny.

Lane’s “Discovery of Freedom” is entirely outside the box thinking. It is at once a history of mankind and a vision of political philosophy, but of course meets none of the ‘standards’ usually applied in either of these fields.

Her history does not follow the steps of generals and politicians, but rather that of normal people; the people who clear the land, make the clothes, build the railroads, raise the families and create their society. Most of them just don’t have time to be politically active, or to pursue critical literature. What they did do was to create America, drive its revolution, and create the greatest prosperity the world has ever known.

Her political philosophy is mostly negative. How and why did this happen in the 100 years between 1800 and 1900, but not in the earlier 6,000 years of civilization? Wilder looks at some earlier examples, the Jews and the Saracens, and at some of the debts we owe them. Her conclusion is negative in the sense that she views their and our success as due to the idea that ‘Authority’ (the government, state, king, dictator, church, or emperor) either left them alone or was ignored, while they went about making progress as best they could.

She goes on to point that this growth has been slowed and blocked in the twentieth century, but remains optimistic as shown by her final remark. (Remember that Rose was writing while the outcome of WWII was still uncertain.) ”Win this war? Of course Americans will win this war… [but] there is more than that. Five generations of Americans have led the Revolution, and the time is coming when Americans will set this whole world free.”

If you want a simple introduction to the idea of American values, to liberty, and to the causes of growth, this book is a must read. ( )