I love reading about our founding fathers and Phillips goes into so many details about the coming together of our nation. If you are lacking on your history knowledge a little bit, read this, it's also an amazing "refresher" for the learned historians as well. The book most specifically focuses on George Washington (he's so cool, really....I mean the guy is incredible!), Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, of course Benjamin Franklin, and many more. It focus' on how each individual leveraged different skills in leadership to help the country go from being a a big nobody (in Great Britain's eyes) to the United States of America. Imagine trying to convince a group of "people" they should declare independence from one of the greatest super powers in the world at that time, with one of the largest armies, and with one of the most advanced navies...just to name a few things, but that is what these men and many others did. America did not start out easy, nothing great ever does. The Revolutionary War was not easy, in fact we were losing most of the time, but because men like Washington led his troops valiantly and people like Thomas Paine renewed the moral of the culture and the troops, America pulled through.Then--just when you think we're all set and on the right track-- after winning the war, they had to deal with bankruptcy, the different states each wanting to be individual and not united, a failing Articles of Confederation, a bunch of angry regiments who weren't getting paid, and many many MANY more problems. America could have easily fallen apart after the revolution if not for the courage, determination, and leadership of our founding fathers. Think we could learn a bit from these guys?? I think so.