Give Me Liberty: The Uncompromising Statesmanship of Patrick Henry by David J. Vaughan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Give Me Liberty is good because its subject--Patrick Henry--is so interesting, influential, and great. The book is divided into three sections: Henry's life; his character; and (briefly) his legacy. His life was amazing (perhaps more important to the Revolution than anyone save George Washington), his character was almost impeccable, and his legacy is enduring. Author David Vaughan writes on the backs of others: his sources are secondary. Vaughan also writes from a Calvinist perspective. That causes him to treat Henry's Christianity seriously, but also causes him to overstate Calvinism's importance. For instance, Vaughan all but says that Calvinists brought religious liberty to the colonies; he ignores the Baptists' profound influence in securing religious liberty and the history of Puritan persecution of Baptists in New England. There are a few other problems with the book: Vaughan treats Henry as almost flawless. And--perhaps due to the format (separate sections concerning Henry's life, character, and legacy)--there are many repetitions, which should not happen in an under 300 page (with small page size) biography. Despite these problems, Give Me Liberty contains a concise, interesting, and readable study of Henry and the leadership qualities he exhibited.
