In Stock
Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
Paperback
€15.59
Collect 46 Reward Points
- Free Delivery from
- This Book Is Available Online Only
- Book Synopsis
- Bestselling historian Peter Moore traces how Enlightenment ideas were exported from Britain and put into practice in America - where they became the most successful export of all time, the American Dream 'Absorbing... fascinating... eloquent' THE TIMES 'Engaging and thoroughly reader-friendly' TELEGRAPH 'Wonderfully absorbing and stimulating' SARAH BAKEWELL Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is frequently evoked today as shorthand for the American Dream. But this is a line with a surprising history. Rather than being uniquely American, the vision it encapsulates - of a free and happy world - owes a great deal to British thinkers too. Centred on the life of Benjamin Franklin, featuring figures like the cultural giant Samuel Johnson, the groundbreaking historian Catharine Macaulay, the firebrand politician and revolutionary activist Thomas Paine, this book looks at the generation that preceded the Declaration of Independence in 1776. It takes us back to a vital moment in the foundation of the West and tells a whole new story about the birth of the United States of America - and some of the key principles by which we live to this day. 'Deft insights and in clear prose' ALAN TAYLOR 'A gripping account' STELLA TILLYARD 'Rollicking...compulsive readability' WASHINGTON POST 'A great read' LADY HALE
- About The Author
- Peter Moore is a writer, journalist and lecturer in creative writing at the University of Oxford. He is the author of five works of history, including the Sunday Times bestsellers The Weather Experiment and Endeavour. His latest book is A Dangerous Game, a new biography of Thomas Cochrane.
- Product Details
-
- ISBN
- 9781529922479
- Format
- Paperback
- Publisher
- Vintage, (05 June 2025)
- Number of Pages
- 512
- Weight
- 377 grams
- Language
- English
- Dimensions
- 198 x 130 x 32 mm
- Categories: