Review: "The Patriot's Almananc"

One of my New year's resolutions is to spend more time reading good books (in addition to the Good Book). To help me with this, I have joined on as a book blogger for Thomas Nelson. This will provide me with "free books"!!! and will make sure I read them since in order to get the next one I must review the one I received first. Sounds like a win-win proposition.

So to start the New Year, the following is my first review for Thomas Nelson...



I have long been a fan of American History, short daily readings and William Bennett. So I was excited to receive my copy of "The American Patriots Almanac - Daily Readings" in the mail. On first impression the book is an attractive tome (the tea-stained parchment cover gives it a rich historical look) and an weighty one as well, coming in at over five hundred rough cut pages.

But don't let the size daunt you, its one page readings are easily completed. With one for each day, you are afforded 365 nuggets of American history mined from the depths of our collective experience. You will find familiar and not so familiar anecdotes covering both the famous and infamous persons and events from our nation's past. Each one was chosen to deepen a sense of patriotism and hope in the people and outlook of this great land.

Bennett and his co-author John T.E. Cribb have manged to take what could be dry bones from the past and breathed into them new life. With a focus upon the words of original documents and speakers, you get a sense of the vibrant heart of what makes this nation a city set upon a hill. I found myself reminded of the roots of our democracy and the price paid by so many for the freedoms I enjoy.

A welcome addition to my library I highly recommend picking up a copy for yourself and as a gift for the "patriots" on your list. In a time when we are rethinking our nation's role in the world, this book helps us remember our journey and what we must rediscover to remain a beacon of hope to the rest of the world.