The Federalist Papers In Modern Language: Indexed for Today's Political Issues

by Mary E. Webster (Editor)

The Federalist Papers are among the most important Founding Documents in the birth of the United States of America. The whole original debate over the Constitution is laid out here in detail for all to see. But most Americans have never read them. Why? Because they were written in the florid and complex language of 18th century politics. Now the Federalist Papers have been translated into modern American English. If you can read a newspaper, you can now read the Federalist Papers. See how the Founding Fathers foresaw the problems of impeachment, of corruption in government, of representation and all the other headline-grabbing issues we read about today! This new edition is indexed for today's political issues, a feature found no where else! The Clinton Impeachment? Regulatory excess? Bumbling bureaucracy? Gun control? Just see the index and find out what the Federalist Papers say about it! A publishing event of major importance!

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, Law, American History, Philosophy, Government

408 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1999

Reviews

[Nickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is fantastic. After reading 66 Fed Papers and just feeling lost I get it now. I can read this first and then I read the actually language and I understand what that darn Hamilton is talking about.

If only I knew this from the beginning. Well I'm almost finished now.

[David Robins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Makes the original a little more readable, and thus faster to read through (I find the papers a bit repetitive, but then they are rhetoric, not purely explanatory), but remains true to the content. Some typographical errors; could have been better proofed.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be required reading for everyone. The "translation" into modern language is great. The thoughts expressed in the book are timeless, however, and would be great lessons for today's politicians to follow. Maybe we'd have less government and more freedom.

[Brent]

Excellent alternative to actually reading The Federalist papers. Some of the original language in The Federalist are challenging for modern readers. This "modern language" version is excellent especially when combined with the indexing. The indexing helps one find the connection of each paper with current political issues. Understanding the intent of the U.S. Constitution as explained in The Federalist will open your eyes as to why so many autocratic-minded politicians want to change the constitution and why its principles are so important to protect.

[David Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary Webster has done a fantastic job of bringing these Founding essays to life for modern readers. The importance of these essays cannot be understated, and as language naturally evolves and drifts from the 18th-century context of the Founders, the antiquity of the vocabulary and sentence structure confounds modern readers. Webster has provided a tremendous service, much like John Wycliffe, to bring these essays into the contemporary language of everyday Americans. This book is my go-to reference for unwinding the thoughts and insights of Hamilton, Madison, and Jay, i.e., Plubius.

[Carlos · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay

I mean, I tried to read the whole thing, but I guess I didn’t found it interesting. I kept dazing off every-time I read the book.

[Cynthia L. Riser · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read

[La-Shanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful tool if you want a breakdown of the federalists papers and context to clarify some of difficult topics.