American Bloods: The Untamed Dynasty That Shaped a Nation

by John Kaag

" American Bloods is an unflinching history of our nation . . . This is a breakout book for John Kaag―the natural extension of his genre-defining writing.” ―Doris Kearns Goodwin, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of In Turbulent Times

"Kaag has a knack of stumbling upon treasures . . . The result is a thrilling and illuminating tale." —John Banville, The New Statesman

A history of a family spanning centuries and continents―one that unfolds into a new portrait of America.

The Bloods were one of America’s first and most expansive pioneer families. They explored and laid claim to the frontiers―geographic, political, intellectual, and spiritual―that would become the very core of the United States. John Kaag’s American Bloods is the account of a remarkable American family, of its participation in the making of a nation, and of how its members embodied the elusive ideals enshrined in the Declaration of Independence. Kaag follows eight members of this family from the British Civil War in the seventeenth century through the founding of the colonies, the American Revolution, Transcendentalism, the Industrial Revolution, the Civil War, and the rise of first-wave feminism, all the way to the beginning of the twentieth century.

The Bloods were active participants in virtually every pivotal moment in American history, coming into contact with everyone from Emerson and Thoreau to John Brown, Frederick Douglass, Victoria Woodhull, and William James. The genealogy of the family tracks the ebb and flow of what Thoreau called “wildness,” an original untamed spirit that would recede in the making of America but would never be extinguished entirely. American Bloods is an enduring reminder of the risks and rewards that were taken in laying claim to the lands that would become the United States, and a composite portrait of America like no other.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, American History, Philosophy, Biography Memoir

Audible Audio

First published May 14, 2024

About the author

John Kaag is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and author of American Philosophy: A Love Story. It is a story of lost library, a lost American intellectual tradition and a lost person--and their simultaneous recovery.

Kaag is a dispirited young philosopher at sea in his marriage and his career when he stumbles upon West Wind, a ruin of an estate in the hinterlands of New Hampshire that belonged to the eminent Harvard philosopher William Ernest Hocking. Hocking was one of the last true giants of American philosophy and a direct intellectual descendent of William James, the father of American philosophy and psychology, with whom Kaag feels a deep kinship. It is James’s question “Is life worth living?” that guides this remarkable book.

The books Kaag discovers in the Hocking library are crawling with insects and full of mold. But he resolves to restore them, as he immediately recognizes their importance. Not only does the library at West Wind contain handwritten notes from Whitman and inscriptions from Frost, but there are startlingly rare first editions of Hobbes, Descartes, and Kant. As Kaag begins to catalog and read through these priceless volumes, he embarks on a thrilling journey that leads him to the life-affirming tenets of American philosophy―self-reliance, pragmatism, and transcendence―and to a brilliant young Kantian who joins him in the restoration of the Hocking books.

Part intellectual history, part memoir, American Philosophy is ultimately about love, freedom, and the role that wisdom can play in turning one’s life around.

John lives with his daughter, Becca, and partner, Carol, outside of Boston.

Reviews

[Read-n-Bloom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just okay for me 🙁. I usually like history of America and the people living at that time but I just couldn’t get connected to any of the characters. And they were true peoples in America at its founding or leading up to its founding, but I just couldn’t connect with them or the story. At times it would open up for me and I would think it will start getting better now but no it didn’t. 😞 But it’s an okay book like I rated. I wish I could have gotten more connected with it. Thank you to #NetGalley, the author and publishers for the opportunity to read and review #AmericanBloods with my honest thoughts and comments. My thoughts are my own.

[Dax · Rating 4 out of 5]

A work of philosophical history that illustrates the zeitgeist of certain generations throughout American history. Kaag introduces us to individuals in a single American family, the Bloods, that played key roles in shaping, or at least representing, the American mood of their day. The characters are certainly interesting and I appreciated the fact that this relatively slim work gives a solid introduction into the writings of American philosophers such as Emerson, Thoreau, and James. It is a little dry at times, but those moments are short lived. Overall I thought this was a great introduction for anyone who is considering reading philosophy. Low four stars.

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

This audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by John Kaag, Brilliance Audio, and NetGalley.

This is a nonfiction historical unlike any I've read before. This cleverly traces American history from before the US Revolutionary war into modern times using a single well placed family. This starts off in England with the patriarch of the family, his crimes and his start in what will become the United States. This family grows to become wealthy,  successful, powerful and well connected. This  narrative is used to tell a unique history of these United States. Too much of Emerson & Thoreau for my tastes. This skips blithely over the violence inherent in colonialism and praises too many troubling dead racists for me to enjoy.
Still a fascinating and interesting history I'm very glad to know about.

The narrator of this nonfiction history text is Leon Nixon. Nixon possesses a deep, rich voice which added gravitas to the narrative. This is beautifully narrated.

Thank you to John Kaag, Brilliance Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own. 

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a close encounter with a wolf [on a dark, foggy night], and seeing a large rock/cave on/near his property, the author, completely freaked out, cannot sleep and decides to unpack boxes, which leads to fully inspecting this new home he and his family has just moved into [an old farmhouse outside of Boston]; what he finds during that inspection takes him down a humongous rabbit-hole that then leads to this informative, engaging [and also, at times, a little bit mind-blowing] book about a historical family that I [for one], and never even heard of.

Filled with SO. MUCH. HISTORY [and unfortunately slogs a little in parts because there is just so much here] that just gobsmacked me at times [and weirdly, referenced a time in history {the fight for Kansas} that I actually have an upcoming book to read - it was cool when I worked that out but was also a little disconcerting], and left me wanting a little bit more.

Very well-written and researched, this is a deep-dive [that will thrill and engage all history and nonfiction readers] into mostly unknown history that will engage you right from page one until the very end.

I was granted an audiobook ARC and it was narrated by one of my favorite nonfiction narrators [Leon Nixon] and he just made this already amazing book even better, with his smooth, articulate delivery, and his engaging style. I highly recommend listening to this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, John Kaag, Leon Nixon - Narrator, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and Brilliance Audio for providing the eBook and audiobook ARC's in exchange for an honest review.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read about the Blood dynasty. Recommended.

[Jayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a family saga that spans from the original patriarch in England that attempted to steal the Crown Jewels to his subsequent generations in the US colonies. The family is marked by cunning, intelligence and independence. The book gets very philosophical, particularly when discussing the families intersection with Emerson and Thoreau. Too philosophical, for my taste. This is a very successful family and their successes are well documented. I am sure there will be other beaters that will be more invested.

The narration is strong, and his voice is very pleasant.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance audio for the advanced copy.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The tagline of Kaag’s book, the untamed dynasty that shaped a nation, is what initially interested me in this book. According to the book's blurb, the Bloods were one of America’s first pioneer families, involved in the major moments that shaped the country: the Revolution, the Civil War, and westward expansion. So how had I never heard of them? So I was ready for the standard history of a family, introducing me to the Bloods when they arrived in America and how generations of the clan contributed to the various events from the 1600s on. And though Kaag definitely gives the reader a history of the family, it is not what I would call traditional history. Instead he looks at a few select Bloods and shows how they reacted to those major events.

The sections dealing with the American Revolution and the Industrial age are well done and Kaag uses them to show the overall history of the times. But where the book really shines was an instance where the Bloods feel more adjacent to the story than the leading characters. In Kaag’s discussion of Perez Blood, a descendant that lived on part of the original Blood homestead in Concord in the 1800s, he highlights Perez’s solitary life with his single sisters and telescope he created. But he also describes how this hermit was of great interest to Emerson and Thoreau, two of Concord’s leading Transcendentalists. Kaag spends a great deal of time discussing Emerson and Thoreau and the movement they started. Both are fascinating characters and examination and analysis of Transcendentalism is excellent, especially his discussions of Thoreau and his work, but it felt a little removed from the story of this family.

Still, I would highly recommend this book. I listened to the audiobook and it was excellent. It felt very on point to be listening as I drove up Interstate 95 North and Route 3 North, passing the towns that the Bloods played such an important role in: Concord, Carlisle, Billerica, and Manchester. It has certainly inspired me to make a visit to the Old Manse and Esterbrook Woods this summer.

[A Mac · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book follows the far reach of the Bloods, a family who were present in America from the Colonial Period. Members of their family met some of the first Transcendentalists, were forerunners in the industrial revolution, and part of bloody civil wars in Kansas. The first almost 15% of the book discusses the Blood family in Europe.

The author’s writing is engaging, and I do like how the text is set up. I also enjoyed that he followed some important points of American history by using a single family line, which is an interesting concept. But I was hoping for more exploration of the actual people.

This work got heavily into the philosophical context of the early members of the Blood family with details surrounding the writings of Locke, Thoreau, and Emerson included. The same thing happened with the later Bloods, but the focus was on Marxism and trade theory. I can see how this was somewhat relevant for context, but I wanted more of a focus on the people and their family/spouses, especially considering how short the book was. I was much more interested in why the two Blood sisters in the 19th century were unmarried and living with their brother – were they widowed, choosing to remain unmarried, shunned? For the most part, the early women of this family were lost in this history. Even the men were only really explored in their relevance to their contemporary themes in America’s history.

If you’re interested in American history, then this would be worth reading especially as it’s a unique way to explore the history. The narrator did an excellent job with this one, and the audiobook is certainly worth checking out. My thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Rebecca Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Think you know all the major players in American history? Think again!

In this book, you are going to get to know an American family you might have never heard about. Journey through the American wilderness, become involved in politics, warfare, and so much more. This is one book that you are going to have a hard time putting down.

As with some historical works, there are some sections of the book that seemed too far down the rabbit hole, but as you read further, it all ties together, like interconnecting dots that have to come down to the last few chapters to fully pull together.

This was a very well-researched book, and one that I really enjoyed. It was hard to put down, yet there were real life needs going on. I might have suffered through a few longer nights of reading, trying to get through it all, after a very long day. Well worth the few hours each night that I missed with sleep. Now, I am going to need a paperback version of this book. I want to tear it apart, and mark it up, so that I can dive into some different research areas. There were way to many to note, so I gave up actually trying to keep notes, and decided another read would be just as enjoyable.

Happy reading my history loving friends!

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

American history and history of modern philosophy told through the lives of the Blood family, early settlers of north central Massachusetts where I lived for many years. The landscapes, farms, and family names were all well known to me - the still extant Blood Farm is where our farm pigs used to go for ‘processing’, and I’ve tramped through a lot of these woods. Interesting to learn that a founding member of the family actually stole the crown jewels from the Tower of London.

Likened to the native wolves, the Blood descendants in the new colonies were no less rambunctious, and generally ended up on the ignoble side of history. This corner of New England had its own history of enslavement, and its treatment of the native Americans was appalling. Bloods profited from both.

I enjoyed the history more than the delineation of schools of philosophy in the 18th and 19th centuries. I listened to the audio book, read by someone with a faintly Southern or Western accent, which was a bit jarring, as was his mispronunciation of the town of Billerica. It’s Bill-RICKa, not Bill-REEKa.

[Brandon Westlake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before reading American Bloods, I had never heard of the eponymous family. But I devoured this book and then felt betrayed by the forces of American history that I had never learned this story before. Kaag does a wonderful job writing a very intimate history; his serendipitous discovery makes the story the stuff of Hollywood scripts. The book made me meditate a bit on the impact of families and their significance over generations. What have my ancestors accomplished that has been lost to history?

If you're reading because you're into American history, then I recommend you skim through the sections on British history, you can easily pick up the main ideas of the story in the subsequent chapters.

So many stories are connected to the Bloods, and I feel that Kaag could have made this book into a multi-volume work. However, there is strength in not doing so, for it helps us continue to wonder and consider the gaps in our knowledge

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A history of America through the history of one family – the Bloods. And the Bloods seem to have got just about everywhere, and been involved in everything, from being one of the first American pioneer families right up the 20th century – and no doubt beyond, as there are a lot of them. The author has narrowed – wisely – his focus and concentrated on just eight of them, taking the reader through the centuries and covering many key moments in US history. A serendipitous discovery during a sleepless night in the house he and his family had just moved to sent John Kaag on his quest and it was quite a journey. Meticulously researched and minutely detailed, this is a book you need to take slowly. Certainly I found myself flagging on occasion, especially when I wasn’t quite so engaged with the individual being discussed. However, it’s a fine piece of historical research and I (mostly) enjoyed it all.

[Philip M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very interested in reading this book. Living nearby in MA to where the American portion of the Blood family’s story began and even having a Blood Farm here in our town, I’ve witnessed first hand an example of the characteristic tenacity and resilience to rebuild and restore their business to success. So I wanted to learn more about them. What an interesting and important family lineage in the colonial and post-colonial history of the United States. I just wish the author hadn’t injected so much of his own personal philosophy and leanings into the telling of the story.

The research on the book also felt a little thin — it did tell the stories of a handful of the Blood family very well. But the tree has grown so much wider and more diverse since then, it would have been great to close out the book with a bit more sweeping view of the Blood family into the 21st century.

[Antoniette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the history of the Blood family very interesting and intriguing. At times, however, the writing became entrenched in philosophy, which made it less interesting to me. The narrator, Leon Dixon, has such a pleasant, smooth voice that I didn't mind so much.

Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for allowing me early access to the ARC audiobook edition of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Ajw · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Despite having read a fair bit of American history, i don’t recall previously reading about the Bloods. The history unfolds reminding us of the way the US evolved, and the types of characters that made it happen. Toward the end i thought the story got a bit off track, but the author wrapped it up quite nicely, and i then understood what i had perceived as a sidetrack.

Well worth the read.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly extraordinary story. From stealing the Crown jewels, albeit just briefly, through settling in Massachusetts in the 1600s, participating in the American Revolution, moving the US westward, influencing Thoreau, Emerson and William James, and more, the Blood family epitomized all of the contradictory strains of what might be consifered the American spirit into the 20th century. Kaag's highly readable, insightful narrative expertly weaves those stains into a unique history.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just wanted to shout out the Philosophical survey embedded within the history lessons – loved the combination of the two! American Bloods is a refresher on philosophy AND an overview of the American story told through well-researched chapters focusing on interesting supporting players instead of the usual headliners.

[Alicia Primer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Readable history of the Blood family, from their regicide past in England to their ascendancy in America, where their Concord home was at the center of so much. Almost hero-worship by the author but I enjoy a good history.

[Rob McFarren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting historical look at does one family with a lot of presence around influential people and events in US history. I found it engaging even if it doesn't quite live up to the subtitle.

[Cat Fithian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even with a BA in American History, I still hadn't heard of this family, but it was fascinating to listen to. Reader, Leon Nixon is EXCELLENT.

[Chris Blanchard · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a shame this book can't sustain itself all the way to the end. The first half is great stuff as it clings to the incredible stories of its titular family as they weave through famous events. In the latter half Kaag retreats to his own well-trodden turf with Thoreau and Emerson and the momentum dissipates.