Liberty's Secrets: The Lost Wisdom of America's Founders

by Joshua Charles

As much of the world looks at the United States with disdain and distrust, it is time for us to take a cold, hard look at what we have become. John Adams said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” We have strayed from our clear moral beginnings to become an egotistical culture that glorifies self. We try to set our own standards despite Thomas Paine’s warning that “man cannot make or invent or contrive principles. He can only discover them, and he ought to look through the discovery to the Author.” As our society celebrates injustice against people who stand for their convictions, it’s hard to forget the words of John Adams who wrote, “justice is a great Christian as well as moral duty.” With the decline of virtue in so many areas of our culture – from twerking on stage to cheating scandals at universities to corporate theft by aggressive bankers – we should take heed of George Washington’s warning that “liberty, when it degenerates into licentiousness, begets confusion, and frequently ends in tyranny or some woeful catastrophe.” Liberty’s Secrets exposes readers to the Founding Fathers as never before. They believed in God, Judeo-Christian values, and the freedom and necessity of religion in order to have a free and prosperous society. They believed in a free press and knew, as John Adams argued, “when a people is corrupted, the press may be made an engine to complete their ruin.” They believed in a limited government, strong education, and private property. Liberty’s Secrets is like having a front row seat to the congresses and conventions where these leaders hashed out the profound issues of life and society. Charles has cataloged all of the Founding Fathers' writings and inLiberty’s Secrets provides an exposé of their profound yet glossed-over insights, delving into the subjects most important to maintaining a free society at a time when we most need to recover them. In so doing, Liberty’s Secretsequips readers to use the Founders' knowledge and understanding to neutralize the cultural myths currently undermining American liberty.  It is hard not to wonder whether catastrophe is upon us. If ever there was a time to grow up as a nation, now is the time. It is time to recover the morals and moorings of our Founders. It is time to rediscover Liberty’s secrets.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

341 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 30, 2015

Reviews

[Chad McCanless · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! What an excellent book! For anyone who is interested in a deeper realm of American history I would highly suggest you read this book. Have a highlighter handy because there are quotes in there by our Founders that you'll want to remember.
This is a book that for sure will be reread in the future.

[Mr. V · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book. It references actual quotes from our founding fathers. Jefferson, Adams, Washington, Madison are quoted the most. Hamilton, Sam Adams, Franklin and Paine are also used quite a bit. It is good to see the actual full length quote instead of just an explanation of their thinking or manipulation of a line or partial line to promote one's propaganda. De 'Tocqueville was referenced quite often as well. Not to diminish the importance of his observations on this country in the early 1800's but he is not a founding father. I would of liked to seen a broader net cast on the founding father's.

[Ryan Schlesener · Rating 5 out of 5]

Josh Charles’ ability to, at the same time, honor the founding fathers, while not overlooking their glaring and obvious faults was brilliant. It’s such a fine line to walk between looking up to someone and idolizing them, and on the other side of the coin, a fine line to walk between acknowledging faults and “cancelling” a person as we see so often today.

Mr. Charles has a incredible understanding of history, the significance of the movement started by the founding fathers. He also has the ability to balance his optimism for what America WAS and can still be, with the daunting fear of what could be as well.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a lot to like here and a ton to digest. I took this out of the library and I think this is one of those books that is best to own and be able to highlight and come back to. Some NF titles I can sit down and read for a lengthy time, this not so much. I did not finish it.

Charles knows his stuff and I plan on reading more by him and purchasing this title.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! I recommend all Americans to read this. It is frightening how accurate our Founders', and others during that time, accurately predicted the times we are currently living. Will we preserve our liberty they fought so hard for or continue to go against all they taught and gave us?

[Dubya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Must read for all.