Although I thought I had a fairly good command of American history, the Federalist Papers reminds me of what it means to be American, and that I needed to learn a great deal more. It describes something lost. It reminds us that there was a time when everyone was involved in society and government, that people took pride in political discussion, and lacked the cynicism and neglect that Americans have today. It was political discussion that lacked name-calling, rabid conservatism or liberalism that so divides us today. And in the middle, are the people who just don't care. Being American is not just about waving the flag, it really is about earning Ph.d in citizenship, and the Federalist Papers provides the opportunity for achieving it.

Many reviews describe books that they should be textbooks for school. These are usually attempts at revisionism that should be anything but textbooks. The Federalist Papers should be. It should be discussed daily and the earlier, the better. It should be the New Testament of America, and the Constitution should be the Old.

I was drawn toward this for edition for two reasons: 1) it is modern language that made it a bit easier for me to comprehend. 2) After listening to arguments by Senator Byrd of West Virginia, and the misinterpretation of the Constitution by Sean Hannity, I felt it almost a civic duty to make the purchase. Much of it is now highlighted in yellow.

I hope you too will feel bound to purchase the Federalist Papers in any form. It's what it means to be American.

This is nothing less than an exact translation of the Federalist papers for perople of our generations to read and understand. I found this necessary, as the truth and the history of our country is so clouded by media and revisionism, that it becomes very important to really look and study why our country was set up like it is. I recommend it to everyone. But I especially recommend it to students of law and our country. It is interesting, and well written. It easily is equivalent to a number of college level classes in constitutional law.