A history that is important today as we try to understand the United States constitution. The full title is The Words That Made Us: America’s Constitutional Conversation, 1760-1840 by Akhil Reed Amar.

The book is written by a law professor so the perspective is different from a book written by a historian. It is a fascinating read, although a bit difficult in parts. I found myself re-reading some sections when I realized I was missing something important. But it was well worth the effort.

There are extensive references and notes giving more information on certain points. I would say the book should appeal to both scholars of the era as well as the ordinary reader who would like to understand the constitution and the events leading up to it and following it’s ratification.

I enjoyed the book and learned a lot. I thank Netgalley for the chance to read a review copy. If you are thinking that you might want to read this, check out the reviews on Amazon. It looks like quite a few people liked this book.

I think the chapter explaining why the author wrote this book and his debt to previous historians was especially good.

The Words That Made Us begins in 1760 as the colonists become dissatisfied with British rule and what the author calls America’s constitutional conversation begins. This book is the first in a trilogy on our constitutional conversation. It covers this conversation from 1760-1840. The subsequent volumes will cover this continuing conversation.