Lion of Liberty: Patrick Henry and the Call to a New Nation

by Harlow Giles Unger

Overview

In this action-packed history, award-winning author Harlow Giles Unger unfolds the epic story of Patrick Henry, who roused Americans to fight government tyranny — both British and American. Remembered largely for his cry for "liberty or death," Henry was actually the first (and most colorful) of America's Founding Fathers — first to call Americans to arms against Britain, first to demand a bill of rights, and first to fight the growth of big government after the Revolution.

As quick with a rifle as he was with his tongue, Henry was America's greatest orator and courtroom lawyer, who mixed histrionics and hilarity to provoke tears or laughter from judges and jurors alike. Henry's passion for liberty (as well as his very large family), suggested to many Americans that he, not Washington, was the real father of his country.

This biography is history at its best, telling a story both human and philosophical. As Unger points out, Henry's words continue to echo across America and inspire millions to fight government intrusion in their daily lives.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780306820465
Publisher:	Hachette Books
Publication date:	11/08/2011
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	166,877
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Acclaimed historian Harlow Giles Unger is a former Distinguished Visiting Fellow at George Washington's Mount Vernon. He is the author of twenty-six previous books, including twelve biographies of America's Founding Fathers and three histories of the early Republic. He lives in New York City.

Table of Contents

Illustrations ix

Acknowledgments xi

Chronology xiii

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 Tongue-tied 5

Chapter 2 Tongue Untied 19

Chapter 3 The Flame Is Spread 27

Chapter 4 We Are Slaves! 47

Chapter 5 To Recover Our Just Rights 65

Chapter 6 We Must Fight! 83

Chapter 7 "Give Me Liberty..." 93

Chapter 8 "Don't Tread on Me" 107

Chapter 9 Hastening to Ruin 127

Chapter 10 Obliged to Fly 141

Chapter 11 A Belgian Hare 161

Chapter 12 Seeds of Discontent 183

Chapter 13 On the Wings of the Tempest 197

Chapter 14 A Bane of Sedition 215

Chapter 15 Beef! Beef! Beef! 233

Chapter l6 The Sun Has Set in All Its Glory 257

Afterword 275

Appendix A The Speech 279

Appendix B Henry on Slavery 283

Appendix C Henry's Heirs 285

Notes 287

Bibliography 305

Index 311

Editorial Reviews

“A well-written story of one of the key figures in America's Revolutionary movement and his later efforts in safeguarding the hard-won freedoms during the formation of the new nation…The author is a good storyteller, and his brisk, narrative style ably conveys the importance of the life and contributions of this great ‘Lion of Liberty'…An informative and enjoyable read.” Reference & Research Book News, February 2011
“A popular biography of the public and private life of Patrick Henry…A compelling story that illustrates Henry's beliefs by centering on his actions and the events of his life.” Washington Times, 2/16/11
“A highly readable account of the life of one of our most prominent revolutionaries.” The Waterline, 2/24/11
“Unger brings Colonial Williamsburg to life.”
 Magill Book Reviews
“An engaging account of Patrick Henry's lifelong quest to promote individual liberties and fight against government interference.” American Spectator, April 2011

“The first major new biography of Patrick Henry in a generation.”

Kingman Daily Miner, 12/3/10
 “Exactingly researched…Unger has captured the essence of Henry…Highly recommended…[A] personable historical account of one outstanding patriot.”
The Lone Star, November 2010
“This excellent book should be read by all Americans.” Our History Project Book Review, 1/10/11“In this magnificent book Harlow Unger paints a portrait of Patrick Henry that will inspire, recharge and get us excited; if not passionate; about what freedom is and why we as Americans strive, desire and covet that ideal…[He] combines true story telling mixed with sound academic research.” WhatWouldtheFoundersThink.com, 1/10/11“One of the most interesting facets of this book was how the author tied the various actors in the Revolution together and placed them at various events.” Charleston Post and Courier, 2/6/11

“This biography adds to our further knowledge of the men who were our Founding Fathers.” Hudson Valley News, 11/3/10“Very readable, engaging.”
New York Journal of Books, 10/26/10
“Harlow Giles Unger does a remarkable job of putting together the life and times of this most noted but little known Founder. Unger provides a startling history of the man who, though never in combat, remains one of the great patriots of his new country…Unger is not only a superior storyteller, he is also a gifted researcher; he sweeps the reader into the story, also enveloping us in the times…The book brings fresh insights to the process of building a nation with little direction from which to work…If you want to know what the Founders meant while deliberating the creation of the Confederation and the Constitution, and if you wish to understand why they made the decisions they did, read Lion of Liberty.”
 Associated Press, 11/15/10

“Unger recounts Henry's life and explores its ramifications in contemporary America. Whether you find it cautionary or inspiring might depend on your own political beliefs…[Unger] brings an ardent spirit of libertarianism to this engrossing and articulate biography; he argues implicitly that in Henry's aversion to a strong central government, the tea-party movement finds its philosophical cornerstone…Unger's telling of Henry's story is a beacon of vivid, accessible and thought-provoking biography.”
Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, 11/14/10


“With quotes from Henry's vivid oratory, Unger traces his rise in Virginia society before the Revolution. Though not quite a rags-to-riches tale—his folks were well-established lawyers and clergymen—Lion of Liberty tells entertainingly of how a homespun-clad upcountryman with an odd accent fitted into a British-trained, plantation-owning aristocracy of velvet jackets and white neckcloths.”
The Federal Lawyer, November/December 2010“[An] excellent biography…Will be valued by all who have an interest in the birth of this nation and the origins of government.” Asbury Park Press, 11/14/10“An easy-to-read and entertaining biography…Today's Tea Party talk of liberty and small government has made Patrick Henry seem especially relevant.”
Richmond Times-Dispatch, 11/14/10

“[An] admirable new biography…Goes far to restore that able, eloquent, and courageous man to a proper place in our national memory…Unger's vivid, gracefully written narrative brings Patrick Henry back to life.”

San Francisco Book Review, 4/5/11, and Sacramento Book Review, 4/8/11
“Lion of Liberty, a book by Harlow G. Unger, is in many ways like Patrick Henry. Both don't seem special from the outside, and both seem modest and homely at first glance. Yet, inside these two ordinary objects is a fire that excels on natural talent. a marvelous biography and has a different take on revolutionary heroes. Remember that they were mortal men.”

Collected Miscellany, 5/5/11
“A light and refreshing read of Henry's life…This biography is history at its best, telling a story both human and philosophical. As Unger points out, Henry's words continue to echo across America and inspire millions to fight government intrusion in their daily lives.”
Choice, July 2011“[Unger] wields a facile pen…There is insightful treatment of Henry's family life and Henry as a lawyer…Recommended.”

Portland Book Review, 4/3

Kirkus Reviews, 9/1/10
“A veteran biographer specializing in the Founding Fathers offers a short, sharp life of the Virginia patriot…A fine appreciation—and explanation—of freedom's champion.”

Library Journal, 10/1“[An] engaging popular biography… An appealing element here is the wealth of excerpts from Henry's legendary speeches and revealing letters, seamlessly woven in with Unger's narrative…A good choice for general readers seeking a relatively brief account of Patrick Henry's political activity and contributions to early America.”
Asbury Park Press, 9/19“Pat Henry wasn't a Johnny One-Note patriot. And the author strives to reveal the whole Revolutionary enchilada here—calls to arms, demands for a bill of rights, fights against big government. Why, we could almost call this guy a Tea Party member!” Wall Street Journal, 10/22/10“[A] vivid biography of the Virginia firebrand.”

The Oklahoman, 10/31/10
“Unger shows how down-to-earth Henry was and how connected he was to regular people… [A] great book about one of our nation's founders.”

Bookviews.com, November 2010

From the Publisher

In this engaging popular biography, Unger (The Last Founding Father: James Monroe and a Nation's Call to Greatness) recounts the career and examines the political and moral philosophies of the persuasive anti-Federalist best remembered for the American Revolution's rallying cry, "Give me liberty, or give me death!" Unger focuses on Henry's radical views on individual liberty and states' rights as well as his vehement opposition, as Virginia's governor, to strong presidential powers. Unger argues that Henry, who feared an American monarchy, used his theatrical oratorical skills, developed as a successful young defense attorney in rural Virginia, to win nation-shaping political arguments. An appealing element here is the wealth of excerpts from Henry's legendary speeches and revealing letters, seamlessly woven in with Unger's narrative. Appendixes include the entirety of Henry's legendary "Give me liberty, or give me death!" speech and a letter outlining his views on slavery. VERDICT Lacking new information and perspective, this title is a good choice for general readers seeking a relatively brief account of Patrick Henry's political activity and contributions to early America. However, scholars and even well-informed lay readers won't be satisfied.—Douglas King, Univ. of South Carolina Lib., Columbia

Library Journal

Unger depicts the fierce revolutionary who cried out for liberty or death and provides a clear presentation of his political ideas, including his belief that the Constitution would soon result in federal tyranny—which Unger believes has taken place. William Hughes’s slightly husky voice is pleasant enough, and he narrates with a light-handed energy, keeping up a good pace without rushing the listener. He modulates his tone and expression to fit the occasionally complex text with an easy naturalness. His reading gives an impression of amiability and intelligence, marred only by occasional mispronunciation or misplaced emphasis. Overall, Hughes’s narration enhances the text while leaving it, not the performance, the focus of attention. W.M. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

DECEMBER 2010 - AudioFile

A veteran biographer specializing in the Founding Fathers offers a short, sharp life of the Virginia patriot.

Most Americans know Patrick Henry only for his 1775 "liberty or death" speech. Like his northern counterpart, Samuel Adams, he was a driving force for independence who never received the first-tier historical treatment reserved for only a handful of the Founders. Unger (The Last Founding Father: James Monroe and a Nation's Call to Greatness, 2009, etc.) offers a few reasons why. First, notwithstanding his service in the House of Burgesses, his distinction as Virginia's first governor and his election three more times to that office, Henry was always something of an outsider, a kind of Andrew Jackson Democrat before there was such a thing. He made his name as a defender of the common people, an eloquent, unusually effective attorney in the state's Piedmont area. Though he always retained the healthy regard of Washington and John Marshall, Henry stood apart from the rest of the Tidewater aristocracy that ruled Virginia and later the nation. Second, though he frequently inserted himself in the raging political battles of his era, Henry was not as consumed by politics as, say, Jefferson or Madison. He preferred his thriving legal practice, large family and wide circle of friends. He bought and sold numerous properties and frequently relocated his home plantation, despite debilitating illnesses that plagued him most of his adult life.Finally, with the Revolution won and the new nation organizing itself years later under the proposed Constitution, Henry opposed ratification, thundering against the surrender of liberty to a federal authority, a stance that prevented his joining Washington's administration. Though he later softened his criticisms of the federal government, his health had so deteriorated that he declined Washington's numerous offers of high office, posts which might well have further burnished his name.

A fine appreciation—and explanation—of freedom's champion.

Kirkus Reviews