BOOKS: The Cause: Joseph J. Ellis

Mar. 12—Making a peripheral scan of Joseph J. Ellis' latest book, "The Cause: The American Revolution and Its Discontents 1773-1783," some readers may think the book dives deep into some of the less-featured people participating in the war for American independence.

Ellis does highlight some of the lesser-known people from the American Revolution but he does this primarily through interludes of two or three pages between chapters.

Primarily, "The Cause" features the usual suspects related to the American Revolution. Gen. George Washington as commander in chief of the continental army is the star of the book, while Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, as well as some lesser-known names play supporting roles.

That said, "The Cause" is a comprehensive but concise look at what we call the revolutionary years: the competing ideologies; the push for independence; related events in the American colonies/states and abroad; the battle for liberty in a nation clinging to slavery; how the revolution was America's first civil war between people wanting independence and those loyal to Britain and the crown; how most people considered their home state as their country while others began seeing the loosely consolidated states as a nation, etc.

Ellis sticks with calling the revolution "The Cause" which he says is how Americans of that era referred to the war for independence.

Ellis certainly has the pedigree to write this volume. He won the Pulitzer Prize a couple of decades ago for his bestselling "Founding Brothers" and has written about another dozen books on the founding and the founders.

"The Cause" is a compelling read, possibly one of the best, easy-to-understand books diving into the full spectrum of the revolutionary years compressed in a volume of a little more than 300 pages.