The Genius of the People

New York, NY: Harper & Row: Perennial Library. Near Fine. 1988. First Edition Thus; First Printing. Paperback. First Edition Thus (1988) ; First Printing indicated by a complete numerical sequence. Very Near Fine in Wraps: shows mild rubbing to the lower front corner tip; the expected tanning to the text pages due to aging; the binding is square and secure; the text is clean. Free of creases to the panels. Free of creases to the backstrip. Free of any creased or dog-eared pages in the text. Free of any underlining, hi-lighting or marginalia or marks in the text. Free of any ownership names, dates, addresses, notations, inscriptions, stamps, plates, or labels. A handsome, nearly-new copy, structurally sound and tightly bound, showing the mildest wear and minor, unobtrusive imperfections. Bright and clean. Corners sharp. Very close to "As New". NOT a Remainder, Book-Club, or Ex-Library. 8vo. (8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches). Illustrated in black & white. Extensive Appendices. Notes. Bibliography. Index. Language: English. Weight: 12.8 ounces. First published in 1987. Trade Paperback. Charles L. Mee (born in 1938) is an American playwright and historian. His 'Meeting at Potsdam' (1975) , about the 1945 Potsdam Conference, was chosen as a main selection of the Literary Guild, and was adapted for both film and television by David Susskind. He wrote other books on summit diplomacy, international power sharing, and American history, including 'The End of Order: Versailles 1919' (1980) ; 'The Marshall Plan: The Launching of Pax Americana' (1987) , and 'The Genius of the People', also first published in (1987) , about the 1787 Constitutional Convention. This is popular historical writing at its best. It is as though a news reporter was in the room documenting the meetings but, being careful to be true to what was happening, with as little personal input as possible. Mee is a successful playwrite, known for his collage-like style of playwriting, which makes use of radical reconstructions of found texts. He puts those skills to use here. The Founding Fathers are not presented as perfect people. Most of them seemed to grasp that what they had gathered together to accomplish was important and would affect the ability of the new country to succeed. None seem to have been truly pleased with what they had wrought, but accepted the fact that they were unlikely to do better. These were not all wise and altruistic but somehow they managed to create a strong yet flexible foundation for our country and ensured that its system possessed the potential for ongoing improvement. The author does a great job of letting the events and people speak for themselves, without seeming to intrude, thus creating a feeling that the reader is peering through a window in time. ; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; xi, 348 pages .