Summary of Thomas E. Ricks's First Principles

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 In 1778, following the harsh winter at Valley Forge, a soldier was asked his opinion of the Roman orator Cato. He responded that he had seen a play about Cato the previous evening, when it was staged in the camp’s bakery. #2 The classical world was far closer to the makers of the American Revolution and the founders of the United States than it is to us today. It was present in their lives, and it shaped their view of the world. #3 The ancient world was present in the lives of the Americans who shaped the country, in ways that still echo down the corridors of time. The names of American cities and towns often were references to the ancient world. #4 The word virtue was heavily significant during the eighteenth century. It was the essential element of public life for the Revolutionary generation. It meant putting the common good before one’s own interests.