A pair of remarkable youngsters—one disguising his age, the other disguising her sex and age—participates in significant battles of the American Revolution and meets many of the chief architects of the American Experiment.

Filled with action, glory and patriotism, Lee’s (Heroes of American Prosperity, 2014, etc.) YA novel features 13-year-old twins Alexander and Amanda Lee, born and raised on a farm in Virginia. Amanda is outgoing and self-assured, while Alexander is more reserved. Both yearn for adventure and an escape from the drudgery of farm life. After Alexander joins Washington’s Continental Army, Amanda schemes her way into the South Carolina militia by making an extended visit to her aunt Selah in Charleston. Both twins are expert marksmen and speak multiple languages. Amanda learns how to fight like a Cherokee from Francis Marion and how to ride and fight on horseback, from Casimir Pulaski; she also serves directly under John Paul Jones, meets Franklin in France and is in the forefront of the charge at Yorktown, Virginia. For his part, Alexander crosses the Delaware with Washington, is the chief negotiator for Anthony Wayne when unpaid troops threaten to desert, serves as translator for Valley Forge drillmaster Wilhelm von Steuben and is also a key figure at the battle of Yorktown. Both teens are fearless warriors. Brimming with excitement while effectively teaching history and some of the reasons and strategies behind the Revolution, this book will undoubtedly appeal to young readers. Lee has a real talent for capturing the young mind and conveying complex ideas in terms young readers will understand. Though the superhero youngsters are well-portrayed, a simplistic, childlike and often over-the-top outlook pervades the narrative, particularly with regard to war: “It would be a lovely battle at Guilford Courthouse in North Carolina.”

Swashbuckling tales for young readers that could bring smiles for older readers, too.

An illuminating journey through United States history told via historical writings and speeches.
Lee has chosen 30 pieces by mostly famous Americans (and one Brit) that shine spotlights on the American character. These writings ably reflect major developments in America, arranged chronologically from John Winthrop’s “City on a Hill” sermon in 1630 to President George W. Bush’s “Justice Will Be Done” speech following the events of 9/11. Lee, who has taught at five major universities, writes that education was his primary goal in creating this book: “Thomas Jefferson famously remarked that the tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.…I would prefer to think that education might suffice to refresh the tree of liberty.” Later, he spells out his qualifications for editing such a volume: “First, I am an American. Second, I am a parent. These two qualifications together impel me to do whatever I can to educate first my children and then anyone else about our country’s greatness.” In an effort to appeal to today’s youth, Lee wisely selects shorter works, with all 30 pieces fitting into roughly 150 pages. The compendium’s crowning achievement is how it provides context for such well-known phrases as President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself” and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream.” Overall, the beauty of this collection is in how it offers historical anecdotes directly from the pens and mouths of great American leaders, and Lee’s selections lead to some clever juxtapositions. President Calvin Coolidge’s 1925 speech extolling American business, for example, is followed by FDR’s first inaugural address in 1933, blasting the business practices that led to the Great Depression. There are also rallying cries by two very different World War II generals: the profane George S. Patton and the straight-laced Dwight D. Eisenhower.
A revealing volume of spoken and written history aimed at a general readership.