My son Cody and I have been thoroughly enjoying each Sunday night episode of the HBO mini-series John Adams, which is based upon David McCullough’s brilliant biography of Adams. Given the extraordinary talents, troubling contradictions and fascinating relationships among the pivotal leaders of the American revolutionary era — Adams, Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton, Madison, Franklin and Burr, among others — I have always wondered why some enterprising filmmaker hadn’t made a first-rate movie about the era. John Adams producer Tom Hanks should be commended for pulling it off in a splendid manner. Rebecca Cusey’s favorable review of the mini-series is here.

My vote for the book upon which the next movie of this era should be based — Ron Chernow’s Alexander Hamilton (Penguin Press 2004). Two other excellent recent books on this era are Jay Winik’s The Great Upheaval (Harper 2007) and Joseph Ellis’ American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies at the Founding of the Republic (Knopf 2007).