Using the same blend of narrative and rhetorical brilliance that made his critically acclaimed debut history so successful, Andro Linklater begins with premier U.S. surveyor Andrew Ellicott calculating the Pennsylvania-Virginia border in 1784- using telescope, chronograph, and astronomical tables. As pioneers move westward, Ellicott and his kind create property which hastens the formation of stabilizing government.
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"A fascinating look at a (to me) little-known Revolutionary War hero who spent most of his adult life as a spy for the Spanish Empire! Meticulously researched (almost too much so), it at various times had me rooting for others to expose/capture him and rooting for him to avoid prosecution. "
— Don (4 out of 5 stars)
" Interesting book on the rather obscure topic discussing how many of the borders of the states were marked and the significance of them. How did Pennsylvania get its nice southwest corner square? What about Missouri (think Missouri compromise!). Find out here. "
— Caitlin, 6/10/2013" Good book, but more detail than I care to learn about. "
— Dave, 11/12/2012" I have to say that I wouldn't have read this with my eyeballs, but listening to it was remarkably interesting. Not what I expected at all, but a completely different point of view of the expansion of America. "
— Lora, 1/20/2012" Made it more than half-way , but couldn't finish it. "
— David, 10/10/2011" Heard about it on NPR, but gave up on it after about 100 pages. It's very dry. "
— Patrick, 5/15/2010" An amazing treat, a veiw into the hearts & minds of America's history. I had no idea what was waiting for me when I first opened this great work of art... "
— Gary, 10/26/2009" great book, kept my interest through-out. well writtin "
— Dean, 10/22/2009Andro Linklater was born in Scotland and educated at Oxford University where he studied history. For several years he lived in the United States, working variously in politics and the arts, but returned to Britain to teach in Scotland and London. For the past twenty years he has been a full-time writer and journalist. Assignments have taken him to many parts of the world including Patagonia, the South Pacific, and the Arctic Circle. He has written frequently on science and technology, notably a major report on Chernobyl for Telegraph Magazine and an early investigation of genetic engineering for Reader’s Digest.
Nelson Runger’s voice has been recorded in dozens of audio productions and won him two AudioFile Earphones Awards. His ability to convey difficult, scholarly material with eloquence and ease has earned him critical acclaim, including an AudioFile Best Voice in Biography & History for his reading of Nixon and Kissinger.