The 15 chapters are titled with the name(s) of the individual(s) written about, with a subtitle and followed by a passage of Scripture. Yes, God is mentioned throughout this book, which should not be offensive to anyone because it is a well-known (but hardly recognizable) fact that our country was founded by religious people(s) seeking refuge to live out their respected beliefs free of tyrannical rule. Though Santorum makes no effort to belittle that faith was the driving force which lead to our country's freedom, this book is not propaganda about Santorum's personal beliefs. It provides clear-cut, well researched, peeks into the biographies of some of America's bravest and most resourceful Patriots of the Revolutionary Era.
The hardcover version, which I have, is bound very well (hard to find these days), and the pages are neither thin, nor stiff. They have almost a "soft" feel to them as newspaper does, but not at all flimsy. There are no pictures, but there are plenty of breaks in the text, making this a pleasant, relatively quick read. Quotations which are not famous, but certainly ought to be, are placed throughout the chapters, and the appendix includes the full text of the Declaration of Independence, a list of those who signed it, as well as well documented sources for the historical information presented.
Had the Declaration of Independence text been at the front of the book, I would have skimmed over it, if not skipping it entirely. I disliked History, so I only got this book because my husband (who loves history) wanted it. Nonetheless, reading just the back cover was enough to peak my curiosity. Once I started reading, I didn't want to set it down. I may not have liked History, but I took my education seriously and earned straight "A"s in high school. I'll be the first to say that I have not retained all the information I absorbed, but I was astonished that this book is filled with information we were never presented with. I learned more about the explorers who first navigated their way to North America than I did about the regular people-turned heroes- who fought, often creatively, to make this country a free nation. Upon reaching the end of this book, I read the Declaration of Independence, every word. Much of the things the founding fathers cautioned this newly formed nation about as they penned this famous document ring all too true today.
I will be using this book as a part of my American History curriculum for homeschool. Matter of fact, it has actually made me a bit excited about the prospect of teaching History- which I thought I would dread.
For the sake of full-disclosure, I want to let you know I received a free copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers for the purpose of reviewing. I wasn't required to write a positive review, the opinions are all my own.