The Grouchy Historian: An Old-Time Lefty Defends Our Constitution Against Right-Wing Hypocrites and Nutjobs

Ed Asner doesn’t have all the answers, but he knows who does: the Founding Fathers. And he’s willing to bet that the Fathers and the Framers of the Constitution would be absolutely embarrassed and appalled by what the right wing has perpetrated in their name.

So the self-appointed Grouchy Historian takes it upon himself to read the Constitution and the writings of the Founding Fathers to get to the bottom of exacting what they were shooting for when they designed and signed that fabled document. And along the way, Asner treats the reader to some hilariously biting one-liners, ably slashing to ribbons self-indulgent and deliberately twisted Conservative arguments based on the Constitution.

Admittedly, that savage sarcasm that makes the first few chapters so enjoyable wanes a bit in the middle as he genuinely attempts to place himself in the shoes of the Framers, one of Madison’s slaves, and other minds of the time. But even when he leaves the snark behind, his writing remains just as insightful and honest.

The Grouchy Historian doesn’t aspire to intellectual greatness; it merely serves as a counterpoint to some dangerous and misguided rhetoric. And it does a hell of a job making its arguments.