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The Greatest Sentence Ever Written by Walter Isaacson

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Hardcover:

America's bestselling biographer reveals the origins of the most revolutionary sentence in the Declaration of Independence, the one that defines who we are as Americans—and explains how it should shape our politics today.

"Isaacson uses a jeweler's loupe to scan what gives his snappy little book its engaging title….Isaacson skillfully teases fresh pith and resonance out of those familiar words." —The Wall Street Journal

"A short, smart analysis of perhaps the most famous passage in American history reveals its potency and unfulfilled promise." —Kirkus Reviews

To celebrate America's 250th anniversary, Walter Isaacson takes readers on a fascinating deep dive into the creation of one of history's most powerful sentences: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."

Drafted by Thomas Jefferson and edited by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, this line lays the foundation for the American Dream and defines the common ground we share as a nation.

Isaacson unpacks its genius, word by word, illuminating the then-radical concepts behind it. Readers will gain a fresh appreciation for how it was drafted to inspire unity, equality, and the enduring promise of America. With clarity and insight, he reveals not just the power of these words but describes how, in these polarized times, we can use them to restore an appreciation for our common values.

America's bestselling biographer reveals the origins of the most revolutionary sentence in the Declaration of Independence, the one that defines who we are as Americans—and explains how it should shape our politics today.

"Isaacson uses a jeweler's loupe to scan what gives his snappy little book its engaging title….Isaacson skillfully teases fresh pith and resonance out of those familiar words." —The Wall Street Journal

"A short, smart analysis of perhaps the most famous passage in American history reveals its potency and unfulfilled promise." —Kirkus Reviews

To celebrate America's 250th anniversary, Walter Isaacson takes readers on a fascinating deep dive into the creation of one of history's most powerful sentences: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."

Drafted by Thomas Jefferson and edited by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, this line lays the foundation for the American Dream and defines the common ground we share as a nation.

Isaacson unpacks its genius, word by word, illuminating the then-radical concepts behind it. Readers will gain a fresh appreciation for how it was drafted to inspire unity, equality, and the enduring promise of America. With clarity and insight, he reveals not just the power of these words but describes how, in these polarized times, we can use them to restore an appreciation for our common values.

  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster

    Title: The Greatest Sentence Ever Written

    Author: Walter Isaacson

    On Sale Date: November 18, 2025

    ISBN 13: 978-1982181314

    ISBN 10: 1982181311

    Format: Hardcover

    Retail Price: $20.00

    BISAC: History / United States / Revolutionary Period; Political Science / Democracy

    Page Count: 80

    Dimensions: 5 x 0.5 x 7 inches

    Weight: 1.79 lbs

  • Walter Isaacson has built a career finding the person behind the myth — Franklin, Einstein, Jobs, Elon Musk, Jennifer Doudna, Leonardo da Vinci. He teaches history at Tulane, has run the Aspen Institute and CNN, edited Time, and won the 2023 National Humanities Medal. Here he turns that same biographer's eye on 35 words instead of a lifetime.

  • Critics are calling it snappy, clarifying, and potent:

    • "Snappy...teases fresh pith and resonance out of those familiar words." —The Wall Street Journal

    • "A short, smart analysis...reveals its potency and unfulfilled promise." —Kirkus Reviews

    • "Those 35 words...gain a new level of clarity and relevance." —Booklist (starred review)

    • "Explores in fascinating detail just how the second sentence...came to be composed." —Jim Kelly, Airmail

This book is for you if

  • You want a quick, sharp read that unpacks the most famous sentence in American history word by word.

  • You're marking America's 250th anniversary and want context, not just fireworks.

  • You love Walter Isaacson's biographies and want to see his close-reading gift turned on a single sentence.

  • You're curious how Jefferson's "sacred" became Franklin's "self-evident" — and why that swap changed everything.

  • You want a shared-values civics read that isn't preachy, just clear.

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