I did not know Edmund Morgan, but several of his books are some of my favorites in studying and teaching American history. Two books on the Puritans were early reads and ones I have gone back to on many occasions since. His book, The Challenge of the American Revolution, was a companion on a trip back east and his biography on Franklin was my most recent read of his books. He was that rare historian who could write lucid, interesting, insightful, and competent works. Scholars had to pay notice, but anyone could read Morgan. He was not afraid to be clear.
There are many tributes about Morgan, but here is one by Joseph Ellis, who studied under Morgan. Not surprisingly, Ellis also writes competent and accessible books. Founding Brothers, which won the Pulitzer, is a book I have read and reread with great profit.
