America's Prophet: How the Story of Moses Shaped America

AMERICA'S PROPHET is a timely, provocative exploration of the integral role of Moses (and the Bible's Exodus narrative) at every stage of U.S. history. One part adventure story, one part literary detective story, one part exploration of faith in contemporary life, bestselling author Bruce Feiler takes readers to the seminal touchstones in the American story--the Pilgrims landing on Plymouth Rock, the colonists revolting in Philadelphia, Harriet Tubman freeing slaves on the Underground Railroad, Abraham Lincoln addressing the country at Gettysburg, Martin Luther King Jr. being struck down in Memphis the day after he compared himself to Moses, saying, "I have been to the mountaintop but I will not reach the Promised Land." In each place Feiler explains the role of the Exodus story as the defining theme in American life and delves into the decisive role that religion has played in American life. AMERICA'S PROPHET, he proposes that Moses, who has been heralded by all political parties and embraced as an icon by every generation from Plymouth to today, offers a path to reclaim the unifying vision of America as the beacon of freedom-- the new Promised Land.