American History for Everyone: A Narrative History of the United States

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I recommend this book to anyone who wants an easy to read, light on detail story of the United States.

A Little History of the United States

Jun 11, Jacob Vahle rated it liked it. A great quick sweeping overview of US history as I prepare to teach US next year - nothing groundbreaking but a nice clean narrative and a thesis that holds equality and inequality in a messy tension rather than fully exalting or condemning America.

Jun 08, Matthew rated it it was amazing. Engaging and useful for filling in my very patchy knowledge of the Early Pilgrim Fathers, the War of Independence and the Civil War period. Sep 24, Tim Conder rated it liked it. A good overview of American History, that covers the period from Pre-Columbus to the modern era. The book has little critical analysis, and provides largely the received wisdom on major events, including events that are well known to be fabrications or exaggeration.

However, the book does engage with a few key debates, and is somewhat critical of Columbus and other colonial figures. It is a good introductory book and will give young people a good overview and framework for engaging in deeper anal A good overview of American History, that covers the period from Pre-Columbus to the modern era.

It is a good introductory book and will give young people a good overview and framework for engaging in deeper analysis in the future. However, it will not challenge people who already have a level of understanding of the topic.

Aug 15, Kristine rated it really liked it Shelves: James West Davidson has created a Baz Luhrman-like tableau of scenery-plopping tales. Dec 03, Michelle rated it really liked it Shelves: This was very interesting. And all without getting bogged down in side stories, tangents, or extraneous details. Jul 22, Runwright rated it really liked it. Davidson's take is to personalize the history by focusing on the characters at the center of the events marking the past years in the Americas.

As a pure history text, it would be difficult to follow since the writing circles an event, gives some background through the experiences of one of the heroes or villains, and then later, returns to it while connecting to some later event and succeeding person. On the issue of intellectual property, the book raises many questions in that the author n Davidson's take is to personalize the history by focusing on the characters at the center of the events marking the past years in the Americas. On the issue of intellectual property, the book raises many questions in that the author never cites a reference, the book doesn't include a bibliography and the text is peppered with quotes but without a link of where they originated from.

Including maps from years ago without citing source material elicits questions about where the information came from to construct said diagrams. But the text is very readable. For a quick summary of recent American history, this book provides a crash course if you're preparing for a cocktail party peopled by historians and the politically minded.

I enjoyed some of the connections that the book made explicitly and also a little more subtly. And within the dates and places that many may skim over, Davidson includes some beautiful sentences that make this book a work of literature. I read a library copy but would like to purchase my own to share with my friends. May 07, Diane Wallace rated it liked it. This book helped me see the overall picture of events in the United States.

Some sections were particularly good - including the Gilded Age- while others were not very detailed at all. Jul 27, Jonathan Woods rated it liked it. Always good to brush up on your U. I learned that solving the Cuba missile crisis was a compromise - the U. I was only taught the American side. Extremely impressive to cover almost years of history in pages.

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Unfortunately though I feel like this book has some major pacing problems, with some parts of history being glossed over very quickly and some almost inconsequential parts dwelled on for a considerable amount of time. All in all, not a bad read though, and great for a quick insight into American history. Jun 19, Marlies rated it it was amazing. Designed for younger readers, these books are enjoyable, informative and easy to dip into right before bed or if you have a few minutes at lunch.

Apr 10, Odin rated it it was amazing Shelves: A wonderful overview of US history, this small book packs an incredible punch. Like the rest of the Little History series, A Little History of the United States should be required reading in elementary schools across the country. Mar 06, Chris Vassilopoulos rated it really liked it.

Great intro to American history. Seemed balanced and covered a huge range of events. Really enjoyed the 'pop up book' style of setting the scene, dropping in the 'characters' and watching things play out from the outside. Apr 05, Thomas Rarris rated it really liked it. The book provides a great overview of the American history after the 15th century. Its historical approach is quite light and expressed in simple terms, which is something I was expecting from its description. I struggled to keep my interest in some parts and thus, I am subtracting one star. Apr 03, Rita rated it it was amazing.

I am very much interested in American history. This book with its storytelling approach to history got me hooked and made it easier for me to follow.

Jun 14, Margaret Farrell rated it liked it. Aug 26, Andrea rated it liked it. Good refresher on American History. Not biased at all. Oct 23, Emma rated it really liked it. Engaging read filled with interesting tidbits. It spans years of American history, so it doesn't go terribly in-depth, but it is a good overall overview. Mar 17, Ryan rated it really liked it.

American History for Everyone - Earl G. Young - Google Книги

In his well-told "little history" of the United States, Davidson brings a parade of American personalities before the reader all while telling of America's struggle for freedom and equality beginning with and concluding in the present. How modern of Norton to publish this photo of women! This is the eighth edition of America: Do you know what I really don't like about history books? They are so long yet they still count as one book.

Let me say this first: It is so boring in the beginning. I just can't even open my eyes to let those words in. I just can't, but I do promise you that it does get better Where should I even start? Quotes are great, but they don This is the eighth edition of America: Quotes are great, but they don't mention where they come from in some passages.

I'm disappointed in that because occasionally, I do like to make quotes that exist but are from people few have heard of; it makes me sound smarter than I really am. They are mixed into together, but I suppose I can't really tell which parts are boring or interesting. Every reader is different in their own way, but I find the political sections the most fascinating. It's intriguing that some politicians do things a certain but also influential way in hopes of gaining more power.

The greed of humanity is great. The rest of the Founding Fathers. The book doesn't refrain from badmouthing almost Every. The book underlines the negative character traits of George Washington badmouthing is light , Thomas Jefferson probably deserving of badmouthing , Andrew Jackson most definitely deservingly in this case , and more. But the book does fill in the "missing" aspects that aren't found in previous history books.

I mean, a younger student's history book. The book doesn't shy away from putting in curse words and such. It also doesn't sugarcoat the existence of sexual assault. The book is much more realistic and negative. So what do I think of it? Well, I'm no expert on history books. But I know this one is going to be the bane of my existence for the rest of this school year. I already hate it. Two out of Five -ofpaperandwords.

As someone who likes history but hates studying it, this textbook was a gem. It is very brief and to the point, but it's the little things that really make this textbook shine.

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The first great bit that I loved was the free website that they offer with the book. Most other companies charge for this, so this was like having a little extra help for free. The next part that I liked was that there were plenty of little questions peppered throughout the book usually under one of the many pictures th As someone who likes history but hates studying it, this textbook was a gem. The next part that I liked was that there were plenty of little questions peppered throughout the book usually under one of the many pictures that students can use to test their comprehension of the material.

Now for the "but" part of my review. There are two flaws to this book, although neither are really terrible enough to warrant knocking the rating down. The first flaw is that the textbook does sadly suffer from "textbook-itis". It's the best way to ensure that everything is taught, but unfortunately it does make for a dull read for the average student.

The other "flaw" is that the book isn't entirely non-partial. Still, this is a great textbook when all things are considered. I do recommend that if you aren't great when studying in a classroom situation that you take the time to find a few accompaniments to help you with the text.

I personally liked to use the sparknotes guidelines with this book. But I doubt I will. It definitely didn't help my understanding of anything that was "taught" in the class. The narrative is broad--it tries to focus, but doesn't really succeed--and is biased as HELL. If you want to learn American history with the idea that "white men have done absolutely NOTHING wrong in the history of our country, no, srsly, absolutely nothing," then this is great. But I don't th Nope, nope, nope. But I don't think anyone wants that extreme of a bias, especially in a class.

Oh wait, that's all high school history classes are. Sorry HS'ers, just power through it, it will get vaguely better in college. Mar 01, Emtee rated it really liked it. A complete history of America, from the earliest migrations to the continent, through the Vikings, and everything from the 's through the Clinton presidency.

Well written and flowing, it reads like a good novel full of history rather than a list of dates, names, and places. Additionally, at the end of every chapter, there's a Further Reading section with references to books that cover subjects of that chapter in further detail. May 19, Rich rated it it was amazing.

A thorough and comprehensive overview of American History from Pre-Colonial through the last presidential election. The free online tests and gradebook were also helpful in using this as a homeschool text. Unlike many texts, it didn't ignore our spiritual heritage and wasn't as liberal in its bias as most. In fact, the authors seemed to be equally cynical about the left and the right!

Nov 27, Jennifer rated it liked it. My husband had to read this book for his history classes. I read it for my own edification. It just seemed biased and abbreivated from other history books I've read. It was interesting to read a history book for no educational purpose. It was a good introduction to dig deeper into other topics for other points of view.

May 15, Bill Polson rated it really liked it. I started reading this book along with 3 others when I was selecting a textbook for my AP classes and as I disliked one it was dropped from the rotation. I'd read one chapter from one book and the next from another. Chapter 13, "The Socialist Challenge", covers the rise of socialism and anarchism as popular political ideologies in the United States.

Du Bois , and the Progressive Party which Zinn portrays as driven by fear of radicalism. Chapter 14, "War Is the Health of the State" covers World War I and the anti-war movement that happened during it, which was met with the heavily enforced Espionage Act of Zinn argues that the United States entered the war in order to expand its foreign markets and economic influence. Zinn states that, despite popular belief, the s were not a time of prosperity, and the problems of the Depression were simply the chronic problems of the poor extended to the rest of the society.

Also covered is the Communist Party 's attempts to help the poor during the Depression. Chapter 16, "A People's War? Zinn, a veteran of the war himself, notes that "it was the most popular war the US ever fought," [18] but states that this support may have been manufactured through the institutions of American society. He cites various instances of opposition to fighting in some cases greater than those during World War I as proof. Zinn also argues that the US's true intention was not fighting against systematic racism, since the US had this itself, such as with the Jim Crow laws leading to opposition to the war from African-Americans.

Another argument made by Zinn is that the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not necessary, as the U. The chapter continues into the Cold War , which Zinn writes was used by the U. Zinn believes this was possible because both conservatives and liberals willingly worked together in the name of anti-Communism. Chapter 17, "'Or Does It Explode?

Zinn argues that the government began making reforms against discrimination although without making fundamental changes for the sake of changing its international image, but often did not enforce the laws that it passed. Zinn also argues that while nonviolent tactics may have been required for Southern civil rights activists, militant actions such as those proposed by Malcolm X were needed to solve the problems of black ghettos. Chapter 18, "The Impossible Victory: Vietnam", covers the Vietnam War and resistance to it. Zinn argues that America was fighting a war that it could not win, as the Vietnamese people were in favor of the government of Ho Chi Minh and opposed the regime of Ngo Dinh Diem , thus allowing them to keep morale high.

Meanwhile, the American military's morale was very low, as many soldiers were put off by the atrocities they were made to take part in, such as the My Lai massacre. Zinn also tries to dispel the popular belief that opposition to the war was mainly among college students and middle-class intellectuals, using statistics from the era to show higher opposition from the working class.

Zinn argues that the troops themselves also opposed the war, citing desertions and refusals to go to war, as well as movements such as Vietnam Veterans Against the War. People and events from the prison movement covered include George Jackson , the Attica Prison riots , and Jerry Sousa. Chapter 20, "The Seventies: Zinn argues that the resignation of President Richard Nixon and the exposure of crimes committed by the CIA and FBI during the decade were done by the government in order to regain support from the American people without making fundamental changes to the system.

According to Zinn, Gerald Ford 's presidency continued the same basic policies of the Nixon administration. Bush administrations and their effects on both the American people and foreign countries. Zinn argues that the Democratic and Republican parties keep the government essentially the same, maintaining policies favorable for corporations and militant foreign policy whichever party was in power. Zinn uses similarities among the three administrations' methods to argue for this. Chapter 22, "The Unreported Resistance", covers several movements that happened during the Carter-Reagan-Bush years that were ignored by much of the mainstream media.

Chapter 23 , "The Coming Revolt of the Guards", covers Zinn's theory on a possible future radical movement against inequality in America. Zinn argues that there will eventually be a movement made up not only of groups previously involved in radical change such as labor organizers, black radicals, Native Americans, feminists , but also members of the middle class who are starting to become discontented with the state of the nation.

Zinn expects this movement to use "demonstrations, marches, civil disobedience ; strikes and boycotts and general strikes ; direct action to redistribute wealth, to reconstruct institutions, to revamp relationships. Zinn argues that despite Clinton's claims that he would bring change, his presidency kept many things the same. Zinn argues that attacks on the U. Bush , but by grievances with U. Professor Zinn writes with an enthusiasm rarely encountered in the leaden prose of academic history, and his text is studded with telling quotations from labor leaders, war resisters and fugitive slaves.

There are vivid descriptions of events that are usually ignored, such as the Great Railroad Strike of and the brutal suppression of the Philippine independence movement at the turn of this century. Professor Zinn's chapter on Vietnam—bringing to life once again the free-fire zones, secret bombings, massacres and cover-ups—should be required reading for a new generation of students now facing conscription. Blacks, Indians, women, and laborers appear either as rebels or as victims. Less dramatic but more typical lives—people struggling to survive with dignity in difficult circumstances—receive little attention.

Foner called for "an integrated account incorporating Thomas Jefferson and his slaves, Andrew Jackson and the Indians, Woodrow Wilson and the Wobblies. Zinn was often taken to task for peeling back the rosy veneer of much of American history to reveal sordid realities that had remained hidden for too long.

Writing in Dissent , Georgetown University history professor Michael Kazin argued that Zinn is too focused on class conflict , and wrongly attributes sinister motives to the American political elite. He characterized the book as an overly simplistic narrative of elite villains and oppressed people, with no attempt to understand historical actors in the context of the time in which they lived.

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