" A selected history of the United States' faults from 1776-present"
585871
This book was assigned to me in an American History class in HIGH SCHOOL.  Let me tell you a little something about the history that we learned from this fairy tale:  The Civil war, Spanish-American war, WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and the present war on terror are all wrong and we are not going to examine any part of these stories except why they are wrong and how they have no redeamable qualities whatsoever.  However, the anarchists, communists, and all other radical, left-wing movements are really not that bad and we should listen to what they have to say before condeming them.  Wars are not the only thing attacked: Religion and anything value oriented are horrible weapons of the Right and anything that they do is to be attacked and critiqued to no end.  However, the left-wing terrorist groups like the weather underground, and radical native americans are to be lifted on our shoulders as the heroes that they really are for bringing to our eyes just how wrong our country is for having values.  Speaking of heroes, several people after reading this book have said that the draft-dodgers, and war protestors are more worthy heroes then the soldiers who went to war when their country asked and did their duty.  This book made me sick and if it weren't for the fact that this book is fairy tale, I would go to a hospital right now.
1693556
Levin has written a concise history of the major issues of our day. Each issue discussed includes an analysis of it's impact on society with special emphasis toward the burden these problems place on today's young and on future generations. His presentation of each topic deals in facts, utilizing current research vetted for accuracy, which enables the reader to sort out common misconceptions. The book is organized such that it can be read cover to cover or used as a reference on specific areas of a reader's interest; National Debt, Social Security, Government Healthcare, Education, Immigration, Environment, Minimum Wage, National Security, etc.. Each issue includes a recommended course of action in solving the problems presented. In analyzing the facts, debunking the misconceptions and re-examining the goals surrounding each topic, Levin has taken the public debate from "What we Think we Know" to "What we Need to Know". We can't solve problems we do not understand. This book contributes a great deal, in short order, to our understanding.
1395820
AMERICA: THE LAST BEST HOPE  Vol. 3 From the Collapse of Communism to the Rise of Radical Islam by William J. Bennett

This book covers the history of the United States from the years of 1988-2008. (I have a problem calling it history since I remember a lot of the issues that he brings out in the book. History, it seems to me, to be what took place before you were born.)

With that said, the author begins with the presidency of George H.W. Bush. The author, who was on the president's staff, has only high regard for him. He says only positive things regarding his former boss.  Like the presidents"... lasting legacy may be the maturity and self-discipline that the president exercised while in office." And in regards to the president's 1992 loss of election to Bill Clinton the authors says, "Great nations are too often ungrateful nations. And we Americans have a great nation. But surely, for our gratefulness and greatness, no people can expect to show their thanks every time they have an election. And in the election year of 1992 gratefulness was at a discount."

Just as high as he was on George H.W. Bush, saying nothing really negative. He was just the opposite with Bill Clinton, not necessarily saying anything bad, but never saying anything good. A good example of this was seen in the authors failure to mention that in the presidents re-election bid he failed to mention how Bill Clinton used the presidents phrase, "read my lips" in regard to raising taxes against him.

The book moves from Bill Clinton to the presidency of George W. Bush and his fight with Iraq and terrorism. The authors writing of the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 left me in tears. He concludes the book in praise of an American that can elect a black president in Barack Obama

A few of the problems I had with the book is the authors failure to explain some things like the Iran-Contra affair in more detail. His mentioning of it and not more explanation was like watching a movie with no end. Also, as in his praise of Bush Sr., his bias seems to show through. Also I feel this book would have been better titled a political history of the US for the years 1988-2008. Though he mentioned and touched upon some cultural issues, there was a definite lack of those issues discussed to understand the US in those years.

Overall, this was a good book, an easy and interesting read. I would now like to read the authors first 2 books of the United States history.
2459332
The author (no relation to reviewer) hearkens back to a Progressive (perhaps even populist) tradition in history that goes back to Charles Beard et al and the economic interpretation of the Constitution's framers of 1787. Unruly Americans focuses on the backlash against state governments' fiscal policies in the 1780s, which were designed to pay down states' bond debts at the expense of farmers and other "small folk" who possessed not the means to pay the taxes levied on them. Most are familiar with Shays' Rebellion and its causes; Woody Holton argues that such rebellions were much more widespread than previously thought. More importantly , Woody Holton argues that historians and Constitutional scholars have neglected to incorporate the extensive effect these grumblings had on the US Constitution at its framing, and have perhaps taken too much at face value the Federalist argument that debtor relief laws were financially reckless.

Woody Holton provides a interesting thesis: that what he calls "unruly Americans" contributed to the writing of the US Constitution by the opposition to the Framers' designs. This book is primarily an economic rather than a political history, and so focuses on such arcane issues as bonds and currency. The book advances its thesis primarily through inferences--that the atmosphere engendered by the controversies over fiscal policies forced the Founders to rein in some of their more ambitious ideas to pare down democracy, nay even to remove democracy from the new national government.

Interesting enough for this book being in the Progressive tradition, the author does not really engage some contemporary arguments about the Constitution until the epilogue; given the importance that Americans place on the Constitution, it would  have been better to see these arguments incorporated earlier in the book.
3204860
In today's environment, it is refreshing to find an account of U.S. history that does not portray America as the villain.  Larry Schweikart and Michael Allen, in "A Patriot's History of the United States", tell the in-depth story of America from 1492 through the early years of the twenty-first century.

In more than 800 pages, the two authors cover all of the important topics of American history, from our independence and founding, through our westward expansion and modernization, including examination of religion, politics, race and gender relations, social trends, military history, and technological breakthroughs.  The drawback of the book is that the authors do get a few dates wrong.  On the whole, though, this work is a great history of America and would be enjoyed by anyone who believes that this country is not evil, but is the greatest nation the world has ever known.
3250780
This book gives a good basic view of the history of the United States.  It is interestingly written and gives a lot of little known detail.  It makes a good read.
3540177
The author is giving the reader 2 books for the price of one. In Book 1 an investment vehicle is discussed that gives the American worker a better or equal return than many of the various investment offerings available by Wall Street. In Book 2 the author focused the reader's attention to the basics of the U.S. Constitution, and how it should work for the people. Additionally, where many of the people are dramatizing that we have problems, but we don't know what to do. We do have problems, but there are ways to cope and reestablish a means to achieve the prosperity for the working people. Hopefully, this roadmap will be implemented by the government on the federal, state, and local levels. Keep the faith in the United States. We have seen difficult times in the past and we shall prevail once again to be the envy of the world by following the roadmap offered. There will be other "U" books to follow that will be helpful to all citizens in the United States
2075537
Professor McDonald's book from 1985 is an erudite study of the origins of the U.S. Constitution.  In a single volume, he weaves together the many intellectual ideas (e.g., common law, natural law, politics, and economics) that influenced the framers of America's national government.  One of the key points he makes is that the terminology at the heart of the American experiments in government was still evolving at this point in time; while everyone wanted a "republican" form of government, different people meant different things with that word.  Additionally, there were tensions between the basic principles of the founders; in particular, the desire for a republican form of government had lead to abuses of property rights by the state governments during and after the Revolution.

McDonald's book is full of useful insights and I learned a lot from it.  It certainly goes a lot deeper than some other books about the Constitutional Convention that limit their scope to the actual sequence of debates and compromises that took place in 1787.  (I'm thinking in particular of Carol Berkin's "A Brilliant Solution: Inventing the American Constitution".)  Readers who enjoy this type of intellectual history should also check out books by Bernard Bailyn and Gordon S. Wood.

However, McDonald may have gone overboard with details in some chapters; in particular I felt that the long section (23 pages) on property rights in Chapter 2 was excessive.  While information about grazing, wood gathering, hunting, and water rights might be useful in a book about the history of America's legal system aimed at lawyers, I did not feel that any of this was relevant to the origins of the Constitution.  Chapter 2 is certainly the weakest chapter of the book and probably discourages many readers from reading the rest of it.  And that's a shame, because the rest of the book is better and well worth reading.

McDonald provides two appendices: a list of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention and the text of the Constitution itself (but unfortunately without the Bill of Rights).  An additional appendix listing the major writers whose ideas influenced the Constitution would also have been helpful.
1201974
7 Events That Made America America is a conservative's look at what the author thinks are some important moments in the history of the USA.  Mr. Schweikart is an excellent writer and he puts his points across well.  The seven events he thinks are of critical importance are:  1. Martin Van Buren's idea about political parties (the spoils system) 2.  The Dread Scott decision 3.  The Johnstown flood 4.  Eisenhower's heart attack 5. Western rock and roll penetrates the iron curtain 6. Ronald Regan's sending the Marines to Lebanon 7.  Obama's favorable media treatment.

In fact, each of these chapters is a lead-in to what Mr. Schweikart thinks is a more important topic.  For example, the Ike heart attack is a foil for talking about the government's regulatory invasion of our lives re: food, and the government's control of the debate on what is good and bad for you.  He stresses, for example, the government decided before the facts were in that animal fat was bad and plants were good, and then - after the research failed to support that position - the government continued to say plant based foods were superior.  The government upped  funding for research proving the fat theory was true while de-funding research showing fat was not the enemy.  The overall message is we cannot trust the government when it takes a scientific position for political reasons, and our government funds junk science while ignoring, and even eroding, real science.

While I think Mr. Schweikart is correct about the government and its unwarranted and unconstitutional interference with our lives, food included, I wonder if this is really an event that makes America America.  And how about the concept that rock and roll penetrating the iron curtain and helping bring about the fall of communism, even if it is true, is this an event that makes America what it is today?  Even on its face, this event happened in the Soviet Union and its captive nations, not in the USA.  The same can be said for the Lebanon expedition, which went horribly wrong, is this an event - missing the importance of Muslim fanaticism in the 1980s - that made the USA what it is today?

If I were picking 7 events, even as lead-ins to larger topics, I don't think I would have chosen any one of these.  The formulation of the Truman containment policy, the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Great Depression and FDR's response to it, our entry into World War One,  Lincoln's decision to fight the Civil War without quarter, our decision to establish a colony in the Philippines,  LBJ's Great Society programs and the backing he received from the Democratic Party to push and establish a welfare state, all deserve more attention than the 7 events chosen for this book.  I can think of perhaps 100 other events that were more important.

Still, it is excellent reading and it provokes thought.

AD2
1934788
Joseph Farah zeroes in on what is wrong with America.  He might surprise a lot of people in revealing who the American people need to take America back from--our beloved federal government in Washington, DC.  Civil War buffs will get some strong hints from this book as to why the eleven states of the old Confederacy seceded from the Union in 1860-61.  The problem is a national government that is out of control.  Farah offers a lot of ideas about what we who value our freedom must do to take America back.  He says that the process must begin with a lot of Americans on their knees fervently praying to God for help.  Farah is a deeply religious man and he makes no apology for it, despite liberal claims that it destroys his credibility. Ironically, he concludes that ultimately, if all else fails,  there is only one solution left--secession.  He is not the first American thinker of this generation who has recently suggested secession as a possible remedy to exorbitant federal power.  The problem is that the national government has, for many years now, ignored the Constitution and assumed many powers it is not entitled to by the Constitution.  Quoting heavily from the Federalist Papers and other writings of the Founding Fathers, he shows that they fully intended to limit federal powers to those few the Constitution delegated to Congress.  The states, on the other hand, received the power to take care of most of the issues that directly affected the people in their daily lives.  The 10th Amendment to the Constitution, the most ignored item in the Constitution, makes it clear where most political power is supposed to lie--with the states and with the people.  Instead, the federal government, under the control of liberals from both parties (many of whom call themselves conservatives)has unconstitutionally established its control over almost everything that we do.  State governments have been reduced to little more than extensions of the federal bureaucracy.  A few examples of federal power exercised in total violation of the Constitution, according to Farah, include control over education in the states; the creation of the Federal Reserve System, a privately owned banking system that enriches and empowers a few bankers at the expense of the many; and the income tax, the 16th Amendment not withstanding.  If Congress was to repeal every law it has passed that violates the Constitution, it would have little time to do anything else for several years.  That would be a blessing.  Farah says that everytime Congress passes a law, "we the people" lose more of our freedom. When was the last time Congress repealed a law?  By the way, a major part of the federal power grab has come from the Supreme Court legislating.  The courts have absolutely no Constitutional power to legislate.  There are a lot of court decisions that need to be repealed, too.  The Founding Fathers set up a system of checks and balances intended to protect the people from the government.  Farah points out that the check of last resort left open to the states and to the people was and is secession. He believes that it is a legal option that is still open to all 50 states (despite the Civil War).  That is not as far fetched as it may seem. Secession is certainly the last option.  There is much to be done before that point is ever reached.  But Joseh Farah builds an irrefutable case for the contention that there is  some serious taking back that must be done.  Otherwise, the American people will wake up some day and realize that they live under a far greater tyranny than anything King George III ever threatened the 13 colonies with.  Thomas Jefferson wrote that a little revolution every now and then is a good thing.  Farah agrees.  This is a book that should be read by every American citizen, especially every politician.  Let the taking back begin.
1422833
There are already several good reviews on this book, so I will only suggest reading the following books on the USA in addition to Farber's:

A) On Lincoln and/or the Civil War:

1) "Lincoln: a biography" by Benjamin P. Thomas (a classical biography, written more than half a century ago which has passed the test of time with brilliant qualifications);

2) "Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era" by James M. McPherson (nowadays the standard, very readable, one-volume history of US Civil War); and

3) "Perilous Times: Free Speech in Wartime: From the Sedition Act of 1798 to the War on Terrorism" by Geoffrey R. Stone, specially chapter II "The Civil War: Mr. Lincoln's First Amendment" (in fact, all the book is worth-reading);

B) Dealing with constitutional and political ideas:

4) "Constitutional History of the American Revolution" by John Phillip Reid;

5) "America's Constitution: A Biography" by Akhil Reed Amar; and

6) "Liberty's Blueprint: How Madison and Hamilton Wrote The Federalist, Defined the Constitution, and Made Democracy Safe for the World" by Michael Meyerson.

C) Other books chosen with a historically impressionistic approach:

7) "The Death Penalty" by Stuart Banner;

8) "The Churching Of America, 1776-2005: Winners And Losers In Our Religious Economy" by Roger Finke and Rodney Stark; and

9) "American Colonies. The settling of North America" by Alan Taylor.
333600
Leon Stevens has compiled and written a spectacular work contrasting the ideas that drove the founding fathers in the birth of our country with the vain philosophies found in the leaders of today!

He shows with quotes from those founding fathers, what made our country exceptional.  He shows with current examples, how our country has strayed from those ideals over time.

This work will be a great reference tool for students of history.  It will help stem the tide of revisionist thinking to reveal the truth about the people who had the foresight to establish a "more perfect union".

I highly recommend this book for homeschoolers, churches and any who seek to know the truth about the ideals our country was founded upon!

Don McNiel
2230268
James W. Loewen (born 1942) is a sociologist and historian, and a Visiting Professor of Sociology at The Catholic University of America; he has also written books such as&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Sundown-Towns-A-Hidden-Dimension-of-American-Racism/dp/0743294483/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism</a>,<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Lies-Across-America-What-Our-Historic-Sites-Get-Wrong/dp/074329629X/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Lies Across America: What Our Historic Sites Get Wrong</a>,<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Slavery-and-Public-History-The-Tough-Stuff-of-American-Memory/dp/0807859168/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Slavery and Public History: The Tough Stuff of American Memory</a>, etc.

He wrote in the Introduction to this 1995 book, "This book includes ten chapters of amazing stories---some wonderful, some ghastly---in American history. Arranged in roughly chronological order, these chapters do not relate mere details but events and processes with important consequences. Yet most textbooks leave out or distort these events and processes. I know, because for several years I have been lugging around twelve textbooks, taking them seriously as works of history and ideology, studying what they say and don't say, and trying to figure out why... an afterword cites distortions and omissions undiscussed in earlier chapters and recommends ways that teachers can teach and students can learn American history more honestly." (Pg. 16-17)

He observes, "Columbus not only sent the first slaves across the Atlantic, he probably sent more slaves---about five thousand---than any other individual. To her credit, Queen Isabella opposed outright enslavement and returned some Indians to the Caribbean. But other nations rushed to emulate Columbus." (Pg. 64) About later conflicts between the settlers and Native Americans, he wrote, "The problem was not Native failure to acculturate. In reality, many European Americans did not really want Indians to acculturate. It wasn't in their interest." (Pg. 129)

He argues, "Slavery was also perhaps the key factor in the Texas War (1835-36). The freedom for which Davy Crockett, James Bowie, and the rest fought at the Alamo was the freedom to own slaves! As soon as [they] set up the Republic of Texas, its legislature ordered all free [African-Americans] out of the Republic." (Pg. 151)

He concludes, "Throughout the school year, in a thousand little ways, American history offends many students... most have-not students do not consciously take offense and do not rebel but are nonetheless subtly put off. It hurts children's self-image to swallow what their history books teach about the exceptional fairness of America... This explains why research shows a bigger performance differential between poor and rich students... in history than in other school subjects. Girls also dislike social studies and history even more than boys, probably because women and women's concerns and perceptions still go underrepresented in history classes." (Pg. 301-302)

Obviously not a dispassionate overview of the subject, this book is a fascinating and stimulating analysis of some misleading portrayals of the past in leading textbooks.
4267767
An excellent summary of the discovery, development and growth of thirteen colonies that became the basis for the United States.  Relationships with Indians and  conflicts with France and Its Indian allies are explored.  Critical events and actions taken by King George III and English Parliament that incensed the colonist and led to the rebellion are detailed.
4222754
Native Californian, now London-based professor of history Kathleen Burk presents a sweeping analysis of the relationship between her two countries in "Old World, New World: Great Britain and America from the Beginning", which follows four centuries of Anglo-American political, cultural, and economic contentiousness and camaraderie. The book is divided into 5 eras of political relations: the colonies, the American Revolution, the distrustful 19th century, the gradual warming of relations from the late-19th century through World War II, and the relationship of the Cold War and beyond. There 3 interludes about public perceptions and cultural exchange that present the perspective of 19th century travelers, the exchange of investment, literature, and shared social movements of the 19th and 20th centuries, and the union of American money and British aristocracy through marriages.

The relationship between Great Britain and the United States is unique and has not always been friendly, though it has usually been co-dependent. Burk's invitation to look at it from both sides of the fence simultaneously is intriguing and is especially useful for the Revolutionary War period, when the attitude of many North American colonists toward Britain changed. Burk explores why this occurred and how the colonies came to lock themselves into a war with their patron. She fleshes out -and occasionally explodes- the complex politics of America's "foundational myths" from the era of the nation's birth. The US and Britain remained highly suspicious of one another, leading to the war of 1812 and through a century of wrangling over territory in North America, before a rapprochement was accomplished and the nations achieved an unprecedented level of cooperation during World War II.

"Old World, New World" does not go into as much detail about the formation of policy as a book focusing solely on foreign policy might. It addresses the circumstances, parameters, ambitions, and personalities that defined the evolving Anglo-American relationship. The author places US-UK relations in context by discussing Britain's relationship with other powers when it is relevant and making sure the reader understands the continuous relationship between the big events. The discussion of the Kuwait War and Britain's close cooperation with the United States in the Iraq War seem lacking, perhaps because too little time has passed and too few documents been made public. As "Old World, New World" follows the decline of the British Empire as the United States rose to superpower status, it has an especially interesting story to tell about these inextricably linked nations.
1490687
This is a simple text that offers the American history of the early 1800's to the present. very helpful when it comes to simplifying American events and Acts that have been passed throughout the generations. I would recommend this text for history majors and those that want to learn more about the US otherwise it will just sit on top of your bookshelf like it is on mine. XD
3611655
This timeline brief of events in American history brought to light some of the background on events as they arose. Im now wanting to delve into more information. I enjoyed this book a very easy concise read