Remarkable read of a time period we rarely hear about even though it helped shape America, today. I highly recommend.
596548
Using historical documents and first hand accounts from the time, Erik Larson weaves together events to present the story of two Americas, an idealized America that existed within the true, gritty America. The story is basically about one event, the 1893 World's Fair, and the creation of a city the size of which America, even most of the Western world, had never seen before. The struggle to build the Fair, keep everyone employed, be more successful than the 1889 Exposition Universelle, bring visitors, pay off the cost of the Fair, maintain law and order, and to "out Eiffel, Eiffel" was enormous. One man, architect Daniel Burnham managed to bring people together and create the "White City" against amazing odds. While people were relatively safe inside the world of the White City, outside was a very different story. I highly recommend reading this book. Larson is a gifted storyteller and the knowledge you come away with on how important this Fair was to the progress of America going into the 20th century is remarkable. Not only did Larson capture Chicago in the three or four year time period but he also showed what was happening in the world at that time. The World's Fair brought together people from all over the world, from all walks of life, who would never have had cause or location to cross paths outside the Fair. I can't recommend this book enough!
1441047
Recommend it highly to any reader who treasures American history. It is a fascinating enjoyable read for those who want to know these heroes that changed our nation.
2559148
This book is a one volume "epic history of American economic power" that focuses on the fantastic capacity of the United States as a machine to create wealth (if not to redistribute it); its approach is surprisingly similar to what a 19th century bourgeois apologist might have chosen, that of a believer in a vision of "progress" that would now appear old fashioned and naive, especially to the more left leaning readers. But one has to admit that one of the most striking aspects of American history is the sheer speed and size of all economic developments, and that, from the very start.
Of course this is due to the immensity and diversity of the territory and its natural resources, in wildlife, agricultural lands, timber, minerals, oil, etc. But also, as this territory filled with people, to its huge size as a market for industrial and later consumer products and services, combined with the absence of the many cultural and political obstacles that some may say still characterize "Old Europe".
As a consequence, America was and may still be a land of incredible opportunity for entrepreneurs, native or immigrant, and capitalists. This gave substance to "the American dream" and it is this powerful, seemingly unstoppable march that the author has chosen to emphasize and dramatize. He succeeded in writing an enjoyable book that reads like a novel. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the subject who prefers not to be bogged down in charts, graphs and econometrics. American economic history written in this way is fascinating and I picked up at least two anecdotes that are quite revealing. First, every stock exchange boom in American history attracted a lot of capital from abroad (this includes the 1990s dotcom bubble); European investors lost a lot of money each time, financing American growth without gaining much from it. Second, American farmers suffered a lot from the advent of the automobile. All the crops that used to feed horses were suddenly made "available" for humans, which depressed agricultural prices for decades and caused the State to intervene to support farmers. With the current development of biofuels (the new name for fodder), this trend is now going the other way...
4258104
Well written and very interesting story about the English Civil War during the reign of Charles I. The history of this war and the time period is basically unknown to most in the US. After reading the story, I started researching the time period and realized how much influence the events and people mentioned in the story had on US history. It may not be exaggeration to suggest that the seeds of American independence were sown during this period. A comment on the author's blog indicated she didn't plan to move any more of her stories set in this time to audio because Americans know so little about these events. However, just because Americans don't know more doesn't mean we shouldn't. The writings of John Lilburn, also called "Freeborn John" were a great influence on the Founding Fathers have been quoted in the US Supreme Court. I've been fascinated learning more about how much America owes to events during this time. Be aware this story is more sensual than the author's wonderful Rockliffe series, but is not as explicit as Mary Balogh, and others. The audio book is performed by Alex Wyndham--always amazing and highly recommended.
2158998
Outstanding. Very readable part of America's history, inspiring.
4900516
Not having read much on the American Revolution since high school, this book covered what I had already forgot, and added much more interesting detail to this incredibly important time in our history.  I found myself looking forward to going to bed at night to read the next pages.  It read like a textbook at first, but as I continued I realized that it wasn't as dry a read as a book in say, high school or college.  The numerous illustrations were very well done and really a great compliment to the subject matter.  The added ancillary material in the margins and in some cases, full pages, also provided an interesting insight into the lives of citizens at this time.  I would recommend this book to any person wanting to know more about the American Revolution than what they learned in history class.
2856854
Kate Manning has created an amazing account of what happened to poor children and servants during the late 1800s wrapped in the fascinating story of a compassionate midwife and abortionist who suffered horrific persecutions from powerful bigots. The author's ear for the street language of the time is both credible yet perfectly understandable to a modern audience-- the best I have read  since Hilary Mantel's books. Manning's novel is a remarkable literary achievement I would recommend to all who care about the history of women in America.

Bourne Morris
1145022
This book is a great account of a time in American history that is not well known, but terribly interesting.  I love learning about history through the stories of great characters, and Evan Thomas skillfully winds their lives together to create a vivid story.
850575
I highly recommend this book for children and adults alike.  (I am even buying one for my sister, a Ph. D. student in History with a focus on the education of blacks in the South.)  This book is a great historical glimpse into an era from which we are not too far removed from.  Accesible to kids and informative to adults, this is a definite must read.
3280135
Enjoyed it immensely!  Good read and an excellent history lesson. This book is a delightfully crafted story about real events that made history in our town, state, and country.  Although I was not in high school at the time of massive resistance, ultimately everyone in the community was changed and affected by these events.  The author has nailed the feelings of divisiveness that existed in our community.  I would also highly recommend this book as a tool to teach high school and college students about this period in our history.
2735828
This is a surprising book about one of our least known presidents, but it's well worth your time. I highly recommend it.
810483
A well written slice of history which helps understanding why the American Revolution took place. The presentation of the views from six influential individuals made the manuscript original and easy to read. This book is a must for any immigrant who wonders how the United States of America became such a land of opportunities.
4133429
As an American Revolution History buff this was a great work. It was written around the centenial of the Revolution and contained a perspective on people & events that has been lost to a more cynical view of history and events by many modern historians. I was amazed at how 'readable' the work was given its age. I certainly learned a lot not typically taught now about the origins of the struggle for independence and was particularly struck by Fiske's discussion of how each colony's unique history influenced their involvement in the Revolution.
1131929
This book cannot be reviewed as one would an account of history written many years later.  The authors are Mr. and Mrs. Adams themselves.  This is a rare opportunity to experience life during the Revolutionary War from the unique perspective of John Adams who has the benefit of intelligence about the newly forming government and Abigail Adams who is at home tending to home and hearth but at the same time, is a well informed, active and respected member of the citizenry living dangerously close to the site of several battles and skirmishes.

These two extremely well educated and articulate people give an informed and often enlightened view of the day-to-day concerns of the colonies and the thought processes of those who were significant in creating the structure of the nation we inherited.  The couple make many references to the fact that they are aware of possible interception of their letters and they mention that they must be careful what they say.  Still, the fact that these letters were written as communication between a married couple and were not intended for public consumption adds to their authentic feeling.

Mrs. Adams thoughts about how women should be given more rights in the new Constitution along with the brief discussion about slavery in the colonies were each quickly dismissed as having been issues that would allow for the ratification of the document. The rights of women led to slightly more consideration by each of them than the rights of slaves, it seemed to me.

It is amazing that so many of these letters survived and I feel privileged to have access to them.  Every one offered a look into life as it was led more than 240 years ago.
4659555
Excellent story of a time in US history that I was not aware of. Character development was very good. Totally enjoyable and informative.
1177915
I read this years ago, but forgot how meaningful it was.  I highly recommend.
4657519
Great book about a remarkable event and an unbelievable adventure that not many Americans studied in their history books.  If you are a fan of American History, you gotta read this book.