Product Description

This new edition of Brogan's superb one-volume history - from early British colonisation to the Reagan years - captures an array of dynamic personalities and events. In a broad sweep of America's triumphant progress. Brogan explores the period leading to Independence from both the American and the British points of view, touching on permanent features of 'the American character' - both the good and the bad. He provides a masterly synthesis of all the latest research illustrating America's rapid growth from humble beginnings to global dominance.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12802 in Books
• Published on: 2001-03-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 752 pages

About the Author
Hugh Brogan was educated at Repton School and Cambridge. He worked on the Economist for two years before his first visit to the United States as a Harkness Fellow in 1962. He was a Fellow of St John's College, Cambridge from 1963 to 1974 and thereafter, until his retirement in 1998, taught at the University of Essex. He has several published works, the most recent of which is 'Signalling from Mars: Selected Letters of Arthur Ransome' (1997).

Customer Reviews

strong and enthusiastic history of USA
Prof. Brogan can little have suspected when he wrote the first edition in 1983, or updated it in 1995, that the USA would be thrust centre-stage quite so dramatically as it was on the morning of September 11th 2001. Yet, anyone seeking explanations of the American response since, or Americans seeking reasons for the apparent mixed feelings which the rest of the world harbours about their country will find many answers in this wide-ranging and comprehensive study

The book covers the period from the voyage of Columbus to nearly the present day. It is densely packed with fact which illustrates political, economic, and social progress of the USA. The period up to and including the Civil war is dealt with dutifully but unenthusiastically, and the period from '83 to '95 is slightly glib, but the strength of the book is the period from the civil war to the Vietnam war.

Prof Brogan's enthusiasm for the country and admiration of the indomitable spirit of the people shines through in this middle section. I found myself surprised at the extent to which what through British eyes seems eccentric or idiosyncratic behaviour (eg. some of the states' rights, kitchen cabinets of rich industrialists, even Presidential mistresses) is often rooted in history and tradition.

Despit the length of this book it remains readable throughout. The author moves easily from detail to broad themes and back, and his dry humour lightens many passages. Readers of all nationalities will find this account of American history through British eyes adds to their understanding of modern America and its place in the world.

An excellent summary of US history
If, like me, you've never read any US histoy and your entire knowledge of it comes from film and television then this is the perfect book for you. Starting with the earliest settlers it goes through all the famous events such as the American Revolution, the Civil War, Reconstruction, Prohibition, the New Deal, the Civil Rights Movement and Watergate but also deals with less familiar ones and shows how the nation has grown and developed over the centuries. The narrative flow is brilliant and doesn't get bogged down by numerous references to individuals with similar names - for instance it's always clear which member of the Adams family (the political dynasty, not the television series!) is being referred to. This is essential reading for all students of American history but can be enjoyed just as much by casual readers.

A superb and fascinating overview of the history of the USA
This is definitively one of the best history books I have ever read. The author presents in a clear way the mechanisms behind history, with surprising insights and analyses into the causes. His approach of history is more a thematical one than a chronological one. Thanks to this, references to dates are limited to a minimum, and themes are explored thoroughly. From one chapter to the next, there can be some movement back and forth in time but it is done in a very intelligible way. I read this book with tremendous pleasure !