Rating: 
Summary: Can Be a Struggle, But Can Also Be Worth It
Review: Assigned this book for my AP U.S. History class over the summer, I carefully read the first three chapters, taking extensive notes in the book. I have to say that it took me awhile to take it all in during one sitting. But Degler does bring up some interesting ideas about American history and the issues that made America what it is today. Note that this is not a history textbook and should not be used alone to study history. However, it makes for a beneficial supplement to a textbook and allows the student to not hear a strict interpretation of history for a little while. The rest of the book follows our history accurately and gives the reader much food for thought. I prefered Stephen Oates' "Portrait of America" to this book, but I can honestly say I learned as much from this book as I did form the former. Try this as a helping hand and as a second opinion on our nation's illustrious history.
Rating: 
Summary: So Boring!
Review: Mr. Degler definitely knows his history but his writing isn't too great. His extensive use of huge words and lengthy explanations makes this book so boring. It put me to sleep anytime I tried to read it for me than an hour at one time. Don't read it unless you have to.
Rating: 
Summary: Only for the serious student
Review: One must remember that this book was written in the late 1950s, when the writing style was geared to a much higher level of education. It wasn't until the late seventies and early eighties that most literature began scaling back to enhance comprehension in a world where the average reader didn't understand classical references and long, complex sentences. So, while Mr. Degler has written a very detailed and fact-oriented book, its readability suffers because most students reading this book are unused to this style of writing. I think it's a tribute to the excellence of the book's information that it is often used as a history text even though it is so outdated and difficult to read. Guaranteed to cure even the most acute insomnia :) Greetz to the CAK AP History class of 2000-2001!
Rating:
Summary: An Overall Good Book
Review: One of my books in my AP US History class was Carl N. Degler's Out of Our Past. Degler does not focus on a white man fighting, but on how minorities shaped us today. The book is long, but I found it to be easier to understand if it is read in thirty minute increments. This book is not an easy book to understand, but it is an overall good book.
Rating: 
Summary: Powerful History Book
Review: One of the main textbooks for my honors history class. Really took a different perspective than the other students got slogging through their "history lite" books. Degler made me stop and think, not just try to memorize facts. Not an easy read, but well worth the effort. I found myself discovering that my country didn't have the easily explained history I had been brought up with. Don't just read this book, though, also get a copy of Howar Zinn's "A People's History of the United States: 1492-Present." Between these two books, you'll begin to form a deeper appreciation of American history--and perhaps find our present much more disturbing. I know I sure did!
Rating:
Summary: Powerful History Book
Review: One of the main textbooks for my honors history class. Really took a different perspective than the other students got slogging through their "history lite" books. Degler made me stop and think, not just try to memorize facts. Not an easy read, but well worth the effort. I found myself discovering that my country didn't have the easily explained history I had been brought up with. Don't just read this book, though, also get a copy of Howar Zinn's "A People's History of the United States: 1492-Present." Between these two books, you'll begin to form a deeper appreciation of American history--and perhaps find our present much more disturbing. I know I sure did!
Rating: 
Summary: boring
Review: this is the most boring book i have ever read.i woould rather be reading a history book instead of this.
Rating:
Summary: boring
Review: Using this book as a resource in school, it symbolizes hard work and long nights. But this attitude doesn't take anything away from Carl Degler's work. In one word, deep, is a good way to describe this work. It doesn't summarize but analyzes all of the major events throughtout our country's history. A good book for the American History enthusiast.
Rating:
Summary: Very In-Depth Historical Analysis of the United States
Review: Using this book as a resource in school, it symbolizes hard work and long nights. But this attitude doesn't take anything away from Carl Degler's work. In one word, deep, is a good way to describe this work. It doesn't summarize but analyzes all of the major events throughtout our country's history. A good book for the American History enthusiast.
Rating:
Summary: Experiences for an AP History Student
Review: We were assigned this book as part of the American Experience in Mr. Burrows class. While the majority of the class thought that the book was nothing better than a substitute for a sleeping pill, I thought it was a great additional resource. It can be a little hard to understand, but if one takes the time to read it, they'll find that Degler has some great things to say. People with additional opinions can be find in other studenst, such as Zohair, Asher, Tina, Jordan and Jen.
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