The Unfinished Nation: A Concise History of the American People, Volume II, from 1865

Rating:
Summary: The best available narrative history of the US.
Review: Alan Brinkley has put together a wonderfully readable, balanced, and thorough history of the US, in just under a thousand pages. It would be ideal for college introductory classes (or very sophisticated high school students); particularly welcome are the selections from primary sources ("American Voices") that often represent other-than-white-male views, but include William Bradford on landing at Plymouth and Nixon on China, and the dozen or so segments called "Debating the Past" that reviw the differing perspectives historians have taken on such topics as slavery, populism, and Viet Nam. I have been a teacher for a quarter of a century, and this is the book I wish I'd had all that time

Rating:
Summary: average boring textbook
Review: I am not a student & don't buy books because I have to but rather because I enjoy history. Textbooks are sold to a captive audience & lack the finesse or detail to compete for a general audience. This book covers a wide range of subjects but without great detail in each (necessarily perhaps) & offers a perhaps more liberal view of US events than I believe is entirely accurate. I only evaulated the Colonial/Revolutionary periods and the Civil War before deciding to return it for a refund of my $. Perhaps this is the best out there but I certainly hope not! Really great historical authors (Paul Kennedy, B. Tuckman, etc.) include a wealth of detail that makes the history come alive. In comparison textbooks such as this one skip detail for a mere listing of events & dates with the author's interpretations, so students can easily highlight the appropriate sections in preparing for exams. Don't buy it unless required for a class!

Rating:
Summary: Easy to read, easy to understand
Review: This book is very easy to read and understand. If you don't know much about U.S. History, and you want an easy to read book, then this book is for you. Brinkley's style of writing is remarkably down-to-earth. You can read this book for pleasure and get a lot out of it!.... Anyways, get the book. It's worth it.