Can you recommend a good general book on U.S. history?
Thank you,
Howard Lang
???
Dear Mr. Lang,
Since a nation’s history is an ongoing thing (today’s current event will be history in another five to ten years), that’s a hard call to make, since general histories can often go from “last word on the subject” to dated. That said, A Short History of the United States by Robert V. Remini has a good reputation (mind you, his idea of “short” is 400 pages). For more depth there is the 12-volume, 800-page Oxford History of the United States. Eric Foner’s The Story of American Freedom is a political/social/cultural overview that is more even-handed and comprehensive than the title might suggest.
Sincerely,
Jon Guttman
Research Director
World History
www.historynet.com
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