America: A Narrative History, Vol. 2 (Shi & Tindall)

America: A Narrative History, Volume 2, is a survey of United States history from Reconstruction (1865-77) to 2014. I read the "brief tenth edition," which is 20% shorter than the regular tenth edition.

I read volume 1 a few months ago. As I mentioned in that post, I was looking for a 'fair' survey text as free from agendas as possible, and the first volume did pretty well. Volume 2 is much the same. This is largely a political history, but covers some social aspects. The few events with which I was previously familiar were decently presented. And- as an aside- it was bizarre to see decades in print that I have lived through. (I'm getting old.) Of course it is a whirlwind, but overall, I think the authors did a good job with this textbook. It was clear, informative, and pretty fair. Recommended.

I'll end with some concluding thoughts on America as presented in the text. They argue that one of the most powerful themes in America's history is that we are "a mythic land of unique opportunities for people from around the world." Indeed, our story is one of great success- but also hypocrisy. We champion liberty for all but have a history of discrimination against a variety of peoples. We must always be reforming, looking at how to improve and become a more just society. Impressively, "for all its diversity and divisions, the nation remains united under a common government and political system, something that few societies can claim. For centuries, Americans have also displayed a distinctively self-critical temperament, espeically noticeable to foreign visitors . . . Charles Dickens said that the American 'always is depressed, and always is stagnated, and always is at an alarming crisis, and never was otherwise.'

"Perhaps that is why the nation always overcomes its greatest crises; Americans eventually summon the will and creativity to address their urgent problems. The nation has a remarkable genius for self-renewal and a confident ability to maneuver through the most difficult threats and challenges," for what unites and informs our sense of purpose is "the widely shared hope, even expectation, of a better future for all based on hard work, ingenuity, and sacrifice."

Rating: A-