librarianonparade's review
4.0
This isn't so much of a history of America as it is a history of how Americans view the future. Perhaps of all countries America has always been the most progressive and forward-looking, not in the usual liberal sense of the words, but in the sense of moving forward, seeing what's next. The most obvious example of this is the exploring of the West and Manifest Destiny. Obviously this spirit of pushing forwards, pushing out has casualties, and this book explores that particularly well - the cataclysm of the Civil War, the nativist backlash to immigration, the betrayal of American principles with the Mexican war, the genocide of the Native Americans. Schama writes wonderfully well; he has a very witty, wry tone, and this is an excellent read, albeit a little fragmented.
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