AmericanHeritage(r): Great Minds of History
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Even as academics increasingly break down the historical profession into areas of subspecialization, American Heritage continues to satisfy the public demand for "master narratives" of the American experience. The latest tome, Great Minds of History, is a lively collection of question-and-answer sessions conducted by veteran journalist Roger Mudd with five renowned scholars of the American Revolution, the Civil War, the West, the Gilded and Progressive Ages, and the late 20th century.
These conversations (drawn from the transcripts of a TV documentary series) allow each author to expound upon the more significant aspects of his field of expertise. Gordon Wood, for example, airs his controversial thesis that the words of the founding fathers and the egalitarianism of New England artisans made the American republic significantly different from its English progenitor. Other interviews stress the historian's craft in constructing causal relationships between events. When James McPherson is asked if the South came close to winning the Civil War, he offers three fully detailed, plausible scenarios for Confederate independence. Pressed to identify the most important Western historian, Richard White answers, "Buffalo Bill Cody," calling the showman's mixture of fiction and authenticity the first example of postmodern historical thought. David McCollough and Stephen Ambrose also make thoughtful (and occasionally bellicose) contributions to this collection, which should please fans of the History Channel and American Heritage alike. --John M. Anderson
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Book Description
The great historians of our day take you on an exhilarating tour through the crucial moments in American history . . .
"Easy reading and very informative."- Civil War News
"All the interviews are fascinating."- Tampa Tribune-Times
"Fascinating . . . Highly recommended."-Library Journal American Heritage Great Minds of History
In a series of interviews that are as valuable as they are engrossing, today's best and brightest historians weigh in on the crucial moments in American history. Whether it's the First Continental Congress or the Cold War, American Heritage ® Great Minds of History takes you there, imbuing the past with an immediacy that goes well beyond the scope of formal histories.
Conducted by Roger Mudd, the highly respected news commentator and anchor for the History Channel, this collection shares the fascinating insights and rare anecdotes of: Gordon Wood on the Colonial era and the American Revolution; James McPherson on the Civil War and Reconstruction; Richard White on westward expansion; David McCullough on the early twentieth century; and Stephen Ambrose on World War II and the postwar era.
American Heritage magazine, the country's leading magazine of history, has published dozens of highly acclaimed books, including American Heritage® History of the United States, American Heritage® New History of the Civil War, American Heritage® New History of World War II, American Heritage® Dictionary of American Quotations, and American Heritage® Encyclopedia of American History.
AmericanHeritage(r): Great Minds of History
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