U.S. History For Dummies Author: Steve Wiegand | Language: English | ISBN:
0470436395 | Format: PDF
U.S. History For Dummies Description
Now revised — the easy-to-understand guide to the story of America
Want to better understand U.S. History? This friendly book serves as your tour guide through the important events of America's past and present, introducing you to the people who helped to shape history. From pre-Columbus to the American Revolution, from Watergate to Iraq to Barack Obama, you'll discover fascinating details that you won't find in dry history texts!
- They're coming to America — explore early civilizations, meet Native Americans, and see how the development of the English colonies led to slavery and the American Revolution
From Thomas Jefferson to Abraham Lincoln — examine the contributions of great Americans as well as the discovery of gold, the birth of California, the Civil War, and Manifest Destiny
America grows up — be there during the conquering of the West, industrial development, and the invention of the light bulb and the telephone
The impact of the World Wars — understand the sweeping changes these epochal events brought to America and the rest of the world
The Cold War, Camelot, and Clinton — take a closer look at the Korean War and communism, the fabulous '50s, JFK, Vietnam, Nixon and Watergate, Reaganomics, and the Clinton years
From the '90s to now — witness the birth of the microchip, the impact of hanging chads in a presidential election, the largest terrorist attack on American soil, and the growing economic crisis
Open the book and find:
- Ten important events that defined American culture
Interesting Americans, from presidents to gangsters to sports heroes
How America fought to win independence from England
Details about all the major wars and their long-term effects
Insight into the roots of slavery
Inventions that changed life for Americans
The impact of the atomic bomb
The Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence
- Paperback: 389 pages
- Publisher: For Dummies; 2 edition (June 2, 2009)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0470436395
- ISBN-13: 978-0470436394
- Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 1 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
As am immigrant my knowledge of American history was rather patchy and incomplete. With my citizenship process nearly done, I decided it was high time to shore up my deficiencies. I began to listen to the "Great Courses" tapes on American History but I also wanted a book that I could quickly follow along with and flip back the pages when needed.
This one fit the bill perfectly. And the strategy has worked magnificently. Having two sources helps memory with cross-association and more importantly contrasts errors and discrepancies right away.
I am usually somewhat wary of the "Dummies" moniker - the books are sometimes too dumbed-down and contain corny jokes. But this one is very well-written and very readable. You can breeze through it with little strain. It is peppered with interesting facts in boxes on nearly every page. The material in these boxes is not random but carefully chosen to highlight and flesh-out points made in the accompanying text. It is well-organized. Although not comprehensive, it is not superficial either. It explains not just events but the underlying causes - for example "What caused the Great Depression?".
The jokes are of a high quality and make the reading particularly enjoyable. I loved the fact that the Nixon re-election committee responsible for the Watergate fiasco was abbreviated CREEP (Committee to Re-elect the President).
I was impressed by the high degree of concordance between the tapes and the book. To me that is reassurance that the facts and analyses in the book are accurate.
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