James MacGregor Burns (1918–2014)

This was a much easier (and, for me, more interesting read) than the first in the series. I find it hard to identify with the founding fathers (what with me being a lowly woman and all), but bring on the stories from the Civil War through the Depression and I'm hooked. For some reason, the story of how Henry Ford treated his employees from other countries (spoiler: he treated them appallingly) will probably be the one thing I will remember from this book 20 years from now. Also, I found myself intrigued by the story of Woodrow Wilson and the League of Nations. Interesting sections on the 20's; the advent of newspapers, radio and film; women's suffrage (seemed a bit slim, though); and a Supreme Court as crooked and partisan as the one we have in 2023. A constant theme throughout was how Blacks continued to be treated. The next book should prove to be particularly interesting on that front.… (mehr)