Excellent perspective ( )

Evans, Harold. The American Century. New York: Alfred Knopf, 1998.

Any history buff should have this sitting on his or her shelf (and have a shelf sturdy enough to support this 700+ book). Chock full of intriguing cartoons and mesmerizing photographs, American Century covers every aspect of U.S. history from 1889 to the mid 1990s. Well written with commentaries and first hand accounts, history comes alive. The people, the politics, the power, the pitiful downfalls. The 20th century is laid out and every historical moment of worth is described and detailed. ( )

The story of the last 100 years in the life of the United States, and that of the 20th century. In this century, America became the largest economic and military power, sent men to the moon and opened a branch of McDonalds in Moscow. Over 900 photographs, cartoons and illustrations are included.

Although most of this sprawling book is set in the 20th century, it begins on April 29, 1889, when Benjamin Harrison commemorated the first centennial of American government. This 11-year jump-start allows Harold Evans to write about the last major push to settle the Western territories, the gradual displacement of Native American societies, the rise to prominence of William Jennings Bryan and other quintessentially American moments of the 19th century.