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Lädt ... The American Future: A Historyvon Simon Schama
Keine Lädt ...
Melde dich bei LibraryThing an um herauszufinden, ob du dieses Buch mögen würdest. Keine aktuelle Diskussion zu diesem Buch. While the future of America does get some mention in The American Future: A History. The book definitely spends more time on the past. Wars and the founding fathers played a large part, but the topics which most interested me were the fascinatingly detailed and very specific depictions of the horrible atrocities white America committed against the Native Americans, The Chinese, Latin Americans, and The Slaves. This came as no surprise to me, but some of the details were shocking ! ( ) A whirlwind tour of American History narrated through the portrayal of some of it's famous and important personalities. Though the backdrop is the 2008 election, the story starts with the Revlolutionary war and progresses on through the other important timelines such as the civil war, the late 80s and the 20th century. A whirlwind tour of American History narrated through the portrayal of some of it's famous and important personalities. Though the backdrop is the 2008 election, the story starts with the Revlolutionary war and progresses on through the other important timelines such as the civil war, the late 80s and the 20th century. This kind of seemed like Schama’s “stuff I like about American history” book; I understand it’s based on a four-part documentary, and maybe it worked better that way. As a book, it moved backwards and forwards through American history connected by broad themes (and occasionally by family histories, especially the Meigs family): military service, slavery and its legacy, religion, immigration, optimism about the promise of the West. Maybe my reaction was also influenced by Schama’s immediate-post-Obama optimism that he’d just seen an amazing revitalization of the American dream, but I didn’t get much of a sense of coherence.
Besides, he’s a man trapped in the most punishing of literary cages. Jacques Barzun once observed that of all the books it is impossible to write, the most impossible is a book trying to capture the spirit of America (I first read this truth when I was three-quarters of the way through my own attempt). Schama has assigned himself a mission impossible. No one should wish a Brilliant Book upon any other human. And at least we can say that while Simon Schama, the Man of Brilliance, comes away from this book bruised and limping, at least Simon Schama the outstanding historian still survives. As a stylist, the historian wanders from entertaining observations to ponderous, tortured phrases.
Historian Simon Schama offers an essential historical perspective on the 2008 presidential election and its importance for reclaiming America's original ideal. Cultural hostilities more irreconcilable than any since the Civil War have divided America in two. In November 2008, the American people elected a new president, feeling more anxious about the future of the nation than at any time since Watergate. Our omnipotent military, the cornucopia of material comforts available, the security of our borders, and the global economy can no longer be taken for granted. Schama takes a long look at the multiple crises besetting the United States and asks how these problems look in the mirror of time. In four crucial debates--on wars, religion, race and immigration, and the relationship between natural resources and prosperity--Schama looks back to find lost insights into the future.--From publisher description. Keine Bibliotheksbeschreibungen gefunden. |
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Google Books — Lädt ... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)973History and Geography North America United StatesKlassifikation der Library of Congress [LCC] (USA)BewertungDurchschnitt:
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