The American Future

Name: The American Future
Brand: Harper Audio
Availability: InStock
Author: Simon Schama
ISBN: 9780061894275

Author: Simon Schama

Narrator: Rupert Degas

Unabridged: 15 hr 58 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperAudio

Published: 05/19/2009

Categories: Nonfiction, History, Us History, Modern History, Political Science, American Government, Political Ideologies

Synopsis

“With eloquence, wit, passion, and irony, The American Future traces the history of an idea: that of our national destiny….A book of beautiful writing, peppered with wisecracks, slashed with rapier thrusts.” —Philadelphia Inquirer A De Tocqueville for the 21st century, Simon Schama, NBCC Award winning author of Rough Crossings offers an essential, historical, long view analysis of the American character in The American Future. Shama examines four themes—war, race and faith, immigration, and custodianship of the land—through the prism of the historic 2008 presidential election in a magnificent work that the Wall Street Journal calls a “celebration of American resiliency.” Niall Ferguson says, “I hope Obama will have this book on his bedside table.”

About Simon Schama

Simon Schama is University Professor of Art History and History at Columbia University in New York. His award-winning books include Scribble, Scribble, Scribble; The American Future: A History; National Book Critics Circle Award winner Rough Crossings; The Power of Art; The Embarrassment of Riches: An Interpretation of Dutch Culture in the Golden Age; Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution; Dead Certainties (Unwarranted Speculations); Landscape and Memory; Rembrandt's Eyes; and the History of Britain trilogy. He has written and presented forty television documentary films for the BBC, PBS, and The History Channel, including the Emmy-winning Power of Art, on subjects that range from John Donne to Tolstoy.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Kara on August 23, 2012

I wouldn’t necessarily describe myself as anti-American, but I will cop to having anti-American sentiments. I have plenty of American friends, but I chose to move to England before the United States—and, to be perfectly honest, I don’t think I could ever bring myself to live in the United States. Th......more

Goodreads review by Robert on December 24, 2017

Schama deftly plumbs the depths of America's internal contradictions, concluding that our hope, greatness, and indeed exceptionalism therein lie. All American high school students should read Schama's section on religious toleration and the founding fathers. Schama takes on and soundly thrashes the......more

Goodreads review by Alan on June 05, 2010

Schama writes as if he invented English. This is history as it once was. Popular, interesting and well written. It looks to the past to explain and illuminate the present. Taking the 2008 election as turning point, Schama tells that story from the perspective of how the past influences the present.......more

Goodreads review by Patricia on January 02, 2018

This book was written in the midst of the 2008 presidential election, so when you read the preface you think, "Hoo-eee! Was he ever wrong in being so optimistic!". But I am a fan of Schama's work, so I kept on. It's worth it. I suggest you skip the preface, start at Chapter 1, and then return to the......more

Goodreads review by Meggie on July 28, 2022

A pretty good overview of the US political history! At times I felt the argument got a wee bit lost - but on the whole I enjoyed it. I reckon I will be reading more Schama in the future......more