U.S. History for Dummies

U.S. History for Dummies
by Steve Wiegand

U.S. History for Dummies
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Book Summary Information

Author: Steve Wiegand
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2001-03-01
ISBN: 076455249X
Number of pages: 408
Publisher: For Dummies

Book Reviews of U.S. History for Dummies

Book Review: US History: Facts and Humor
Summary: 5 Stars

I found this book to be a great refresher for all of the facts I had learned about US History in high school and had since forgotten. Even more importantly, I learned a lot of details not generally included in the names, dates, just-the-facts ma'am genre of most history textbooks. The book is well organized and it is easy to locate information about a specific period of time if you are just flipping through. The humorous and conversational style also make this book great to read cover to cover without feeling like you have to take a test afterward. I would recommend this book to any student needing to supplement their in-class learning and any adult looking to expand their knowledge a bit. I find it refreshing that Wiegand couples his facts with distinct opinions. It is widely known that it is impossible to write about anything, including history, with complete objectivity. The style in which this book is written is not hiding anything and it's a great resource whether you agree with the author's political commentary or not!

Summary of U.S. History for Dummies

Lots of people think that learning U.S. history is a punishment. It's a subject you had to take in school. You memorized a bewildering array of dates, absorbed definitions for terms like Manifest Destiny, and wondered if America really needed two presidents named Harrison. Historical figures were presented to you as if they were characters in a junior high school costume pageant, with their blemishes airbrushed out and personalities drained away in stodgy history textbooks.

History textbooks often overlook the fascinating moments of history. They present U.S. history as something dry and distant, all events and facts, and don't focus on what is really is: The story of Americans. It's the story of people ? what they thought, did, and tried to do as they struggled to build a nation.

U.S. History For Dummies is not a textbook. It focuses on people  ? famous, infamous, and obscure. This book gives you a basic foundation of information about the history of the United States. Students and teachers can use it as a friendly, easy-to-understand overview of U.S history, and history buffs can use it as a reference to look up important facts, to settle debates, and to store up ammunition for future conversations with a know-it-all brother-in law!

Here's just a sampling of the topics covered in U.S. History For Dummies:

  • Pre-Columbus: The earliest Native Americans
  • The settling of the Pilgrims and the expansion toward the West
  • The American Revolution and the establishment of a new government
  • How the most influential presidents governed the nation
  • The Civil War and the abolishment of slavery
  • The development of modern industry
  • Two World Wars and a Great Depression
  • America matures through tragedy: The Kennedy Assassination, the Vietnam War, and Watergate

U.S. History For Dummies also includes Top Ten lists covering the best  ? and worst ? presidents, inventions that changed the world, and events that defined American culture.

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