On Becoming American

Rating:
Summary: Useful insight from someone who made the transition
Review: The problem with being american (for those who were born american) is that we are so immersed in american-ism that we can no longer see what it is. Someone who is born elsewhere and consciously decides to become "american" has a unique perspective - one that is useful for the rest of us americans to read.

Ted Morgan was born a noble french aristocrat, son of a Free French hero ("Ted Morgan" is an anagram of his french name, de Gramont). However, he found himself increasingly estranged from the closed world of the post-war french nobility, and increasingly drawn to the open culture of the United States. This book describes why, and how he came to make the break with his old life.

As Morgan says in his book: "All americans are either revolutionaries, or descended from revolutionaries." While his turn of phrase makes enjoyable reading (Morgan won a Pulitzer prize for news reporting under deadline), his insights go deeper. This book acts in some way as a mirror held so we can contemplate our own reflection. Those of us who were born here can get some unique insight from this insider/outsider view.