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Summary: Wish I had this in high school
Review: This is an excellent book for someone who is strapped for time and does not have a strong understanding of U.S. history. It offers the type of quick, broad overview that provides a starting point for more in-depth reading. If nothing else the clear communication of our nation's time line is very useful.And don't get put off by the whinging in some of the other reviews regarding its supposed political biases. The fact that some say it's too conservative (the PC bunch) and others too liberal (the Limbaugh-ites) lets you know that Kenneth Davis is doing a pretty good job of being objective.
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Summary: Should replace every High School text book
Review: This book is so informative and easy to read. It keeps your interest like no other History even has. I enjoyed it trememdously and high reccomend it.
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Summary: Just because it's written in a book doesn't make it true
Review: Though the book gives a good generalized look at American history, it has a definite political slant that obfuscates some of the facts. In writing a book that purports to be history, I find this nearly inexcusable. Other than that, the book provides a thorough and readable account of even the darker sides of our past. Worth reading, but don't take it _all_ as indisputable fact.
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Summary: cotton candy is good...at times
Review: yeah, this is junk food, but let's not pretend it's anything else. you don't pick up a book like this with the real intention of "getting to the bottom of the facts and the truth," and if you do, then you "don't know much about choosing books." i feel this author is too conservative for me...as i come at this from a more politically radical perspective, where i find he smoothes over the issues and gives silly little reasons for major happenings. but all that said, he's spun some good cotton candy, and i'm eating it...in moderation (but don't eat too much at once or you'll throw up!).
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Summary: Don't Know Much About History? You'll LOVE This Book!
Review: Unfortunately for Kenneth Davis, I DO know something about history. I have entire walls of boooks on historical subjects at home, particularly on the art of war and high level decision-making. For this reason, I am not overly enamored of Davis's book. It's not bad in a simplified-overview sense. Davis does give the reader (who is presumed to be a teen with no interest in the subject, that he wants to interest in the subject) a sense of history as having been made by real people. However, he has a love-me-I'm-a-liberal slant to his writing that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. That, I can forgive; I do not demand that every writer be moderate or conservative. The two things that I can't forgive are his political-correctness and his inaccuracies with reported, verifiable facts. I have no use for political correctness. I would much prefer information presented objectively, allowing the reader to make up his/her own mind. However, gross misrepresentation of fact by someone purporting to write history is a crime against the impressionable teen audience for this book. I'm not talking about minor mis-statements, such as his implication that the USS Yorktown survived the Battle of Midway with damage (Davis clearly has confused Midway and the earlier Battle of the Coral Sea) or his statement that the US Army Air Force (NOT Corps, stupid - that designation had long since changed) was solely responsible for the bombing of Dresden (the operation was British-inspired and RAF Bomber Command did most of the bombing). I am talking about things like his blatant misrepresentation of: Edith Wilson's role following Woodrow's stroke; Grant's tactics in the Petersburg/Richmond campaign and why he chose them; and the reasoning behind Truman's decision to employ the atomic bomb to end the war in the Pacific. And these are just some of the ones that caused me to slap the book down in disgust and pick it up again later. The facts on these examples are available IN THE WORDS OF THE PARTICIPANTS. Davis simply didn't want the facts contradicting his political-correctly written views. Catching Davis out in both major and minor errors like the ones cited make me wonder what else is incorrect, that I did not catch because I am not as well read in areas such as economics and the history of the civil-rights and suffrage movements as in the art of war and how inventions have impacted the nation. As those I mentioned aren't the only ones, I presume there are many more. Bottom line: Don't Know Much About History is entertaining, but is like cotton candy; it looks impressive but there's little substance. I would not use it as a teaching tool. Its most valuable part is its bibliography. When the kids get interested in history, they can read the pros and find out what really happened, not Davis's version of what happened.
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Summary: A great book for the intended audience
Review: This book does exactly what it is intended to do: provide a comprehensive, readable account of American History for those of us with significant gaps in our knowledge of the subject. However, be aware uninformed reader: never take for granted that everything you read is THE truth! There are always many ways of looking at things, and Kenneth Davis' perspective is just one of many! I actually read this book cover to cover; however, it would be equally good as a reference to use as necessary. I thought the play by play of each war was somewhat tedious, but loved the bits of foreshadowing that connected many events with what was yet to come. There's also a nice list in the back of supplemental historical fiction and nonfiction readings, should this book spark an interest in a particular topic for you, and you would like some direction in locating more information. Overall a great book for the intended audience.
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Summary: another biased liberal view
Review: as is the case with many of the newer history books, this author is a bit biased in his politically correct view of history. it is a shame when kids take some of these commentaries as fact.
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Summary: Interesting Overview of American History (warts and all)
Review: Although I'm an avid non-fiction reader, my tastes run more towards the sciences. While I do read a lot about Arizona history ( I live there) I must admit that I haven't read much on general American history since I left school. I decided to download the unabridged audio version of this book from AUDIBLE.COM. In the book, Davis gives a fairly complete overview of the most significant people and events in American history. His writing style is casual, almost folksy. I particularly appreciated the fact that the author discusses both the good and the bad of American history. While I am proud to be part of this great nation, there are many events in our history that we should not be proud of - things that were not discussed in your high school history class. As other reviewers have pointed out, the author occasionally injects his own biases into the text. But, when he does, he backs up these beliefs with facts that are hard to dispute. Whether you're a history buff or someone that just wants to learn more about this country, this is a great text. I plan to read the other "Don't know Much..." books by this author. Comments specific to the audible.com version: The reader is Dick Estell (of Radio Reader fame). He does an excellent job. His voice is clear and has a lively tone to it - perfect for those long commutes
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Summary: Don't know much . . .
Review: This is a book about American history. I found this book amongst the ESL materials of a small bookstore in Ulsan, South Korea, where, surprisingly, I teach the English language. Along with a wonderful book of Korean Folk tales, I purchased the book by Kenneth Davis. I learned about a lot of history that I should have known, was reminded of certain facts about American history that I had forgotten, and reviewed what I had already known. The author is casual, genuine, and does not gloss over the aspects of American history that Americans may not necessarily be proud of. He did well and has encouraged me to look into other writings about American history, which has scarcely interested me in comparison to other subjects - i.e. the Bible. His own sources will be very useful for any reader who may want more academic sourcework for their investigation into the history of the United States of America.
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Summary: Very good of its kind
Review: This is a popular and very readable history of the US, ditinguished by a high level of dissident consciousness. For example, Davis is very careful to point out the human cost to the Indian tribes of the European influx. Mostly the book progresses forward in time on the same well-rounded basis. It makes a good introductory companion to Howard Zinn's epochal volume,*A People's History of the United States*. Recommended for those who like their history in small, sharp doses.
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