Rating: 
Summary: Don't know much about History
Review: I thought this book was excellent at taking a broad brush approach to American History. The details were just deep enough to keep you interested and informed without requiring 2 hours of your time for each topic. It would be an excellent overview for most people. I particularly enjoyed the revisiting of early colonial days and reminders of how the Indians were treated, how slavery evolved, and how the USA went back and forth with England, Spain and France.
Rating: 
Summary: Opinionated but a fine book nonthe less
Review: Davis is very opinionated in his writing of history and furthermore, I happen to be politically conservative and he is very liberal. However, I nontheless really liked the book. Opinons are OK if the author does not let them detract from the presentaion of the facts. I have read several good histories of the United States and I am satisfied that Davis presents the essentials and then some. I think that if a high school student were to use this as a review book before the final examination, he/she would get the essential information and do well on the exam. Obviously, this book is not as comprehensive as, say, Paul Johnson's "History of the American People," however, it does what it sets out to do. That is to provide a reasonably comprehensive history of the United States for people who are not well versed in the subject. The facts are presented in a well organized and easy to follow question and answer format. The opinions drove me crazy at times but, then again, perhaps they kept me interested. All in all, a good book.
Rating:
Summary: Uncomfortably Honest
Review: This version of history brings to light many facts which were "swept under the carpet" in the history taught in secondary school. Although biased at times (less biased than traditional US History), the author concentrates on bits of history which were non-existant or extremely downplayed in public education, such as the near genocide of Native Americans by European settlers. Beware! Your high opinion of, and pride in the good old USA may not be intact after reading this book... Mine isn't.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent introduction for an "alien"
Review: I listened to this during my commute and found it to be enthralling. It is a lot more than a dull chronology of significant events and really tries to explain the background and significance of each of the major characters in US history as well as their deeds.I was not brought up in the States, so really appreciated the degree of detail provided. Yes, it includes opinion - but there are always two sides to every story and I found this made the events seem more relevant. It also identifies key books from each era, some of which I will now try to read (or listen to). I would certainly recommend it to anyone ignorant of US history, but interested. It has piqued my interest in history and that alone speaks volumes.
Rating: 
Summary: Judgment colors everything
Review: I got very weary of hearing the author's judgments on virtually EVERYTHING in US history. It's more a review of his opinions about history than it is informative. Some of this is to be expected, but this was ridiculous. Very disappointing.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting and informative book
Review: Enjoyed the book cover to cover. For a person not having read American History before, this was an Executive Summary of sort! Definitely a recommended book for those who are in search of information about American History.
Rating: 
Summary: Informative, but biased
Review: This book isn't quite "everything" you need to know about American history, but its very close. In DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT HISTORY, Kenneth Davis successfully identifies and desribes many of the key people and pivotal events of American history. He provides a brief synopsis of each, detailing basic information necessary for at least a rudimentary understanding of that slice of history: the who, what, and when. Most important, he provides the "why;" that is, "why is this event/person significant?" This is a critical difference between Davis' book and most textbooks: Davis explains why this person/event was significant then and how it still affects us today. And its highly readable, too. For the most part, the book is written in a light and entertaining style. A cautionary note to any parent thinking that this book could fill the gaps in junior's education. This is not a neutral examination of American history. Davis rarely misses an opportunity to lecture and sermonize from his own perspective, which is decidedly liberal. As with any book, its not so much what you say, but the way you say it. Davis presents his own opinions as fact and offers no citations for his assertions and conclusions. In a dozen different entries, Davis asserts that America's history is the story of bigoted, patriarchal, imperialistic, white Anglo-Saxon males, hell bent on Indian killing, Negro hating, war profiteering, female domination, labor bashing, and red baiting their way to world domination. Its not quite what some call "revisionist history," but it is rather slanted. This is not to say that DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT HISTORY is a bad book: it isn't. But it should be read purely for entertainment, not for serious study and certainly not used for academic reference. Serious conservatives will need to take this book with a big grain of salt.
Rating:
Summary: Informative and Interesting
Review: I have learned so much just by reading this book. It leaves out the finer details so that the reader can move on quickly to learn about the more important and major events that had shaped the American history. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who have little background of the US history and would like to learn more!
Rating:
Summary: One man's opinion - a honest review
Review: This book should be called how America is a racist country. Don't Know Much About History : Everything You Need to Know About American History but Never Learned exploits every aspect of American History into a racial point of view. It does little to go in detail about some exciting American events, but focuses on a country's past mistakes of slavery, segregation, & discrimination. The author stepped around certain interesting subjects and steered more towards these topics. However, the narrator does an excellent job of bringing the subject up-front, clear and concise. Overall, I did learn much about American History and injustices that were unfolded throughout the ages.
Rating:
Summary: Not What I was Looking For
Review: This book asks questions and then answers the questions in short form. A good reference perhaps but not a book you can sit down & read cover to cover.
|
