Rating: 
Summary: Good and good FOR you!
Review: A great book for U.S. history buffs or the high school student in need of a guide to America's past. Gonick knows most people find history boring and does his best to liven it up without sacrificing information or content. An excellent example of cartooning at its best.
Rating: 
Summary: It's still funny...
Review: Gonick as usual is a riot and I don't fault him for his bias. He puts it out there the way he sees it...any other way wouldn't be as funny. This is part fact, part satire. I still highly recommend this book to adults or teens who have a solid foundation in US History and have already formed an opinion on our leaders. Even if you don't agree, it's still funny. I agree with the prior reviewer who recommended Hakim's 'History of US' for the kids. I know of two little girls (ages 8 and 9)who are reading through these in their spare time FOR FUN!
Rating:
Summary: Better than high school, not as good as "Cartoon History"
Review: I can't bring myself to give this book 3 stars because it IS quite good at it's intended purpose: teaching American history. I'm just a little disappointed that it isn't as funny as Gonick's "Cartoon History" series. There are lots of interesting tidbits your history teacher never told you about - for example, Ben Franklin and his friends used to electrocute turkeys just for fun. And, this book is MUCH more entertaining than taking notes in ANY history class.
Rating:
Summary: Better than high school, not as good as "Cartoon History"
Review: I can't bring myself to give this book 3 stars because it IS quite good at it's intended purpose: teaching American history. I'm just a little disappointed that it isn't as funny as Gonick's "Cartoon History" series. There are lots of interesting tidbits your history teacher never told you about - for example, Ben Franklin and his friends used to electrocute turkeys just for fun. And, this book is MUCH more entertaining than taking notes in ANY history class.
Rating: 
Summary: Biased? My God is it...
Review: I have enjoyed several books by Gonick before, including his superb Cartoon History of the Universe series, and enjoyed his satire immensely, but to be honest, this book annoyed me. I won't say I wasn't entertained by reading the book, but after about 30 pages it became kind of a game for me. See if you can't skim through is book and find more than a couple pages sans Gonick trying to ram PC down your throat. The first half of the book spends most of its time on American Indian and Black oppression. The second half is even worse, with labor unions, communism and socialism taking up most of the space - ended of course with a nice fat chapter on how President Reagan was a maniacal idiot who was in disbelief when Gorbechev came up to him and said he was ending the Cold War. Yeah, Gonick - that's how it happened. When the time comes, I will let my kids read this book, just to show them how history can change simply by who's telling it. PS The drawings weren't up to par either, kinda like what you'd expect to find in his sketchpad.
Rating:
Summary: Biased? My God is it...
Review: I have enjoyed several books by Gonick before, including his superb Cartoon History of the Universe series, and enjoyed his satire immensely, but to be honest, this book annoyed me. I won't say I wasn't entertained by reading the book, but after about 30 pages it became kind of a game for me. See if you can't skim through is book and find more than a couple pages sans Gonick trying to ram PC down your throat. The first half of the book spends most of its time on American Indian and Black oppression. The second half is even worse, with labor unions, communism and socialism taking up most of the space - ended of course with a nice fat chapter on how President Reagan was a maniacal idiot who was in disbelief when Gorbechev came up to him and said he was ending the Cold War. Yeah, Gonick - that's how it happened. When the time comes, I will let my kids read this book, just to show them how history can change simply by who's telling it. PS The drawings weren't up to par either, kinda like what you'd expect to find in his sketchpad.
Rating: 
Summary: Where has the U.S gone?
Review: I have not read The Cartoon History of the United States. What I am writing about is my reaction to one of the reviews. "I know of two little girls (ages 8 and 9) who are reading through these in their spare time FOR FUN!". This took me by surprise. It sounds like somebody reading a book for fun was an urban legend. Born and living abroad, I always thought that the U.S shown in movies was fake. I now realize you really don't read anything, watch more T.V. than spend time outside, and think South Americans live in trees. One reviewer of this book wrote that he felt a little bit dirty after finishing it. That is how you should feel if your children don't read. And don't get me wrong, I was for the Iraq war and strong American foreign policy. I just hope our (for I am an American) future leaders can read more than just a cartoon history for fun and feel proud. Just one more thing. I think that every well meaning, Democratic American should read Emerson's Self Reliance. It might teach you something.
Rating:
Summary: Where has the U.S gone?
Review: I have not read The Cartoon History of the United States. What I am writing about is my reaction to one of the reviews. "I know of two little girls (ages 8 and 9) who are reading through these in their spare time FOR FUN!". This took me by surprise. It sounds like somebody reading a book for fun was an urban legend. Born and living abroad, I always thought that the U.S shown in movies was fake. I now realize you really don't read anything, watch more T.V. than spend time outside, and think South Americans live in trees. One reviewer of this book wrote that he felt a little bit dirty after finishing it. That is how you should feel if your children don't read. And don't get me wrong, I was for the Iraq war and strong American foreign policy. I just hope our (for I am an American) future leaders can read more than just a cartoon history for fun and feel proud. Just one more thing. I think that every well meaning, Democratic American should read Emerson's Self Reliance. It might teach you something.
Rating:
Summary: Where has the U.S gone?
Review: I have not read The Cartoon History of the United States. What I am writing about is my reaction to one of the reviews. "I know of two little girls (ages 8 and 9) who are reading through these in their spare time FOR FUN!". This took me by surprise. It sounds like somebody reading a book for fun was an urban legend. Born and living abroad, I always thought that the U.S shown in movies was fake. I now realize you really don't read anything, watch more T.V. than spend time outside, and think South Americans live in trees. One reviewer of this book wrote that he felt a little bit dirty after finishing it. That is how you should feel if your children don't read. And don't get me wrong, I was for the Iraq war and strong American foreign policy. I just hope our (for I am an American) future leaders can read more than just a cartoon history for fun and feel proud. Just one more thing. I think that every well meaning, Democratic American should read Emerson's Self Reliance. It might teach you something.
Rating: 
Summary: Hopelessly biased,occasionally insightful "history"
Review: I regret having to write this review, as I have found Mr Gonicks other cartoon books amusing and often informative. Unfortunatly, the overwhelming, barely concealed bias of this history is all too plain. To put it quite simply, all Republicans are evil or doltish( with the exception of , thank God Lincoln); All democrats and progressives, are, without exception, saints, heroes, and titans. To cite only three examples of Mr Gonicks hopelessly crude reading of history: 1. Eisenhower is portrayed, not with his famous grin, but wearing an utterly clodish, near moronic, expression. The acheivements of his administration are ignored, and he is seen as a a tool of the "pious cold warrior" Dulles, and "one of the more intelligent mccarthyites", Nixon.2.Theodore Roosevelt, one of the few true polymaths to sit in the White House, is portrayed as a silly cowboy, who essentially cared about conservation so he could shot more amnimals.3..Finally, the Nixon administration, which ( despite Nixons crimes), did bring us ( as even Oliver Stone admits) detente, the EPA, affirmative action, and welfare reform,is remembered only for Watergate. In short, I would not even recommend this book for the kiddie library. If one wants an INTELLIGENT , liberals introduction to American history for young people, I would reccomend Joy Hakims, A History of US.
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