Rating: 
Summary: 5 stars because I got a 5 on the AP...
Review: ...as well as a 750 on the SAT II. If you read this entire book and do all the practice tests, you should not get below a 4. It is comprehensive, accurate and interesting. However, it is really long and I only got through half of it, but the other half was fresh in my mind so it didn't matter. The pros of this book are that it covers everything, it can be used to study for the SAT II, it has really good practice tests and it is fun to read for a history book. The cons are that it is really long and it doesn't help you for the DBQ. This is not a book for slackers or crammers! You need to start reading at least 2 weeks in advance of the test if you want to finish on time. But it's the best book out there and even Barron's has to bow down to it.
Rating:
Summary: The title really is true...
Review: As a teacher of AP U.S. History myself, I can tell you that this is THE best review book on the market today. A few years ago, I purchased a set to give to every one of my students at the beginning of the year to use as a supplement to our textbook. The introduction of the book is very informative, explaining how the exam is administered and the exact formulas the evaluators themselves use to grade the essays and how that factors in with the multiple choice to calculate the final grade. The actual review content is thorough enough to provide an excellent "brain refresher," but isn't too dense. The six practice tests are excellent ways to review and see which areas a student needs to focus more on during their studying. I also highly recommend purchasing this same book but with the CD-ROM software to accompany it; the software creates a realistic testing environment, timing the student for both the multiple choice and writing sections as if they were taking the real test. The detailed explanations for each multiple choice question are also a great way to review, especially if you get a specific question wrong. I tell my students every year: don't go out and waste your money on buying more review books and practice tests, because everything you'll need to succeed on the exam is right in the book I gave you earlier this year!
Rating:
Summary: Five stars for a five on the exam,
Review: as another reviewer commented. I bought this book mid-year to help me study for my AP USH unit reviews, and I have to say it was fantastic. The review is very concise, yet it offers all the facts you'll need to know on the exam. Also, the multiple choice practice tests were EXTREMELY helpful. Many of the questions in the book showed up on the actual exam, and I breezed through the MC portion of the test in half the allotted time, only omitting two questions. The part I actually found the most helpful was the selection of sample essays in the back of the book. Though some of them took strange stances, they were great for tying specific facts together thematically. I mentally referenced them to make educated guesses when necessary, and heavily borrowed from one on the Great Depression to provide background information for the DBQ. There are so many sample essays that you're almost sure to have *one* of the topics (or one closely related) turn up on the exam. I absolutely recommend this book -- I'll be looking for REA for my AP exams this year, too! My advice is: keep up with reading your textbook (I used American Pageant), start taking the practice tests about a month before the AP exam, take notes on the questions you miss (the detailed explanations to the MC questions are fantastic), and don't study the night before the test. Have a party. Best of luck in May.
Rating:
Summary: Very Helpful; Updated with a review up to 1996
Review: Before I took the actual exam in May 1999, I was vague as to how I would actually do on the real AP US History exam. A few weeks before I had a practice exam, I spent a few days just reading the first few chapters and when the practice test came, I wasn't sure on my performance. To my surprise, I actually scored a four on that test and I have gained more confidence in passing the actual exam. Despite the recent transformation of the cover, this book does have value in preparing for the exam. It is recommended by my teacher and by other students as well. Now with its upgrade of a new cover and review up to the 1996 election, this book is very helpful if you have not already purchased it. For the Amazon price, it is a great buy when preparing in advance to the actual AP exam. I would also like to thank my AP US teacher, Patrick Gordon for his assistance and guidance.
Rating: 
Summary: NOT "the best"!
Review: I bought this book at the beginning of the year so I could get a jump on AP studying. The review section is somewhat helpful for study questions. It is organized in blocks of short descriptions about each important event or point; often these pieces fail to flow or generate a cohesive grasp of the time period in your memory. The biggest flaw in the review section is a lack of an index. There is no way to look up a specific name, event, law, etc, so in order to find it, you have to guess at the time period and then scan the text, a time-comsuming and inefficient method to say the least. The main reason I bought this book was for the six practice tests. While these tests will give you some sense of what it's actually like to take the three-hour exam, they are not accurate representations of actual exams. What I mean is that the multiple-choice questions are more specific than actual AP multiple-choice questions, include fewer political cartoon-, map-, and graph-based questions, and are extremely poorly written. I have taken three of the multiple-choice practice tests. The answer "explanations" for the first two consisted of restating the answer choices, saying the correct one is correct and the others are incorrect. These are confusing and frustrating rather than helpful. The third set of answer explanations was obviously written by a different person or to a very different standard; the answers are explained much like my history teacher explains actual AP exam questions. I would recommend (if you feel you must buy this book) beginning with practice exam 3, since you're not likely to have time for all six practice tests anyway. The essay exams might be helpful simply to give you an idea of which time periods you need to study further (those essay prompts which strike terror into your heart indicate that you should go back and study until you feel comfortable writing on that prompt); many of the essay prompts are poorly written, although they do follow the format seen on the actual exam ("assess the validity of this statement" etc). The sample essays provided include much more thorough analysis and tiny details than most students are able to remember or pull together during the allotted 30 minutes and do not facilitate assigning your essays a number grade 0-9. A grading scale or list of main points you should have included in your essay would be much more helpful. This is the only AP-specific U. S. history review I own, so I cannot suggest one with better practice tests. I recommend foregoing the book and asking your teacher for real past AP exams. You can be positive these will reflect both the difficulty and content actually found on the exam, and won't be discouraged or scared off by practice exams written in a hurry for a company that cares for making money rather than having a quality product. I will take the AP U. S. History exam next week and expect to get a 5, however, I don't think using this book has made any difference to my score.
Rating:
Summary: NOT "the best"!
Review: I bought this book at the beginning of the year so I could get a jump on AP studying. The review section is somewhat helpful for study questions. It is organized in blocks of short descriptions about each important event or point; often these pieces fail to flow or generate a cohesive grasp of the time period in your memory. The biggest flaw in the review section is a lack of an index. There is no way to look up a specific name, event, law, etc, so in order to find it, you have to guess at the time period and then scan the text, a time-comsuming and inefficient method to say the least. The main reason I bought this book was for the six practice tests. While these tests will give you some sense of what it's actually like to take the three-hour exam, they are not accurate representations of actual exams. What I mean is that the multiple-choice questions are more specific than actual AP multiple-choice questions, include fewer political cartoon-, map-, and graph-based questions, and are extremely poorly written. I have taken three of the multiple-choice practice tests. The answer "explanations" for the first two consisted of restating the answer choices, saying the correct one is correct and the others are incorrect. These are confusing and frustrating rather than helpful. The third set of answer explanations was obviously written by a different person or to a very different standard; the answers are explained much like my history teacher explains actual AP exam questions. I would recommend (if you feel you must buy this book) beginning with practice exam 3, since you're not likely to have time for all six practice tests anyway. The essay exams might be helpful simply to give you an idea of which time periods you need to study further (those essay prompts which strike terror into your heart indicate that you should go back and study until you feel comfortable writing on that prompt); many of the essay prompts are poorly written, although they do follow the format seen on the actual exam ("assess the validity of this statement" etc). The sample essays provided include much more thorough analysis and tiny details than most students are able to remember or pull together during the allotted 30 minutes and do not facilitate assigning your essays a number grade 0-9. A grading scale or list of main points you should have included in your essay would be much more helpful. This is the only AP-specific U. S. history review I own, so I cannot suggest one with better practice tests. I recommend foregoing the book and asking your teacher for real past AP exams. You can be positive these will reflect both the difficulty and content actually found on the exam, and won't be discouraged or scared off by practice exams written in a hurry for a company that cares for making money rather than having a quality product. I will take the AP U. S. History exam next week and expect to get a 5, however, I don't think using this book has made any difference to my score.
Rating:
Summary: This is absolutely the best test-prep for AP US History!
Review: I bought this book three days before the test. I was only able to read about 4 chapters of the comprehensive review section before the test. Having only read four chapters, I took the test and scored a 4. I firmly beleive that if I had been able to read the entire review section I would have scored a 5 easily. Since the review is so complete, it is easy to right the DBQ after you have read the review for that time period. I beleive that if I had not picked up this book I would have scored a 2 or a 3. Buy this book now so that you have plenty of time to read the entire review section as well as take some of the practice tests!
Rating:
Summary: Buy this! (or at least don't buy Barron's)
Review: I didn't actually buy this book, but several of my friends borrowed copies from the library and it was extremely useful in preparing for the AP. It is extremely helpful in review, as well as offers enough practice tests to satisfy anyone! If you have only one night to cram, this may not be the best book for you, but I would definitely buy it if you've got at least a week (minus shipping time) ahead of you.
Rating:
Summary: Got me a 5 without the class
Review: I didn't take the class, but I read an older edition of this book. It was something like 200 pages of history reading, basically straight facts. The interpretation of events is left up to you. I took this test without the class and got a five, so I recommend it. As a reference, though, I'm a National Merit Finalist and passed 5 other AP tests.
Rating: 
Summary: Helped me, maybe you too
Review: I found the AP US History Review book very helpful. The review was especially helpful - it was clear and concise. And the practice exams - "forget-about-it." The trick is that you have to already know what you are studying before you use the book because afterall, the book is just a review. It should only remind you of what you already know. The book is just brief enough to not cloud your mind and confuse you and is just comprehensive enough to get you everything you need to know. All said and done, I would definately recommend this book to anyone who wants to pass the exam, but beware, you must study too.
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