Saturday, July 04, 2009

USA books

Happy Independence Day! Here are a few good books on the US that I have enjoyed.

The Radicalism of the American Revolution by Gordon S Wood. It dispels the notion that the American revolution was a conservative affair.

The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution 1763-1789 by Robert Middlekauff. The title is not ironic.

Battle Cry of Freedom by James McPherson. It's thick but it is good one stop shopping for the Civil War.

The USA trilogy by John Dos Passos. For the literary minded, this critical take of the early 20th century is outstanding.

Special Providence by Walter Mead Russell. The best treatment of American foreign policy that I have yet found.

5 comments:

Adam said...

"Battle Cry of Freedom" is great, and because of its size it doubles as a stand for my monitor.

Citizen Reader said...

Great idea for a list, Tripp! Might I humbly suggest Matt Taibbi's "The Great Derangement"? Strangely patriotic in its own way.

Tripp said...

Nice one Adam.

Sure CR. It also balances the right leaning Russell, which is good.

Paul said...

The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution by Bailyn is still the book on the subject to go to.

Not to mention books on Paine by Eric Foner, Carl Becker's and Charles Beard's books on the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, and the few I mention here http://horrorfictionnews.com/blog/2008/09/on-the-age-of-federalism-and-the-constituion/

Tripp said...

Thanks Paul, I need to find that book by Bailyn.