Americans: A Collision of Histories

by Edward Countryman

Book Overview

In this social history, Edward Countryman shows how interactions among America's different ethnic groups have contributed to our sense of nationality. From the earliest settlements along the Atlantic seaboard to the battle over our nation's destiny in the aftermath of the Civil War, Countryman reveals Americans in all their diverse complexity and shows why the very identity of "American"--forged by the African, the Indian, and the European alike--is...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0809015986
• ISBN13: 9780809015986
• Release Date: April 1997
• Publisher: Farrar, Strauss & Giroux-3pl
• Length: 324 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.4" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

An outstanding historical interpretation of early America

This book is packed full of valuable insights and stories enriching one's understanding of diversity and the way it has been interpreted by Americans through the mid-19th century. As a college professor of history myself, I find the book an incomparable resource for adding to my knowledge and looking at various problems through different lenses. So many books simply tell the same story; Countryman's book is outstanding in its perspective of trying to look at our history through the lenses of women, native and African Americans in intriguing ways. The book makes me think, and I keep going back to it. For example, on the Revolution itself, he asks the question of what the consequences of the decision of which side to support were for Native Americans, for slaves, and for loyalist men and women. I highly recommend the book for anyone interested in U.S, History. It is written very well, with anecdotal evidence and a fresh perspective.