America's Hidden History: Untold Tales of the First Pilgrims, Fighting Women, and Forgotten Founders Who Shaped a Nation

by Kenneth C. Davis

Book Overview

Kenneth C. Davis, author of the phenomenal New York Times bestseller Don't Know Much About History, presents a collection of extraordinary stories, each detailing an overlooked episode that shaped the nation's destiny and character. Davis's dramatic narratives set the record straight, busting myths and bringing to light little-known but fascinating facts from a time when the nation's fate hung in the balance.

Spanning a period from the Spanish...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061118184
• ISBN13: 9780061118180
• Release Date: April 2008
• Publisher: Smithsonian Books (DC)
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

America Hidden History

America's Hidden History: Untold Tales of the First Pilgrims, Fighting Women, and Forgotten Founders Who Shaped a Nation This is a very interesting book and sure opens up a lot of what really went on in our early history. Not all was as well as we were told in school, or what the history books we had told us.

History's Hidden Secrets are not hidden anymore

If you enjoy watching out-takes, and behind the scenes incidences of movies and television programs, this is definitely the book for you. Interestingly, the book portrays how many of our history making moments occurred if only by chance, and not without the many challenges that at times could have resulted in an unfavorable outcome. America's Hidden History as the name implies packed with little known facts that elucidate how certain events gradually served to make our country what it is today, is not only an engrossing narrative but also, a pictographic account of our nation's infancy. Most historical accounts portray an epitome of perfection, every action carefully choreographed to reach the desired results. Not so says Kenneth C. Davis. Not only, do the readers discover the actual accuracy about the event, Mr. Davis also offers a provocative depiction of the idiosyncrasies behind the person responsible for that particular event. A delightful read, not only was it informative, but a distinctly singular way to look at America's history, and the people behind it. George Washington, Paul Revere and Benedict Arnold emerged not just as historical figures, but also as human beings whose passion, patriotism and greed came to play an important role in the place they earned in history.

So Much More Interesting Than What You Think You Know

Kenneth Davis knows that history is complicated. American history textbooks and oral history give us perfect role models in our historical figures and an unfolding story in which we were always on the side of right and any bad things that happened were the other people's fault. In reality, it's never that simple. And we don't even usually know even the basic facts. For instance, most people know that Columbus discovered America and then a couple hundred years later the Pilgrims arrived. But how many people know about the wine-making French Huguenots, who were here before the Pilgrims? And the Pilgrims were stern and God-fearing people, but they came here for religious freedom and our country was built on that priciple. Ask Anne Hutchinson about that. And I bet you have no idea how blood-thirsty the Pilgrims could be. You will after you read this book. Be prepared for a shock. And as for the Founding Fathers, well, of course, they were all virtuous, highly intelligent, dignified men who came together in one accord to build our country and create a foundation of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all of us, regardless of social station. Except people are all more complex than that, and nobody's motives are completely pure. Plus, everyone makes mistakes. Like the one that a young, inexperienced George Washington made that ended in murder and started a war. The truth is that the Founding Fathers all had different ideas and conflicting goals, for themselves and for the nation. The way the country was formed was through brawling, back-biting, lying, greed, and arrogance, much like politics today. The amazing thing is that the country was formed, became what it has, and has thrived for over two hundred years. American History, as told by Mr. Davis, is a vibrant and entertaining subject. No student who was presented with these forefathers and foremothers would ever be bored. And about those foremothers..did you know that the first statue of a woman in America was built to honor a woman who escaper her Indian captives by taking their scalps with a hatchet? Do the names Anne Hutchinson, Mary Rowland, and Hannah Dustin ring a bell? Well, they will after you read their amazing stories in America's Hidden History. I believe that this book should be required reading in every high school and college American History class. As the mini-series John Adams on HBO also showed, seeing our heroes as flawed human beings does not make their accomplishments less. But maybe knowing our own real history can help us to better understand ourselves and avoid some of the mistakes of the past. One thing that is very clear from reading this book is that respect for the lives of others is a relatively new concept. The Indians and the Pilgrims did not value each others' lives at all. Neither did the Spanish, French, Catholics, non-Catholics, British, colonists, or anyone else in that entire period of history. The concept of "one world" or a "globa

Hidden no more

Did you know that before he took up arms against the British and became our first President, George Washington, a young English officer ordered his Virginia militiamen to sneak attack a group of French diplomats during a time when both countries were at peace thus committing a war crime? The cowardly incident resulted in the start of the French and Indian War, but didn't quite make it into my high school history book. To give away any more surprising stories for this review would surely do a disservice to the author and the reader. But take my word for it, this book is packed with many more interesting historic tales! Kenneth C. Davis, best-selling Don't Know Much About History and other books in his Don't Know Much... series, does a wonderful job of bringing to light all of the quirky, informative, but always amusing tales of the stoic, and yes, sometimes flawed, figured that shaped our nation's fate.

A MUST HAVE for serious American history buffs...

I am an avid student of history, especially that which does not traditionally make it into the text books. Having enjoyed books like: Ku Klux Klan America's First Terrorists Exposed (Shadow History of the United States) Don't Know Much About History: Everything You Need to Know About American History but Never Learned (Don't Know Much About...) ...I was thrilled to see that Mr. Davis's newest work AMERICA'S HIDDEN HISTORY was available...so I picked it up and read it cover to cover in one sitting! This book is as informative as it is entertaining, and the insights on our founding father alone makes it well worth the price. Once again, my highest recommendation for this collection of unique Americana.