Booknotes: On American Character

by Brian Lamb

Book Overview

The bestselling Booknotes series celebrates C-SPAN's 25th anniversary with a new collection examining our country and its character. Over the past twenty-five years, C-SPAN has established itself as a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1586482327
• ISBN13: 9781586482329
• Release Date: March 2004
• Publisher: PublicAffairs
• Length: 591 Pages
• Weight: 2.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.8" x 6.6" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Good Book

Great for travel or any situation where you have a bit of time to read something short and well done. Lamb is the guy who has the experience and perspective to do this well. Good book for kids who express an interest in American history.

Fascinating reading

The television show Booknotes has been known since its inception for excellence in nonfiction book and author interviews. A master of the interview, its host Brian Lamb has had over 750 guest authors on the program. In this book he has collected seventy selected pieces that reveal some aspect about the people, politics, and conflict of American history. Sometimes the articles contain interesting viewpoints, sometimes they fill in gaps in our education, and other times they are quite controversial. Each article is absorbing reading and covers a wide variety of topics including Benjamin Franklin, the Disputed Election of 1876, Carrie Nation, the Rise of Conservatism, Libertarianism, the Civil War, World Wars, Vietnam War, Child Molestation in the Early 1980s, Sinclair Lewis, Tupac Shakur, and Presidential Rhetoric. Absorbing and interesting reading, Booknotes on American Character is highly recommended.

Moments, Issues and People who Shape American History

To hear commentators, one would believe our country has never been more divided. As this book demonstrates, the United States has a long history of highly partisan, often bitter and violent politics. This book, the third in a series, offers the thoughts of 78 contemporary nonfiction writers whose topics span more than 225 years of American History. These essays were drawn from the author's original, thoughtful interviews on C-Span's Booknotes Controversy is a common theme in American History. Writer Roy Morris recounts the Hayes-Tilden election of 1876, a contest which dragged on for four months of infighting and maneuvering. Hayes eventually took the oath of office at night to avoid violence. On the other hand, Author Rich Perlstein writes about the rise of modern conservatism. The lingering memory of many of the LBJ - Barry Goldwater campaign was how hated the conservative was. Yet LBJ's support proved to be widespread but thin. It contains essays on American exceptionalism and the leaders who promoted it. There are essays on American Ingenuity and technological prowess. Some authors demonstrate the benefits of American capitalism; others chronicle its downside. On American Character is a great addition to the Booknotes series. It is a must read for any fan of the program and those interested in great historical moments, issues and the people who shaped our country.

Highly Accessible History

This is the best of the Booknotes books yet. In a series of short chapters drawn from interviews on C-Span's Booknotes program, Brian Lamb and the many authors provide absorbing insights into American history. Some of the choices are a bit jarring (I would certainly not have chosen to begin such a thoughtful book with excerpts from Ann Coulter and Michael Moore) but all of them are provocative and ultimately thought provoking. This is a book to keep at hand and savor for months if not years.

A wonderful Collection

A wonderful collection of short articles and essays on the essentially American items from political biography to culture, politics and history. This wonderful study opens with short talking points by Ann Coulter and Michael Moore on the right and left in America. Most of these exerts are from talks by people describing their books they have written. Thus comments are made on people from Ben Franklin to the War in Vietnam. A wonderful collection in a beautiful binding, an essential piece for any Americana book shelf.Seth J. Frantzman