I am better informed of American history after reading this book than before. This book covers breadth, but examines certain topics deep enough to make it interesting. This book covers Native Americans and Explorers; Pilgrims; American Revolution; Yankee Doodlin; American Independence; Early wars; pulling country together; issue of slavery; war with Mexico; gold rush; civil war and assassination of Abraham Lincoln; freed slave and sharecroppers; heading west in quest of wealth; cramming into cities; building rail roads; colonizing Spanish lands; gin and jazz; Great Depression and new deal; World War II; rock n roll and Elvis; communism in America; Kennedy; Vietnam war; civil rights movement; ousting of Nixon; Cold War; Reaganomics; Gulf War; Bill Clinton and sex scandal; homegrown terrorism; AIDS; dealing with drugs; internet; Al Qaeda and 9/11; U.S. invasion on Afghanistan and Iraq; hurricanes; 2008 recession; reforming healthcare or Obamacare; Trumped; new America.
It’s disheartening to read the plight of native Americans and later the state of African Americans. It’s very encouraging to read the resolution of early Americans under adverse conditions. It’s interesting to read about the the evolution of life of African Americans after slavery - started with sharecropping and then moved to cities. Also took part in WW-II jobs and enrolled in military. Another topic is role of technology in shaping the culture - role of radio, movies, television, fast food and internet.
