Customer Reviews

America, 1908: The Dawn of Flight, the Race to the Pole, the Invention of the Model T and the Making of a Modern Nation

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As he did with High Steel, Mr Rasenberger weaves history, personal stories and factual details seamlessly together to make an engaging narrative. With America 1908 he explores a cross section of seismic events that conspired to form our modern society.He has also included images from this time period that further illuminate the text.As he makes clear, Americans in 1908 thought a great deal about their future and all the possibilities of the world they would shape over the next hundred years.Masterfully researched and written, this book examines the America that was, and may help cast light on the America that has yet to unfold.

This is a very readable history about a significant time in our history. However, 1908 was not the year the author would make it out to be. He squeezed and finessed to make 1908 a big year. Some of the subjects highlighted did occur in that year, others not so much and others were really not that significant.

First, the insignificant, those that are not that special to 1908. Yes, there was a great pennant race in the National League - there have been lots of them. Although 1908's was fluky, there have been many races that have come down to the last day. So also, TR was a popular president who did not run for re-election. That has also happened in other years. Scores of pages were devoted to both.

Then there are the things for which 1908 was just a step. Back to TR. There are pages about the last days in the White House for TR and his family and how depressing the last days of 1908 were for the family as they planned to leave. I think the author thought inauguration was in January. It was not back then. Taft was not inaugurated until March. The author also made a big deal about Peary going to the North Pole - he left in '08 but didn't claim to make it until the next year (his claim was later debunked but that is not in the book). Ford developed the Model T, but it didn't really take off in sales until mass production started in 1910 - a far more significant development than the car itself. Lastly, the Wright brothers first flew in 1905, although they made flight truly viable in 1908.

A last criticism before moving on to the plusses. THe book reminded me of the New Yorker magazine map of the US with Manhattan far larger than the rest of the country. The author must be a NYC-phile. The pennant race seemed to be significant because it was the Giants. Most of the newspaper quotes came from the "NY Times" or the "NY Herald". This was odd. Why quote the Herald when describing an event that took place in San Francisco or the Night Riders creating mayhem in Kentucky?

The good parts still are many. The auto race around the world was extremely interesting. The Wright brothers' tale was great. The descriptions of the people and the times (even if almost all were New Yorkers) were interesting, informative and captured the time. Cook's tale of trying for the North Pole was also good and captured the yen for exploration of the time. Roosevelt's sending the white fleet around the world was well-presented - was it bellicose, public relations, bravado or notice to the world? No one seemed then to have an answer.

In sum, the book was very good and informative. It just seemed the author wanted to cram a lot more significance into one year than was justified. He made valuable theses about how the technological and exploration advances were turning points that drove America into its modern day. Thus the sub-title "the Making of a Modern Nation". I think it could have been more effective if he had abandoned the one year approach and took the significant events - Wrights truly conquering, Ford mass-producing, the auto race "around the world" and the white fleet and used them to make the broader point. The last years of the first decade of the 20th century were turning points - all those points just didn't fit into the 366 days of this particular leap year.

Still recommended for all its good points and information interestingly presented.

Jim Rasenberger's "America, 1908" is a good read. Rasenberger skillfully blends narratives and details from an impressive list of other more comprehensive books about this important period in American history. While I have read several of the books Rasenberger cites in his source list, the idea of synthesizing all of these events into one book was a great idea.That's what caught my attention The only drawback of the book is Rasenberger's continual liberal comments sprinkled throughout. It's almost as if he didn't have the confidence that his creative idea was good enough. The comments are out of place and interrupt the flow of a otherwise very good story. I wish he had given the reader enough credit to realize that Teddy Roosevelt was a little odd or that Henry Ford was a little politically incorrect. The book could have stood on its own without the constant preaching and lamenting. Otherwise a good read...

As someone who knows a lot about this period in history-- early 20th century America-- I was blown away by this book. Rasenberger manages to blend together a number of critical threads from the era-- the incredible inventiveness of Americans, the great sense of possibility-- and makes it a completely edge-of-your-seat tale. His research is impeccable. The book covers a great deal of territory, from the Wright Brothers to the twisted triangle of Harry Thaw, Evelynn Nesbit & Standford White-- but always feels like its on rails. A great, fun read.

My advice to anyone planning to read "America 1908" is this: Read it for the information and the entertainment, but draw your own conclusions. The author tends to consider everything that happened in 1908 of the earth-shattering variety.

I'm glad I read the book because, historically, it's valuable. Rasenberger contends that 1908 was an unusually significantly year in U.S. history, and he proves it. During that year, the country boasted major developments in automobile availability and flight; it showed naval supremacy with the unprecedented Great White Fleet; there was a race riot in the home of Lincoln; one of the most popular presidents of all-time was in office; baseball made a leap toward becoming the national pastime. There was a whole lot going on.

Rasenberger may have exaggerated the significance of some events, which told me he felt the need to convince readers that 1908 was worth a full book. He also used some literary license, such as when he wrote that during his December 31 flight in France, Wilbur Wright undoubtedly thought about the year gone by. Why make an assumption like that?

The book is a fast read, it effectively brings the reader back to a different era, and the content is interesting. Despite some shortcomings, it's worth the read.

This is a book about, surprise, some notable events of 1908, though really it demonstrates some larger trends in the early twentieth century. For instance, the author discusses T. Roosevelt's last year in office, which was fairly illustrative of his White House tenure and the man himself. A large amount of the book involves either 1908 in the development of world travel (cross country car trips and pole voyages) or the advancement of the automobile and aeroplane. He throws in some baseball stories at the point where the sport was fast becoming our national sport. The author uses straightforward language and easily transitions from story to story. It drags a tiny bit in places (not many people are probably going to want to know about TR's last Christmas in the White House with that much detail, or a detailed description of his vigorous hikes). In conclusion, it's a great read, but I would not read it specifically for the year 1908, but for how American life was one hundred years ago.

America, 1908 weaves several stories about this year together to create both an incredibly interesting and well-researched piece of history as well as a terrific narrative. The book is beautifully written. Rasenberger has a real story-teller's voice. While the book chronicles America during a single year, it is a story that is emblematic of a period. What it offers is a look at our country and history 100 years ago. If you are looking for a holiday gift for someone, take a look. Highly recommended.

May want to bring a blanket and warm clothes to Jim Rasenberger's book. Dramamine may also help.

Rasenberger's "America 1908" is a dizzying, year-long ride through a year the United States' growing industrial and military power met its competitive drive and thirst for adventure and discovery. 1908 was America's gangly adolescence: a young, strong country touched with foolish bravery.

With 12 chapters, one for each month, and with New York City serving as starting line, Rasenberger unrolls story after adventure story like a thrill ride at NYC's then-recently built Coney Island, or a chase from early nickelodeons. You're sent with Montague Roberts on a New York - Paris auto race scheduled to cross Bering Strait ice, then placed beside Orville and Wilbur Wright's successful (and one tragically unsuccessful) flights in the US and France, as they become transatlantic heroes even among their competitors.

You're sent with Commander Frederick Cook, then later with Robert Peary as they try to plant America's flag at the North Pole (leading to some of Rasenberger's richest, saddest storytelling bringing a frostbit human touch to their quests and a controversy lasting to today.) You then ride with Teddy Roosevelt's Great White Fleet, Navy ships gently yet firmly (if exasperatingly) bringing Roosevelt's "big stick" US military policy by sea worldwide.

Roosevelt serves as Rasenberger's unofficial guide and spiritual patron. In his last year in office he cheers adventurers off, then congratulate them from his Oyster Bay home on their return. He goads, even insults Congress while hammering his vice president, William Howard Taft, into his successor. Roosevelt's energy and thirst for conquest leads his critics to think him crazy, American heroes to court him, and the public to wildly admire him. More than anyone (possibly excepting Henry Ford, whose entrepreneurship carries the last chapter of the book) Roosevelt epitomizes of a year - maybe the last year -American ambition seemed not only justified but entitled.

Some were refused entry at 1908's great techology races. African Americans suffered in 1908 in a bloody Springfield, IL riot, while heavyweight champion Jack Johnson took less money to prove he could take boxing's championship crown. Feckless New York Giant Fred Merkle joined baseball infamy by failing to run out a 9th inning ground ball in one of the most famous games ever played. Children were marginalized or forced to work long hours in horrible conditions until progressives like Jane Addams publicized their plight (in more peaceable ways than the anarchist riots prevalent that year.) Women were seen as beacons of clean, moral living (even by Addams' movement), before Bertha Carlisle departed from the era's fashion to wear a close-cut dress in public.

Rasberger's successfully winds (slows?) "America 1908" down as Roosevelt reflects on his time in office and Henry Ford creates the assembly line to build his legendary Model T (this after a touch too much analysis from Rasberger.) Still, "America 1908" fits the mold of modern classic history books. It can't provide full biographies of the year's heroes but places their most famous accomplishments powerfully as puzzle pieces in a pivotal, exciting American year. Recommended.

This book is a quick read and it's chock full of interesting stories. I really enjoyed the stories about Teddy Roosevelt, the ships sailing around the world and the Wright brothers. Not deep facts but how they tie into the particular year was astounding. The writer does add some more liberal thoughts about a lot of these innovations but all in all, it's worth your time to read.

An enjoyable read, for the most part, but disappointingly sketchy at times. I much enjoyed the treatment of the Wright Brothers. The author's irksome moralizing on the American character and such wacky comments as Theodore Roosevelt being our most "bloodthirsty" president notwithstanding, I still found the book to be both interesting and entertaining.