The American Nation: A History of the United States (10th Edition) [Hardcover]

John A. Garraty (Author), Mark C. Carnes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 11, 1999 | ISBN-10: 0321052870 | ISBN-13: 978-0321052872 | Edition: 10

Long positioned and respected as a bestseller for the market segment that focuses on political history as its framework, this textbook's most significant strength is its rich and distinctive prose. For this Tenth Edition, Garraty selected a distinguished co-author, Mark Carnes of Barnard College at Columbia University, to join him in revising The American Nation. The two have collaborated on and co-edited the prestigious American National Biography Series by Oxford, as well as Mapping America's Past, a well-known trade atlas for Henry Holt. Throughout the new Tenth Edition, the authors updated the scholarship, integrated more social and cultural history, revised the final chapters, and added a new chapter (33) to better address issues of the 1990s that culminated in the Clinton impeachment scandal.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1009 pages
• Publisher: Allyn & Bacon; 10 edition (October 11, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321052870
• ISBN-13: 978-0321052872
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,149,790 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fabulous Guide to American History in Class and Beyond, January 9, 2001

By 

Celestine Van Gauer (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The American Nation: A History of the United States (Hardcover)

This text is absolutely unsurpassed in terms of clarity, conciseness and general usefulness. I first used Garraty's book in 8th grade, then again as a supplement to some other texts in a U.S. A.P. class in high school (I got a 5 on the test, which I am confident is owed entirely to Garraty) and still use it for general reference in college. In a little over 1000 pages, Garraty covers just about every major event in United States history in interesting and extremely clear prose. I have yet to find any book that communicates such an enormous amount of information in such a small amount of space with such an enormous degree of clarity. I promise that this book will not only improve your understanding of U.S. history, but will also serve as a lifelong reference source.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Our "Bible" in AP History, July 8, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The American Nation: A History of the United States (Hardcover)

Garraty's book The American Nation was informative and interesting. It provided information needed to help the student's in my AP History class. Granted, it was not perfect and was confusing at times, but all in all, it provided a good, detailed description of our history. Here are the pros and cons of Garraty's book. PROS: 1). Garraty is knowledgeable in his assessment of history 2). The book is very helpful with its timelines at the end of each chapter 3). Garraty explains the gist of every major event and sometimes non-major event 4). It's the only book where our class actually worshipped :) 5). IT WILL BE HELPFUL FOR AP HISTORY AND THE NATIONAL EXAM. I (personally) felt confident with the outcome of my exam, but that could also be due in part to my teacher who really complemented with Garraty. 6). It could be a GREAT paperweight! CONS: 1). It's not a good book to keep in your backpack all day long 2). Sometimes Garraty likes to force his opinions on certain historical figures ( he likes Hamilton, but not Jefferson) 3). There ARE events he doesn't cover that many might think was important or he might undercover events that many might think was important.

That's about it for the pros and cons, but remember these are just my opinions! Hope they helped! Good luck in AP History or whatever you're doing in regards to this book!!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A So Far Unsurpassed Survey of US History, September 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The American Nation: A History of the United States (Hardcover)

I, like many others, used this text in my high school AP US History class. I found the text readable and occasionally entertaining the first time through. Garraty's book came with me to college and has served me well as I have nearly completed my work for a minor in History. If you are not already familiar with the best overview of US history, do yourself a favor an pick up a copy... It could serve you well for a long time.