Customer Reviews

Give Me Liberty!: An American History, Second Edition, Volume 2

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am taking two courses of American history at my community college. This book is the one that my history professor chose for the class. It is a solid treatment of the history of the United States focused around the advancement of liberty. It does not take steps to ensure a level of detail in the major wars like the Civil War or Revolution. Instead, it directs the student's attention towards events which set the stage for oppression, racism, sexism, and other discriminations. From the removal of the natives to the growing issue of slavery in the United States, Foner carefully outlines how the meaning of the word 'liberty' means different things to different cultures, and how it has changed over time. The unique qualities of American liberty are thoroughly treated. This makes the textbook flow with ease; students can easily see a growing pattern emerge in Foner's work. True to his background, Foner gives an extremely lucid presentation that set the stage for the Civil War, and the route to segregation afterwards.

My only complaint is that it does not cover the wars as thoroughly as I wished. However, this book is good enough that I will be keeping it after my two courses are done. If anyone has a friend who's interested in American history, this is the book to get them.

Although I had a previous edition (the one with the better front cover art) I can honestly say that this is the best history book I've ever had to read. I actually read the text cover to cover and loved it. It does not flow like a text book, but rather like a novel. It was very enjoyable and the ease of it helped me get an A.

I ordered this textbook to use with the APUSH students that I tutor. The textbook is well-written and presents information in a straightforward manner. (This is the first year the students have used this text; previously they used The American Pageant which I found almost poetic in style and difficult for my students to process.) Foner's textbook has very helpful online material that accompanies it, including a topical outline of each chapter that helps students take notes and practice quizzes for each chapter. I would give Foner's book 5 stars if it had key words in bold type.

I always found this book a nice read in general compared to most other history textbooks during my American History class. Dense material, of course, but very readable.

When I later used this as a significant source for a research paper is when I really saw how excellent it is. The book's biggest strength, in my personal opinion, is that it talks about freedom a lot-- how peoples' perception of it changed over time, and how American history is in many ways a story of various groups struggling for different types of freedom. Reading about different eras of American history and the various details is strongly aided by having it accompanied with a general overview of such a broad, interesting philosophical topic as freedom. It really makes this American history source unique. Thanks Foner!

This textbook is written in a way that is very understandable and pleasing to read. It's written like an actual story, unlike most textbooks that just carry statistics and written robotically.

I recommend you buy the book now before the price goes back up like it did with me. I ordered this for my History 102 course just about a week ago and the price has dropped by at least $6. It's a good read because the text is easy to understand the first time around and although the font size is small, the chapters are of decent length, not long enough to kill you, but not too short as to insult you.

I was freaking out about the estimated time amazon gave me, because when i ordered the book, I needed it ASAP. I was AMAZED at how early the book came in. The book was also in perfect condition. I passed the class w/a good grade too

Contacted this seller many times and took him/her forever to respond to my email. After 15 days, they said the book is out of stock and I was failing the class because of this. BAD SELLER!!!!! NEVER BUY FROM THEM AGAIN!!!!!

I took US History I and II at UNLV and we had Foner for both semesters. By the end of the semester I knew that men are dangerously aggressive and mean creatures, and that white people's greed and ambition oppress the masses. Obviously, white men are agents of the anti-christ. but don't get me wrong, I found the books quite intersting and illimunitating, if not overly biased. Just because i believe much of what Foner pushes, I feel that he was trying to stereotype all of us white males into one discrete lump. I believe that all minorities will use Foner to justify their hatred of white men. I wish that he would have focused on the lust for wealth and power as corruptible defects and not have attributed only to all white males.