A History of the United States: Second Edition [Paperback]

Philip Jenkins (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1403900302 | ISBN-13: 978-1403900302 | Publication Date: March 7, 2003 | Edition: Second Edition

This highly readable introductory guide provides a lucid and authoritative account of the course of American history, discussing political, social, economic, and cultural developments. Major themes examined include the relationship between territorial expansion and political history, the critical role of ethnic and racial conflict, and the shifting centers of gravity in American geography. For this new edition, Philip Jenkins reviews the events of the last decade--most notably the development of the Internet economy and the course of the Clinton presidency--and brings the story up-to-date with an analysis of 9/11/01 and its aftermath.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Jenkins (history and religious studies, Pennsylvania State Univ.) has written a short but fairly comprehensive "from the bottom up" history of the United States. He views this country as a distinctive society radically different from its European roots. Jenkins covers the major political, social, and economic developments but is especially notable in his treatment of the cultural and religious facets of American life and the role of groups sometimes considered "outsiders": racial minorities and political dissenters. He also discusses the American tradition of identifying and stigmatizing "dangerous outsiders" and the significance of this tradition for our cultural and political history. The writing is plain but straightforward. Recommended for public libraries with American history collections.?Harry Frumerman, formerly with Hunter Coll., New York
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Jenkins outlines the evolution of U.S. history in this digestible account of the major traditions and events that have shaped our nation. From the voyage of Columbus to the advent of the Clinton administration, several unifying trends and patterns are identified and examined in detail. The author applies a thematic approach, emphasizing the tremendous impact that territorial aggression and expansion, ethnic and racial conflict, regionalism, and evangelical and apocalyptic religious beliefs have had on the political, economic, and cultural developments that have driven and defined the course of U.S. history. An insightful overview that will appeal to scholars and students alike. Margaret Flanagan --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan; Second Edition edition (March 7, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1403900302
• ISBN-13: 978-1403900302
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,090,338 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Philip Jenkins is the author of The Lost History of Christianity and has a joint appointment as the Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of the Humanities in history and religious studies at Penn State University and as Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University. He has published articles and op-ed pieces in The Wall Street Journal, The New Republic, The Atlantic Monthly, The Washington Post, and The Boston Globe and has been a guest on top national radio shows across the country.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Quite good, June 14, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: A History of the United States: Second Edition (Paperback)

When you read the book you get general idea of the history of the USA. It's not too detailed (for example, there is very little knowledge of certain presidents and events)but it covers all the important issues well. There is some amount of statistics but I believe they just emphesize the facts presented.
Only minus comes from the "aftermath" of 9/11. It seemed to convict the Clinton administration for causing the September attack and left other factors, such as, Bush senior and his administration (and the Gulf war) with little thought.
I didn't also like the particular sentence of how CIA should have involved more deeply in the observation of other countries:
"Sometimes, nations need to play dirty tricks."
But I guess it can be difficult to be objective when you live in the USA and have experienced a catastrophy such as 9/11. Still, as an European myself, I was quite dissapointed with the end. The end bothers me a bit but at least it gives me an alternative perspective to think about.

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Basic, But Slightly Biased Approach, August 22, 2009

By 

Steven Roberson (Youngstown, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A History of the United States, Second Edition (Palgrave Essential Histories) (Kindle Edition)

Building upon what was mentioned before, this presents a good foundation of US History. I found it to be best up until the turn of the century, with excellent use of different approaches to explaining to the reader what was going on during this pediod of time (ex: cultural, geographical, financial, societal influences on the population). Hoewever, I find it to be not only lacking in important detail during the 20th century, it becomes rediculously opinionated the more recent in time you travel. Additionally, I feel that he becomes verbose in unimportant areas while skipping over peiods and details that might better inform the reader. Overall, enjoyable, but especially up to 1900 or so.