Customer Reviews

The Shaping of America: A Geographical Perspective on 500 Years of History, Vol. 1: Atlantic America, 1492-1800 (Paperback)

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

 

 

Each of the three volumes of Meinig's history finished so far has simply whet my appetite for the next. This third volume is that much sharper and better-focused than the prior two, making it an unforgettable experience to read. From how the experience of settling Oregon differed from Utah or California, to the way the choice of where railroads were laid affected both patterns of settlement and ecology, to how the relationship between U.S. railroads and European steamship lines affected patterns of settlement by different ethnic groups, he is always enlightening. This is a book that will change how you look at the country and how you look at history. I can't recommend it enough.

Meinig's literary style makes this book on American historical geography interesting and very "readable". I would highly recommend the Shaping of America series for the geographer, history buff or anyone just interested in a new perspective on the evolution of the United States.

From the very start Mr. Meinig teaches the reader, even learned ones, a new way of seeing how America was settled. His perspctive includes all members of the societies which he covers. While the book is very factual, it is written in such a way that it opens ones imagination. By using a geographical viewpoint, you are able to 'see' the topics he covers. My only criticism is that he does not reference his quotes in a traditional manner, though a quick perusal of the bibliography shows they are valid. Once you realize that he includes an extensive list of sources, this concern disappears. I recommend this to anyone who wants to discover more about the discovery of our land.

At times enlightening, the first volume of Meinig's "Shaping of America" series is a worthy companion to American history books about the same topic. As a geographer, Meinig's concern isn't so much the history of the United States--in fact, he assumes that the reader already knows quite a bit about the topic. Rather, he is attempting to understand and represent why the Americas--specifically North America--became the continent it did, with the cultural characteristics it has. As such, models of cultural interaction are key.

Meinig's presentation is a bit grand--he could have used a more effective editor. Run-on sentences and grand adjectives pepper the text, and the organization (especially in the first section) could have been clearer. Still, this is a very important book in a very important series, because it provides a geographical perspective--one that previously had been ignored--on American history. As such, it makes a good companion to traditional histories of the North American continent.

This third volume of the series continues to weave a common thread between the impact of geography on history. The reader will learn about the geopolitical and economic factors involved in America's transformation into a world power.

I gave 3 stars to the other 3 books in this series because they had some 5-star fans. This book seems lost on the system so I gave it a boost. When I was buying the series it somehow was very hard to find Vol 1. The other 3 seem to be paired with each other.

Anyway,, buy the whole series. Interesting and informative overview of the country. However... there are the 2 drawbacks to the book(s). Not enough maps in a book about geography and too many repeated sentences. (that old fashioned tell-tell-tell way of writing where basically you read the book 3 times by the time you are through). His writing is good, and he makes some interesting points, so the repetition is more obvious because you remember the first time it was written.

I don't want to give the wrong impression. I corrected in in reviews of the other 3 books. Definitely buy this series and give it a read in order. You will learn a lot about the history of the country and how it developed.. However, it would be an excellent book with better editing. I read the entire series at home this winter with a broken leg.. maybe my captivity made me overreact to the tell-tell-tell water torture. it obviously wasn't bad enough to make me stop reading.. it just moved to the next paragraph when i came upon it.

I am posting this at all 4 volumes. I read the series this winter stuck at home with a cast. Definitely buy all the books in the series and read in order.

That being said.... A little academic. Worth reading for the knowledge of our country. But, part of the interest in Geography is in seeing the physical ramifications of what is being talked about... more maps, please.

But I didn't rank it high because I felt sometimes as if I was rereading a passage I had just read a couple of pages back. I guess it was written in that old fashioned style of "tell-tell-tell" approach. ["Tell them what you're going to say. Say it. Then remind them what you said. ] BORING.. who has time to read things 3 times these days !?!?!? Maybe a little editing could get the page count from 600 down to 300 and add more maps?!?

I would have given it a higher rank if it gave a summary overview and then wrote the account and ended with a summary - BUT THEY NEED TO BE DIFFERENT WORDS, SENTENCES, and IDEAS..... NOT THE EXACT SAME SENTENCES.

This book offers a new perspective on a key phase of U.S. history, and in a very readable way. Strongly raccomended.

Overall its ok. The author introduces alot of theroy and analyzes things in an almost mathmatical way. He also draws conclusions without alot of specific evidence for them. The book has some very good information however and its presented in an orderly fashion. You just have to sift through all the useless theory to get what you need.