Freedom: A History of US (Hardcover)

by Joy Hakim (Author), George W. Bush (Author), Laura Bush (Author) "In Europe, July 4, 1776, seemed just an ordinary day..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, Thomas Jefferson, Native Americans (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
If members of the History Book Club do not recognize the name Joy Hakim, grade school students know her as the grandmother who writes history. Hakim's widely acclaimed 10-volume A History of US has earned a place in classrooms across the nation. Now she aims to bring history into the nation's homes as well with a companion book for the upcoming PBS miniseries Freedom. She considers herself a storyteller, and indeed, she writes U.S. history from colonial times to the new millennium as the story of the march of liberty. As she recounts the struggles of women, workers, blacks, immigrants and other minorities to participate equally in American society and government, she reiterates the ideals of freedom of religion and speech, and the right to vote, to a fair trial and to education. Despite advertising claims that the book is "for families," Hakim seems to be writing for children. Young readers will like the personable characters, lively action and conversational style ("There's a whole lot more to this freedom story"). Parents may find her chummy "we" presumptuous and her references to the "founding daddies" impudent. The commitment to liberty and justice for all, Hakim writes, is "not corny; it's not maudlin." True; yet for even the most patriotic Americans, her telling of the nation's history may appear a bit of both. 400 color and b&w illus.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up-Hakim paints an attractive and intriguing portrait of U.S. history as an ongoing quest for freedom, played out by heroic individuals from all social strata. The book is the companion volume to the recent PBS mini-series, and a reworking of her 10-volume A History of US (Oxford, 1995). Lavishly illustrated with color and black-and-white photographs, reproductions, and political cartoons with well-written captions, Freedom pulsates with the life and vigor of the ongoing American story. The author sees freedom as "both our legacy and our destination," and traces that continuity through the individual stories that are woven together in our history. Substantial sidebars bring specific figures to life, and the main text alternates between past and present tense, lending immediacy and drama to the telling. Beginning with the Declaration of Independence, Freedom ends with the events of September 11, 2001. The major events and movements of U.S. history are included, with attention paid to women's suffrage, slavery, and civil rights. Hakim concludes with comments about current concerns over low voter turnout and educational achievements, expressing her fear that "we don't understand our heritage or responsibilities." Her enthusiasm for the American quest for freedom is infectious, at times even a little corny, but always highly effective.
Joyce Adams Burner, Hillcrest Library, Prairie Village, KS
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; First Printing edition (November 14, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195157117
• ISBN-13: 978-0195157116
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #515,869 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Page-turning history, November 9, 2002

By A Customer

Joy Hakim has a gift for making you feel like you're sitting down with her for a chat over coffee while she tells you amazing stories about American history. As she leads you through the revolution, the making of a nation, to the brink of civil war you can feel the tension and issues at stake. By the time I got to the twentieth century I felt I really understood the evolution of the American experiment for the first time. She's got a bouncy style with her narrative, moving back and forth between the present tense and the past so you feel the immediacy of the events taking place. The book is particularly good with making sense of recent history and what how the past informs us about what's happening right now. I'll remember the stories, and therefore the history, that comes through so well in this book. The book is also beautifully illustrated. The cover conveys the drama that's contained inside. I recommend this book for anyone who has ever wished they knew more about American history but didn't want to read dry, boring books to get it.

44 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Epic and Accessible, January 11, 2003

By	Robert Morris (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is the most entertaining as well as one of the most informative history books I have ever read, the companion volume to the PBS series from Kunhardt Productions. However, it can stand alone on its own merits. It is also the basis of ten individual volumes in a series also written by Joy Hakim. Contrary to what other reviewers apparently think, I have no problem with the fact that the brief Foreword was co-written by George W. and Laura Bush. A close reading of this volume as well as of the ten volumes in the complementary series indicates no political bias whatsoever. Had the Foreword been written by Abraham Lincoln, would those sympathetic with the Confederate cause objected?

I am among those who attended public schools, grades 1-12, and whose understanding of U.S. history was based almost entirely on material in textbooks. Only later, in college and then in graduate school, did I realize how much the material in those textbooks had been sanitized. Having said that, I do not want to suggest that any of Hakim's narrative is controversial nor to suggest that the material she presents lacks authenticity. My point is, obviously, that history books can be -- indeed should be -- entertaining as well as informative. The Schamas (father and son) as well as McCullough, Edmund Morris, Ambrose, Foote, and countless other authors of bestsellers have certainly demonstrated that.

Following a brief Introduction, Hakim presents her material within 16 Parts, followed by the full text of "The Declaration of Independence" and then a cluster of brief excerpts from the Constitution of the United States selected by Henry J. Abraham and Barbara A. Perry, excerpted from their book, Freedom and the Court. As already indicated, I think the text is exceptionally well-written and also congratulate the producers of this book on the inclusion of hundreds of illustrations, many of them full-color reproductions of paintings by artists such as John Trumbull, Peter Rothermel, Emanuel Leutze, John Mix Stanley, Edward Hicks, George Caleb Bingham, John Gast, Charles T. Webber, Currier & Ives, Archibald Motley, Jr., O. Louis Guglielmi, Alexandre Hogue, William Johnson, Ben Shahn, and Norman Rockwell, The reader is also provided with an abundance of archival photographs, many of which I had not previously seen.

It would be a mistake to characterize this volume as a "coffee table book." True, that is where it has been placed in our living room but I hasten to add that almost all of those who visit us (including grandchildren) almost immediately pick it up and soon become engrossed in the text and illustrations. Unlike most other history books I have read over the years, I return to this one almost daily, either to read (or re-read) about a specific person and event, or, merely to browse. In another review, I will discuss the ten complementary volumes. Joy Hakim and her publisher, Oxford University Press, eminently deserve the praise they have received thus far and will continue to receive in years to come.

48 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing Achievement, October 14, 2002

By	"arguseye" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

Joy Hakim has done it again--this time for adults as well as young adults. My kids use A History of US books in school, and they rave about American history. Telling me stories about this person or that. Since moving away from bland textbooks and reading the exciting stories of our past in Hakim's books, their test scores have improved and they like history. It's amazing!

When I heard about Freedom I bought it immediately, and I can say that now I see what the fuss is all about. I'm loving it! I never knew that much about American history, but I feel like I'm really learning the basics. She really carries you along on an amazing journey--a page-turner that is sharp, engaging, critical, and full of flavor. The book is beautiful and I love the illustrations and asides. I've even given a copy to my parents to read. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to brush up on our nation's history.