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To America: Personal Reflections of an Historian [Paperback]

Stephen E. Ambrose (Author)
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (64 customer reviews)
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Customers buy this book with Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James W. Loewen$10.88 

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"I am a storyteller by training and inclination," writes the late Stephen Ambrose in To America, his final book. And what a storyteller. One of the most respected and popular historians of his era, Ambrose had a passion for making the events of the past both relevant and entertaining. In these pages, he touches on many of the subjects that he devoted his career to, including presidents Eisenhower and Nixon, the journey of Lewis and Clark, the building of the transcontinental railroad, and the citizen soldiers of World War II. He also writes about his own personal story and his role as a historian. In detailing a family camping trip to Wounded Knee (an outing which directly led to his dual biography of Crazy Horse and George Armstrong Custer) or offering tips on vivid historical writing (keep your narration in chronological order; keep the reader guessing; and never use the passive voice), he shares what it is like to reflect upon the triumphs and mistakes of the past and why it is so important to pass those stories on to the next generation.

In this brief yet satisfying book, Ambrose moves seamlessly from one topic to the next with contagious enthusiasm and unapologetic optimism. Along the way he points out the inherent absurdity of political correctness, and even takes himself to task for past biases and for sometimes failing to consider his subjects within the context of their own times and not his own. He does not shy away from writing about America's sins, both past and present, but Ambrose's undying faith in his country and his fellow citizens is inspiring. --Shawn Carkonen --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Before his recent, untimely death from cancer, Ambrose seemed to feel he had reached that age when a historian should write a memoir, which means writing yet another history book but replacing footnotes and analysis with anecdotes and opinions. Ambrose castigates the slave-holding founders of American liberty, celebrates the heroes of the slighted Battle of New Orleans and argues that white settlers treated Native Americans no worse than the tribes treated one another. On he goes, damning and praising, through the Vietnam War (which he firmly opposed), appending personal observations on racism, immigration, women's rights and America's nation-building mission. Halfway through, he pauses to recount his development as a historian and writer, from his master's thesis and his biographies of Eisenhower and Nixon to his more recent, bestselling books Undaunted Courage, Nothing Like It in the World and numerous titles on WWII. This personal narrative, dropped into the middle of the book, with revelations about his family life and encounters with famous war veterans, is what Ambrose fans really want to read. It is a pity that Ambrose (or his editors) decided to structure his ruminations and reflections according to historical chronology, because readers looking for his life story will have to take notes and write it themselves. In the process, Ambrose apparently hopes, they will learn what he claims the study of other men's lives has taught him: a broad-minded sympathy that acknowledges an individual's flaws yet focuses on positive achievements.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster (October 1, 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0743252128
  • ISBN-13: 978-0743252126
  • Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (64 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #42,569 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
    #41 in  Books > History > Historical Study > Historiography

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Stephen Ambrose
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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First Sentence:
Americans in great numbers are rediscovering their Founding Fathers in such best-selling books as Joseph Ellis's Founding Brothers, David McCullough's John Adams, and my own Undaunted Courage, about Lewis and Clark. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
United States, New Orleans, Theodore Roosevelt, West Point, New York, Richard Nixon, Crazy Horse, Cold War, Soviet Union, South Vietnam, African Americans, White House, Abraham Lincoln, Big Four, Central Pacific, Eisenhower Center, South Korea, Vice President, Thomas Jefferson, Vietnam War, Iwo Jima, North Africa, Union Pacific, Easy Company, Great Plains
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This book cites 54 books:
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Customer Reviews

64 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.1 out of 5 stars (64 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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75 of 80 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Ambrose Lives On For America, October 30, 2002
By Bob Reece (Frederick, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   
This review is from: To America : Personal Reflections of an Historian (Hardcover)
I strongly recommend this book to be read as a goodbye from Ambrose. A wave goodbye from the other side with a final word, "History should be studied by objective minds that refuse to view the people of the past through the eyes of our 21st century." Ambrose covers a lot of territory in this book; therefore he presents the most important points of the subject at hand. A previous reviewer was unfair in his assessment of Ambrose not going into as much detail as he should. If he had, then it would've required a separate book for each subject.

Ambrose's last testament begs the question of how political correctness has bastardized history and that it's time historians and professors document history correctly and teach it honestly.
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars His Last Book: His Best, December 16, 2002
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This review is from: To America : Personal Reflections of an Historian (Hardcover)
Whenever Stephen Ambrose would be asked which of his books is his best, he would answer by saying his latest one. This effort entitled "To America" is not the longest by any stretch, but of the half dozen of his books that I have read, I enjoyed this one the most. Ambrose covers America from our country's beginnings right into the year 2002 when he died. Obviously he can't go into the detail he did in other efforts, but he covers our nation's history in succinct detail and explaining why he admires men such as Ulysses Grant, Andrew Jackson, Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, and Jackie Robinson. History, Ambrose tells us, "is about people, and nothing could be more fascinating to people than other people, living in a different time, in different circumstances." This is about people who are well known and those who are not, who have made significant contributions to America who we owe a debt of thanks for their life. Ambrose says the technological improvements of the 19th century became killing machines that turned the great wars of the 20th century into the worst century ever. Racism, women's rights, nation building, and the threat we face from the Islamic world are other subjects Ambrose touches on. The book is only 252 pages long, and if you are looking for an outstanding summary of our country's history this book will certainly hold your interest.
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30 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A fitting goodbye, November 12, 2002
This review is from: To America : Personal Reflections of an Historian (Hardcover)
Stephen Ambrose was one of America's premier historical authors. Any topic he chose to write on was thoroughly researched and the story crafted in a way other authors of the genre were hard pressed to match. I didn't always agree with what I read, but I new the work came from a consumate teacher and researcher.
To America: Personal Reflections on an Historian is a wonderful book to read if for no other reason than the varied topics he covers. Everything from Custer, Crazy Horse and the Little Big Horn to the Transcontinental Railroad; from Eisenhower to Nixon. But this book also displays the same endearing qualities as Ambrose's other works. His attention to detail and his ability to tell the story that is interesting are present. If you haven't read any of his other books you will after reading To America. If you're an old fan, you may want to dig out your old copies and have a go at them again.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Ambrose's last effort, should not be the first book you read from him.
To America", was Ambrose's very last effort, but it should not be the first book you read from him. My favorite American historian tossed me a little zinger from the grave (Master... Read more
Published 2 months ago by D. Gaston

4.0 out of 5 stars A Peek Behind the Curtain
Before his untimely death from lung cancer in 2002, Stephen Ambrose had achieved a rare success ... that of a serious historian who also became popular to mainstream readers... Read more
Published 9 months ago by WryGuy2

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting...but too triumphalist in parts
I found this to be an interesting read, but it is the first S. Ambrose book i've consumed (I own 5 more of his still to read) and I have considerable trepidation about my being... Read more
Published 9 months ago by SPENCER DEVERE

5.0 out of 5 stars An Exclamation Point On A Wonderful Career
Context. Whether it be significant historical subjects or the evolution of his career, Ambrose understood it better than any other contemporary popular writer of history. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Robert R. Fisher

5.0 out of 5 stars A great Cliff Notes of American History- and the best explanation of Vietnam I have ever read
Stephen Ambrose is a great historian, and I have read "Nothing like it.."(panama canal), "Undaunted courage"(Lewis/clark) and the WWII Books. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Arthur J. Landry

5.0 out of 5 stars Agreat Book
This is a great Book that gives you personal points of views on different presidents. plus a biography of S. Ambrose.
Published 19 months ago by Delene E., Aldridge

4.0 out of 5 stars Part memoir, part American History, & Quite Interesting
I listened to this book on CD because I had read a couple of Ambrose's books and found them fascinating. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Colinda

5.0 out of 5 stars Very dense with information
I, like many other readers/history buffs, greatly respect Ambrose for his ability to take a portion of history and give it personality and make you care. Read more
Published 24 months ago by Charles S. Holzheimer

4.0 out of 5 stars Great read on American history
Stephen E. Ambrose writes in a descriptive and knowledgeable, yet fun tone that continues to draw readers back to each of his compelling books. Read more
Published on June 4, 2008 by Bill Knowles

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Collection of Non-Fiction Papers
My mother-in-law gave me this book as a gift. It not a title I would have selected myself, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Read more
Published on January 23, 2008 by K. Maly

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