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The Men Who United the States: America's Explorers, Inventors, Eccentrics, and Mavericks, and the Creation of One Nation, Indivisible Paperback – September 16, 2014

by Simon Winchester (Author)

296 customer reviews

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Simon Winchester, the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of Atlantic and The Professor and the Madman, delivers his first book about America: a fascinating popular history that illuminates the men who toiled fearlessly to discover, connect, and bond the citizenry and geography of the U.S.A. from its beginnings.

How did America become “one nation, indivisible”? What unified a growing number of disparate states into the modern country we recognize today? To answer these questions, Winchester follows in the footsteps of America’s most essential explorers, thinkers, and innovators, such as Lewis and Clark and the leaders of the Great Surveys; the builders of the first transcontinental telegraph and the powerful civil engineer behind the Interstate Highway System. He treks vast swaths of territory, from Pittsburgh to Portland, Rochester to San Francisco, Seattle to Anchorage, introducing the fascinating people who played a pivotal role in creating today’s United States.

Throughout, he ponders whether the historic work of uniting the States has succeeded, and to what degree. Featuring 32 illustrations throughout the text, The Men Who United the States is a fresh look at the way in which the most powerful nation on earth came together.

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Editorial Reviews

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*Starred Review* The ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1788 provided a common legal and political framework to bind 13 supposedly sovereign states to a stronger federal government. But the U.S. was still more of a theoretical nation than an actual one. The War of 1812 and the Mexican War engendered surges of nationalism, but it required a Civil War to administer the death blow to the most extreme forms of sectionalism. Winchester, the widely acclaimed author, is a native of Great Britain who recently became an American citizen. His focus here is on the more subtle aspects of nation building. He examines the accomplishments of a variety of characters, some famous and some obscure, whose visions and mastery of emerging technologies drew Americans closer together as our geographic size expanded. Thomas Jefferson’s vision of an “empire of liberty” led to the acquisition of the Louisiana Territory and the Lewis and Clark expedition. William Maclure, a hyperactive Scottish immigrant, provided a geological survey of vast areas of the eastern U.S. and then promoted the value of a practical education for ordinary citizens. Winchester provides a fascinating portrayal of Samuel Morse, the “man who tamed the lightning,” and the vital role of the telegraph in bridging distances. This is a finely crafted and valuable reminder that the evolution of our united nation was a process often accelerated by unlikely, sometimes eccentric men who operated outside the political sphere. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: A 10-city author tour, e-book promotions, academic marketing, and an online publicity campaign round out the publisher’s push behind this celebrated author’s new book. --Jay Freeman --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Review

“Entertaining. ... A pleasure.” (New York Times Book Review)

“A rousing tribute to the alliances, agencies, and inventions - from Lewis and Clark to the Internet - that underpin our more perfect union. A stunning, highly original feast of a book.” (STACY SCHIFF, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Cleopatra)

“Vivid, valuable. ... An extraordinary, propulsive tale.” (Wall Street Journal)

“An impeccably researched, erudite, well-told tale, peppered with occasional grace notes.” (Miami Herald)

“An elegantly written account... filled with fascinating information.” (Boston Globe)

“[M]esmerizing and fascinating… Mr. Winchester is a master storyteller, and all the individuals, places, and events that he passionately writes about come to life in exquisite detail.” (New York Journal of Books)

“Winchester has found a thematic way to tell this familiar story so it seems fresh and informative, even fascinating.” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

“Winchester provides surprising insights into our social history, further enriching his narrative with accounts of his personal odysseys around the country. The results are highly recommended for public and school libraries and all readers looking for new and stimulating perspectives on the history of America.” (Library Journal)

“A most genial storyteller” (Las Vegas Weekly)

“[I]nformative and absorbing” (The Oregonian (Portland))

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Product details

Paperback: 512 pages
Publisher: Harper Perennial; Reprint edition (September 16, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0062079611
ISBN-13: 978-0062079619
Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.8 x 8 inches
Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 296 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #138,611 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1009 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Travelers & Explorers
- #1364 in Books > History > Historical Study & Educational Resources
- #1741 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Historical > United States

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john purcell

Five Classic Elements

October 30, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

As always these Simon Winchester books are fascinating, as he is the first one to follow the trail of history through eccentric well-known and unknown characters and his own middle-aged non-US perspective. Here he tells how the US became one nation under God through more than a century of explorers, risk-takers, gamblers, engineers, politicians, and men guided only by voices not heard by others. We learn how the railroads and canals were financed and built, and how retired military men often led incredible journeys.

The most amazing part of this book is that Winchester is able to tell the story of Lewis & Clark's expedition in a new light after nearly 20 years of others writing about that bicentennial celebration. I had not thought about the value of bringing along a women and child to show the peaceful intentions, or how miffed Jefferson was when he read that Canadians had explored the West and not even documented the trip well.

Winchester also writes himself into the story at times. He is no Bill Bryson but Winchester shows up in the early days of The Tonight Show, on a farm, and teaching a young boy and his pet lamb how to use an early computer. These Winchester books are great. I have read them all and never know where the man will turn up next.

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Yes

Winchester: Eclectic but Always Fascinating

June 11, 2014

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Simon Winchester is a wonderful story teller. The books that he has to his credit cover an enormous range from the Atlantic Ocean, the creation of the first English dictionary, Krakatoa, outposts of the British Empire and more. A man of truly omnivorous interests. His latest work, “The Men Who United the States”, is his attempt to codify (probably not the right word) the means by which America was bound together over the past two hundred years.

In order to tell the story of America, Winchester uses five themes: wood, earth, water, fire and metal. In the case of wood, he reverts to the early European discovery expeditions such as Lewis and Clark. For earth, the reader is taken through the Grand Canyon with John Wesley Powell before Winchester moves on to the grandeur of Yellowstone and concludes with a terrific story of fraud in California that was a delight to read. As to water, Winchester tells the story of the great American canal constructions. These were all significant engineering marvels. As to fire, Winchester explains the development of the railways and then the roads and the interstate freeway network. Winchester concludes with metal by bringing the reader to the twenty first century after radio and then television leads to the internet and the communications cornucopia that we have today.

In moving through each of the above themes, the reader is often captivated. Winchester is a wordy writer but a marvelous constructor of sentences. His style is precise. It is also thoroughly enticing.

As I mentioned at the outset, Simon Winchester canon of work is eclectic. I have read a number of his efforts over the years. They have all been rewarding. “The Men Who United the States” is no exception.

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Amazon Customer

the simon w i have come to enjoy

April 2, 2014

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I have read all of Simon W's other books and read this just because of the author. I have a thing for individuals who struggle against the conventional wisdom of their time and produce important results and even without necessarily getting any material results but just for the sake of discovery or proving a point that otherwise might not have much common support. I relate this to the swimmers on my teams who must struggle mightily every day in an effort that many may not find very important and just to see what they can achieve through their own effort. This fits in that genre, many individuals looking into the future and making decisions about what will be important and then dedicating themselves to completing tasks, often with no lasting recognition. Winchester can be redundant and hyperbolic at times but I can put that aside to get his essential points. Fascinating to me to learn people and activities that are not common knowledge but have affected the composition and character of our entire country.

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Judith Kelsey-Powell, Kindle Customer

Another lens on American history and geography

June 13, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

One of the delights of reading this book is that you get a sense of looking over the author's shoulder as he discovers the stories behind the places he explores. He looks at this incredibly complex interwoven complex of people and ideas and movements that have shaped a nation and finds a means of labeling the threads and spinning the similar fibers into a whole where in fact the disparate elements can still be discerned in the pattern of the resulting fabric. So from the Hudson valley to Silicon valley, this is the story of America, and increasingly the story of the planet. Whether we follow a pioneer trail traced in mud ruts hardened nearly to stone, or the fiber optic cables the carry modern communication, we find our way to a the story of a people.

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Chris D

It is easy, however

August 19, 2016

Format: Audio CDVerified Purchase

A fascinating set of CDs masterfully read by the author. We have now listened to all 12 discs and were so enthralled we have started again at disc 1 and in addition bought another set as a gift. This is an unabridged reading so disc 1 starts with all the preliminaries you would find in a book, stuff that many people probably do not read in a printed book. It is easy, however, to skip to the beginning of the story and that's where it gets interesting!

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Most recent customer reviews

Amazon Customer

Glorious history of man and nature. Audio or book and even kindle

Glorious history of the USA. Simon Winchester has the view of a historian interested in the elements and its interplay with the movement of people.The Men Who United the States: America's Explorers, Inventors, Eccentrics and Mavericks, and the Creation of One Nation, Indivisible Read more

Published 1 month ago

Sylvia Jutila

Simon Winchester did an amazing job of putting together some amazing history of the ...

Simon Winchester did an amazing job of putting together some amazing history of the United States. I was impressed that he went to all of the places he wrote about and had such...Read more

Published 1 month ago

Jean

Love the interweaving of knowledge of human and geological history

Very interesting. Love the interweaving of knowledge of human and geological history. My husband and I have listened to about half of the disks. Looking forward to the rest.

Published 1 month ago

Superior.Shores

Required Reading

Never before has the virtue of the United States, been better portrayed. Winchester’s very first words in this book says what we stand for and the content, tells us why.Read more

Published 5 months ago

Amazon Customer

Five Stars

A great read and interesting approach to some history telling.

Published 5 months ago

Anthony V.

Good read

The American story told in a unique way. Simon Winchester tells how the States were united by trail, rail, and technology.

Published 6 months ago

Edith Stark

Five Stars

a must read

Published 6 months ago

James Gallen

The Visonaries, Explorers, Surveyors and Roadbuilders

“The Men Who United The States” is the fascinating story of those who bound America together. It features the visionaries, such as Thomas Jefferson, Meriwether Lewis and William...Read more

Published 8 months ago

Lucie

Five Stars

This is interesting and a 'good listen' on long car rides. It personalizes historical events.

Published 9 months ago

Richard J. Alderman

This is a well written, carefully researched history of ...

This is a well written, carefully researched history of the development of the country. It should be a required reading for all high school grads.

Published 10 months ago

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