The Penguin History of the United States of America

Things are not as open here in Britain. Believe it or not, most of us have only a tenuous grasp of our own history, let alone anybody else's. Of course in one sense Britain is obsessed with history, but it is not the history of ordinary people like you and me. Medieval aristocracy and castles may have a superficial romantic appeal, and as academic subjects they are characterised by exemplary discipline and honesty, but to 95% of the UK population they are Other People's History. Other than on the fantasy level, there is no personal involvement or commitment or even continuity. It's a recipe for apathy and/or bigotry.

If this is Britain's attitude to her own history, what then will be its attitude to the history of that Great Embarrassment, the lost Atlantic empire? The answer is that it does not exist. America is the Bermuda Triangle of British school history, the great silent factor, the missing key to understanding every era of Britain's past since the late 16th century. Little wonder then that Britain understands so little of itself (and for the record, I do write as a Briton), when one of the key factors that would give coherent sense to these four centuries is a no-go area, a field ring-fenced against popular awareness through systematic neglect by educationalists and popular publishing houses.

Hugh Brogan's engrossing historical overview of America's past, from pre-history through to about 1990, has the best chance imaginable of changing this ingrained habit of thought. Brogan's academic credentials are impeccable, and yet unlike many academics he writes with grace, wit and considerable passion. While rarely short-changing the reader on hard facts, he never lets facts obscure the thread of the story, and that is all-important, because unless we see how one thing leads to another we will have nothing to contemplate but a bunch of meaningless facts. From the British viewpoint this is invaluable, because Brogan shows how Britain itself has been shaped by its transatlantic engagements at every key stage since the dawn of its own modern nationhood.

And far more importantly (for this is primarily a history of America, rather than of Anglo-American relations), Brogan has done for the United States what only a warmly sympathetic outsider can do for any country. It needs both commitment and detachment in equal parts to sketch out the key events of a nation's history (and explain their meaning) free from the agenda that everyone has when they have grown up in a country and lived its internal political and economic tensions first hand. He has no bias, no wish to perpetuate the socially divisive myths that the older generations have grown up with, and yet equally no wish to tear down the essential beauties of the American dream. Few American historians have totally avoided one tendency or the other, because American historians are by definition protagonists in the still unfolding American story. In contrast, Brogan is socially, politically and economically uninvolved, but he is nevertheless caring and deeply attached to his subject, and he is not afraid to say what he thinks.

Thus whether you are British or American or neither, this book is the ideal starting point for an honest investigation of America's fascinating past - and an indispensable key to understanding its stormy present.


An excellent resource   December 1, 1998
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

This book is written with style and wit. It provides and excellent source of information for History students, going into plenty of detail without becoming bogged down in statistics. Brogan offers an excellent, objective, prospective on events in the United States.


strong and enthusiastic history of USA   January 24, 2002
20 out of 20 found this review helpful

Prof. Brogan can little have suspected when he wrote the first edition in 1983, or updated it in 1995, that the USA would be thrust centre-stage quite so dramatically as it was on the morning of September 11th 2001. Yet, anyone seeking explanations of the American response since, or Americans seeking reasons for the apparent mixed feelings which the rest of the world harbours about their country will find many answers in this wide-ranging and comprehensive study

The book covers the period from the voyage of Columbus to nearly the present day. It is densely packed with fact which illustrates political, economic, and social progress of the USA. The period up to and including the Civil war is dealt with dutifully but unenthusiastically, and the period from '83 to '95 is slightly glib, but the strength of the book is the period from the civil war to the Vietnam war.

Prof Brogan's enthusiasm for the country and admiration of the indomitable spirit of the people shines through in this middle section. I found myself surprised at the extent to which what through British eyes seems eccentric or idiosyncratic behaviour (eg. some of the states' rights, kitchen cabinets of rich industrialists, even Presidential mistresses) is often rooted in history and tradition.

Despit the length of this book it remains readable throughout. The author moves easily from detail to broad themes and back, and his dry humour lightens many passages. Readers of all nationalities will find this account of American history through British eyes adds to their understanding of modern America and its place in the world.