The Penguin History of the United States of America

Penguin have published a number of very detailed heavy history books covering various parts of the globe and this is an excellent example on that genre. Written by Hugh Brogan, a university teacher, this is not a book to be undertaken lightly. If you are wanting an easy introduction to everything American, forget it (Bill Bryson may be a better point of reference). However, as a detailed chronology of the Why as opposed to the What then I would definitely recommend it. It provides an insight into a lot of the though process of America as a whole, and perhaps highlights how their politics is so different to British politics, in a way I've not read elsewhere. Reading a lot of this so soon after the last US Presidential election it provided some useful context to the main political parties and how their differences have changed over time.The book itself comprises 5 books separating the history of the US into settlement, revolution, equality, gold and superpower. I read the first 3 books and then took a break (several months in fact) before finishing the rest of it. Generally I felt the earlier chapters were more detailed in chronology and later on there is more comment on why things happened and the choices available. Much of the second half follows the decisions of each President and associated election. I did feel the last chapter (post-Cold War) was a little rushed and it was quite apparent it was written as a revised edition as opposed to being in the original. That said, I found the book very educational and enjoyable to read, albeit not always that easy (the tiny font didn't help either!)To provide some criticisms: some better references in the back might have helped - a chronological list of Presidents would have helped me avoid some confusion and the maps included in some chapters would have benefited from being in one place. I only really have one major criticism and this is why it drops a star - despite being about the Why more than the What I felt the balance of subject matter could have been better... much detail was given to the various organisations set up during the New Deal and beyond, yet there is minimal mention of the Gold Rush (despite there being a book about er... gold!), and the establishment of a lot of the latter joining States was brief at best. Surprisingly little was said about the Kennedy dynasty (notably Joseph Kennedy) and there was not too much written about the nuclear bombs at the end of World War 2. On reflection I thought the book's highlights were how it handled the latter half of the 19th century.

A comprehensive and interesting read, would recommend!

This book goes in to a lot of depth about American History from founding fathers to modern day. Brogan is obviously an expert in the field and coveys this very well, while still making to information accessible as you would expect from a penguin book. The author adds great humour to make what would seem a long book an easy read. As a student who also works part time, I don't have a lot of time for reading as many books as I should, but I got through the book relativity quickly. I'm not saying that this is a novel mind, its a sound history book suitable from high level (A or B grade) Advanced Level students right the way through Undergraduate to Postgraduate Level (Obviously with further advanced reading).The one criticism I would have of this book, is the fact it can sometimes appear a bit disjointed nature. Brogan can also sometimes appear it bit 'lecturish' which may not appeal to the casual reader.Overall, I would give this book a very solid 4 out of 5. An essential for any academic student studying America, or history buffs.

Bought this book as I was looking for a proper run through of US history. I read the whole book. Having had some time to digest it as well as having started reading David Reynold's book "America - Empire of Liberty", I feel I can give some hopefully useful feedback.I would not recommend Brogan's book as the first book one you should read if you want to refresh your knowledge about U.S. history. Instead I would recommend it as perhaps one to read if you want some more detail on certain events as well as more analysis of events, although somewhat spotty in coverage.The reasons for avoiding using this book as a primer are:1, Language: Brogan uses many difficult words and many, many sentences are long and complicated. I don't think I've ever read a book with such advanced phrases and sentence constructions. It appears to me that Brogan has spent a considerable amount of time, not to make the book readable, but to craft "beautiful" sentences - almost like lyric.2, Neglect of important events - dawdling on less important passages: Many of the most important events, such as the Revolution are dealt with swiftly whilst periods of what I believe to be boring passages are given lots of space.3, Lack of coverage: The book also does not provide sufficient information on for example: relations with Canada, how other European countries were ousted and tried to recover parts of America.I would clearly recommend David Reynold's book mentioned above before this book for starters. And then, if you are interested in a more personal view and additional analysis, especially on "relations", read this book. Although I'm rather confident there are other books that are better worth your time if you're interested in specific events.

I must admit, I am only moderately impressed with Hugh Brogan's "The Penguin History of the USA". It is written well enough, as befits a distinguished British scholar, but it is marred by excessive editorializing, to the detriment of what one would expect of an informative and unbiased historical text. It is highly informative, even if the presentation feels at times chaotic, but it is emphatically not unbiased.Looking at more technical aspects: numerous quotations are presented without references; value laden pronouncements are derived from some historical fact or other, or a number, but where these come from is seldom explained; neither it is discussed how representative they might be; whole pages of editorializing are interleaved with more factual portions of the text, but without a clear demarcation; the presentation rambles on in parts.It is a jolly good read nevertheless: not an easy text to follow, and not a text from which to learn about the US history, sic, more like a long-winded polemic.Incidentally, the disastrous winter of 1886/7, which is mentioned on page 422, and the drought that followed, may have been long term effects of the Krakatoa eruption of three years earlier. It was followed by chaotic weather patterns and global cooling that did not alleviate until 1888, cf.  Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883  by Simon Winchester, so the statement on the following page, "The farmers' wounds were in large part self-inflicted, and they ought to have known better..." sounds rather flippant.An even more calamitous volcanic eruption of Mount Tambora, the largest since AD 181, happened in April 1815, and produced a disastrous "year without summer" in 1816. This then triggered a massive migration of New England farmers to the Upper Midwest mentioned on page 231, but without a reference to climatic conditions at the time, cf.  Volcano Weather: The Story of 1816, the Year Without a Summer  by Henry and Elizabeth Stommel. Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883Volcano Weather: The Story of 1816, the Year Without a Summer