A History of the American People

De: Paul Johnson

Narrado por: Nadia May

Johnson's monumental history of the United States, from the first settlers to the Clinton administration, covers every aspect of American culture: politics, business, art, literature, science, society and customs, complex traditions, and religious beliefs. The story is told in terms of the men and women who shaped and led the nation and the ordinary people who collectively created its unique character.

Anne Hutchinson, Cotton Mather, Ben Franklin, Tom Paine, George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, among others, are all presented in a fresh perspective. Wherever possible, letters, diaries, and recorded conversations are used to ensure a sense of actuality.

This is an in-depth portrait of a great people, from their fragile origins and struggles for independence, to their heroic efforts and sacrifices to deal with the "organic sin" of slavery and the preservation of the Union, to their explosive economic growth and emergence as the world's greatest superpower.

©1997 Paul Johnson (P)1998 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Johnson is a lively writer (more so than nearly all other historians), and May's reading is sensitive to Johnson's wit and sharp comments....Her reading is lively, crisp, and sharp throughout." (AudioFile)

"A magnificent achievement...brilliantly combines broad sweep with extraordinary detail." (Wall Street Journal)

Excellent

I loved the overall history especially the reading by Nadia May. I thought the outlook was a bit biased towards the right of the political spectrum. However, that doesn’t take away from my general opinion of Paul Johnson or his history. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves their big history books.

A better understanding

There are so many times in history books or news articles where what happened was spun to serve someone purpose. This is the kind of book which will dig deeper and shed some light on these subjects and they suddenly seem less "black and white". Overall an amazing book with loads of information, although hard to stay focused on at times because of its thoroughness.

Superb history.

I am a longtime fan of American History and Paul Johnson's "A History of the American People" is the most insightful and as well researched as any I have encountered. I can recommend this book as an excellent source for the novice and advanced connoisseur. In addition the book is very entertaining and engaging.

Not de Tocqueville

One can almost hear George III thinking out loud about the loss of all the vast open spaces of America. There is a total lack of any sense of awe of America in this Englishman's very long book. He strives to show how American Exceptionalism was merely the result of happy and brutal coincidence. Reading between the lines we see a typical European Liberal (in the modern vile sense of the word) green with envy that they lost their colonies.

I am about 15 hours into this long thing. Perhaps if he traveled the country like de Tocqueville he might have gotten a real sense of the American people. Instead we can imagine him up to his elbows in obscure research sources at Cambridge or at Cambridge West (Harvard).

So, to read this, you must endure continual subtle and overt leftist bias and his criticism of what is thinks is the American tendency to over react to imaginary threats (i.e. the silly red scar of the 1950s - which we have known since the fall of the USSR was real indeed).

I suppose this tendency to graft one's political biases onto past events is what makes many history books highly suspect.

But if you can hold your nose and get past the liberal bias, the book is interesting and has some original in-sights.

Too bad it was read by some lady with a stuffy British accent. This is another substantial negative.

The Text is Outstanding, Narration is Average

This is a very readable book, however it is a book that I found easier to read, than listen to. The narration is often too quick for the listener to absorb what is taking, and keep up with Johnson's transitions from one topic to another. My recommendation is to buy the text, rather than the audio.

Fabulous

Yes, fabulous... but above all necessary and balanced. A counterweight to today’s most harmful narratives about a success story

A sweeping perspective on America’s past

Paul Johnson’s 1997 History of the American People does the difficult work of summarizing 400 years of American history, from its earliest colonial stirrings to the triumphant period of unipolarity at the end of the 20th century. Johnson strikes a delicate balance of focus between American society, economics, government, and other factors, giving readers a holistic picture of the nation as it has evolved.

Listeners with any political sensitivity will quickly notice that this book does not pretend to be politically neutral: Johnson is a conservative and this fact is evident throughout the book. It remains a history, however, and avoids becoming a partisan screed. Indeed, Johnson’s willingness to give his honest thoughts on matters (notably his appreciation for the much-maligned Richard Nixon) is at times a valuable counterpoint to some interpretations of American history that have become orthodoxies. On rare occasions it can elicit eye-rolling (Johnson insists on derisively labeling the educated classes as “right-thinking”, for instance) but even for those of liberal bent these moments are far from overwhelming.

Well read by Nadia May (a performer whose British accent is less discordant once one realizes that the author is also British), this book is an excellent addition to the libraries of those who wish to learn about the history of the United States, or those who are already familiar but who seek different angles on a subject they know well.

A British conservative's view of American history.

Absolutely wonderful. Covers history of the US from the first English settlers through the middle of the 1990s when the book was written. Very well read by Nadia May whose clear voice and pronunciation I found suited the book very well. One of the things I found most interesting is that Mr Johnson covers not only the facts but also the background philosophical views at the time as they pertain to the issues being covered. Thus Emerson and others come up not only as poet or writer, but also how their views supported or ran contrary to the then current American thinking.

While I found the entire book fascinating and full of nuggets of information I did not already know I found the treatment of the 20th century most interesting. Johnson's view of the years from Coolidge through Nixon is at odds with the views prevalent 30 years ago, but he makes his case very well indeed with facts, quotes and statistics. I heartily recommend this to anyone with an interest in US history.

Highly recommended.

Wonderful -- but too short.

What did you love best about A History of the American People?

The author's fair and evenhanded treatment of our history. Johnson is an Englishman, and this makes his views more interesting of course -- irrational perhaps, but true. This is probably why Alexis de Tocqueville's study of America so fascinates.

What other book might you compare A History of the American People to and why?

Paul Johnson's "Modern Times" was a book I read some years ago, and the compulsive readability of that history reminds me of this book.

What about Nadia May’s performance did you like?

She is at all times clear and concise. She uses accents sparingly and to good effect. And her own British accent is both pleasing (silly isn't it, how we Americans LOVE British accents!) and appropriate, given that it reflects the author himself.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, but not really practical, given how long this book is!

Any additional comments?

Some reviewers accuse the author of "bias". This is spurious, given that ANY history that is not just an utterly dry recitation of dates and events requires the author to make judgements and -- after offering evidence -- express opinions.

That said, I guess there is no denying that those who regard FDR and JFK to have been flawless demigods; angels in human form descended from heaven to bless our poor republic with their holy powers my have some slight difficulty with the judgements expressed in this book.

In addition, those who consider Richard Nixon to have been a demon in human shape, an enemy of all that is right and good and pure, may in a similar fashion take exception to Paul Johnson's view of things.

On the whole I found the book a wonderful breath of fresh, politically incorrect air. Johnson shows America "warts and all". The damned evil of slavery for instance -- that original sin that so twisted and tortured the first hundred years of our republic (and whose death agonies haunt us still, right up to this day) -- is dealt with unflinchingly, with no excuses entertained, but without hyperbole.

The history of the American Indians (and yes, Johnson calls them INDIANS throughout the book, with no apologies) is likewise treated. The author does not at any time excuse injustices done against this people (or rather plural: PEOPLES, a very important fact to understand) but neither does he engage in the condescending business of elevating them to the status of utterly wise and flawless citizens of the Earth, in tune with nature and without any human weakness. That attitude is nothing more than a modern version of "the noble savage".

In short, this book is thought-provoking and endlessly engaging. You do not have to agree with everything the author thinks to enjoy this book, and profit from it.

Excellent

An excellent historical overview, well written.

Excellently narrated by Nadia May.

I have much greater understanding of this great country because of this book.