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A History of the American People

by Paul Johnson

4.01 · rating details · 565 ratings · 106 reviews

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"The creation of the United States of America is the greatest of all human adventures," begins Paul Johnson's remarkable new American history. "No other national story holds such tremendous lessons, for the American people themselves and for the rest of mankind." Johnson's history is a reinterpretation of American history from the first settlements to the Clinton administration. It covers every aspect of U.S. history--politics; business and economics; art, literature and 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. Wherever possible, letters, diaries, and recorded conversations are used to ensure a sense of actuality. "The book has new and often trenchant things to say about every aspect and period of America's past," says Johnson, "and I do not seek, as some historians do, to conceal my opinions."

Johnson's history presents John Winthrop, Roger Williams, Anne Hutchinson, Cotton Mather, Franklin, Tom Paine, Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Hamilton, and Madison from a fresh perspective. It emphasizes the role of religion in American history and how early America was linked to England's history and culture and includes incisive portraits of Andrew Jackson, Chief Justice Marshall, Clay, Lincoln, and Jefferson Davis. Johnson shows how Grover Cleveland and Teddy Roosevelt ushered in the age of big business and industry and how Woodrow Wilson revolutionized the government's role. He offers new views of Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover and of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal and his role as commander in chief during World War II. An examination of the unforeseen greatness of Harry Truman and reassessments of Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Reagan, and Bush follow. "Compulsively readable," said Foreign Affairs of Johnson's unique narrative skills and sharp profiles of people.

This is an in-depth portrait of a great people, from their fragile origins through their struggles for independence and nationhood, their heroic efforts and sacrifices to deal with the organic sin' of slavery and the preservation of the Union to its explosive economic growth and emergence as a world power and its sole superpower. Johnson discusses such contemporary topics as the politics of racism, education, Vietnam, the power of the press, political correctness, the growth of litigation, and the rising influence of women. He sees Americans as a problem-solving people and the story of America as "essentially one of difficulties being overcome by intelligence and skill, by faith and strength of purpose, by courage and persistence...Looking back on its past, and forward to its future, the auguries are that it will not disappoint humanity."

This challenging narrative and interpretation of American history by the author of many distinguished historical works is sometimes controversial and always provocative. Johnson's views of individuals, events, themes, and issues are original, critical, and admiring, for he is, above all, a strong believer in the history and the destiny of the American people.

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Paperback, 1104 pages

Published February 17th 1999 by Harper Perennial

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Community Reviews

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Jun 02, 2008

Eric rated it

Shelves: history, american-history, non-fiction, books-i-own

British historian Paul Johnson makes clear in the preface to A History of the American People his motivation for writing this book: “This work is a labor of love.” Indeed, this love for America shines through the massive tome, and ought to put native-born Americans to shame.

Johnson presents a well-organized overview of American history, from 1580 to 1997. He covers most of the major events, although in such an undertaking some are bound to get overlooked (the most notable being the ...moreBritish historian Paul Johnson makes clear in the preface to A History of the American People his motivation for writing this book: “This work is a labor of love.” Indeed, this love for America shines through the massive tome, and ought to put native-born Americans to shame.

Johnson presents a well-organized overview of American history, from 1580 to 1997. He covers most of the major events, although in such an undertaking some are bound to get overlooked (the most notable being the Japanese internment during World War 2). He delves into some detail, as well, providing rich and colorful anecdotes.

Take, for example, Patrick Henry, of “Give me liberty or give me death” fame. Henry, a “born ham actor” has Proposed to the burgesses that Virginia should raise a militia and be ready to do battle. What was Virginia waiting for? Massachusetts was fighting.

'Our brethren are already in the field. Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have?' Then Henry got to his knees, in the posture of a manacled slave, intoning in a low but rising voice: ‘Is life so dear, our peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God!’ He then bent to the earth with his hands still crossed, for a few seconds, and suddenly sprang to his feet, shouting, ‘Give me liberty!’ and flung wide his arms, paused, lowered his arms, clenched his right hand as if holding a dagger at his breast, and said in sepulchral tones: ‘Or give me death.’ He then beat his breast, with his hand holding the imaginary dagger.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t remember learning it that way in school.

Another refreshing aspect of the book was the lack of deference given to normally worshiped figures, such as Franklin D. Roosevelt ("FDR’s lies are innumerable and some of those on the record are important.") and John F. Kennedy (Kennedy biographer: "No national figure has ever so consistently and unashamedly used others to manufacture a personal reputation as a great thinker and scholar" and this gem: "the one respect in which Jack carried on his father’s traditions not merely dutifully but with genuine enthusiasm was in his pursuit, seduction and exploitation of women.").

Although Johnson covers the political history quite well, he does not neglect, as most general histories do, the cultural aspects of American history. We learn, for example, that Hollywood was a "stuck-up religious place, founded in 1887 by two Methodists, Horace and Daeida Wilcox, who hoped to turn it into a Bible-thumping district." The town actually banned liquor and movie houses when it incorporated in 1903. Hollywood ran out of water, though, and in 1910 incorporated into Los Angeles, and in 1913 the first movie, The Squaw Man, was filmed there. That same year, a group called Conscientious Citizens gathered 10,000 signature to ban movie-making in Los Angeles, claiming that the movies would bring immorality. "Were they so far wrong?" Johnson asks.

Johnson also gives religion its proper due in the country’s history, calling the Great Awakening "the proto-revolutionary event, the formative moment in American history, preceding the political drive for independence and making it possible." Fittingly, he closes the book lamenting that religion, through the banning of prayer in schools and displaying Christmas symbols in public places, is being driven from the public square. He is one of the few modern historians to recognize the salient role religion, specifically Christianity, played in the founding and development of America.

Johnson’s admiration for the American people makes this more than a dry history – it is a compelling and enjoyable narrative of, as he puts it, "the greatest of all human adventures." It is well worth the time and effort required to slog through it.(less)

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Sep 02, 2008

John rated it

This book is so long I paused between chapters to read other books. This has been the longest and most informative book I have ever read. Johnson knows how to tell a good story and depict colorful characters. He has a special affinity for dramatic incident, and his discussion of Andrew Jackson reads like a treatment for the greatest historical film never made.

After starting the book I gave it five stars, but upon finishing I demoted it to four. It seemed the more I knew about the pe...more

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Jan 22, 2008

Phil rated it

Recommends it for: High School History Students

This book is an excellent general history of the US, one which accents the cultural development of this nation. It is an antidote to the puerile trash "People's History"(Howard Zinn), a book unfortunately used as a textbook in some school districts. Now that it seems that America's journey toward freedom is being abandoned in favor of the Marxist EuroTrash Megastate favored by the PC- Howard Zinn crowd Paul Johnson's history, a history that sees the tradition of freedom and enterprise ...more

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Jan 05, 2008

Skylar Burris rated it

Shelves: history

It is always interesting to see what the Brits think of us. Paul Johnson shows a tempered admiration of England's bastard child in this history, and he recognizes many of the qualities that makes America unique in the history of nations. He is much kinder to the fledgling land in this history than he was in the history of his own nation, though he does not hesitate to criticize, in that glib way of his, whenever the mood should strike him. The history ends with the first President Bush, and ...more

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Jul 02, 2010

Gordon Howard rated it

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I read this book as a recommended "antidote" to A People's History of the United States, by Howard Zinn. It is certainly a very different book, and is better in many ways, but, like Zinn's book, it ultimately it is an interesting failure.

First the good points - Johnson is an excellent writer, and this is a very well-written long-winded narrative history. Johnson makes many points that I agree with, and provided brief explanations of some events that hit the spot. A good exa...moreI read this book as a recommended "antidote" to A People's History of the United States, by Howard Zinn. It is certainly a very different book, and is better in many ways, but, like Zinn's book, it ultimately it is an interesting failure.

First the good points - Johnson is an excellent writer, and this is a very well-written long-winded narrative history. Johnson makes many points that I agree with, and provided brief explanations of some events that hit the spot. A good example of the latter is his discussion of the economic factors leading to the Great Depression, which in a few pages explained things that hundreds of other pages and many other books had left me scratching my head.

And now the criticisms:

1. The book has at least a few minor, but nagging errors. I noticed probably a dozen or so based upon my limited knowledge of history, so I'm sure there are others too. Examples include mis-identifying Zachary Taylor as a Democrat (Johnson gets it right in another part of the book), identifying a major San Francisco street as "Kierney," (it is "Kearney"), and stating that McGovern earned only 29.8% of the vote in the 1972 election (he earned almost 40%). These are minor quibbles - Johnson, for example, doesn't engage in the wholesale plagiarism of Stephen Ambrose, but they are quibbles and annoying nonetheless.

2. Johnson's political and moral conservatism leads him into significant errors of analysis. The most outrageous is his complete whitewashing of Richard Nixon, who is unrecognizable as he and his life events are described by Johnson. He all but accepts as fact that Nixon had the 1960 election stolen from him, a theory which is not much more plausible than "grassy knoll" theories of Kennedy's assassination (which Johnson categorically dismisses). He claims that Nixon lost the 1962 California Governor's race to Pat Brown, a weak candidate and "the worst governor in California history." That's news to anyone with any knowledge of California's history, as during Brown's 8 years as governor the state massively expanded its then-magnificent public university system, built massive and needed transportation infrastructure, and planned and built the California Water Project (all projects that Brown was not a passive observer of). And he pooh-poohs Watergate, claiming it was massively blown out of proportion by a media obsessed with eliminating Nixon almost to the point of advocating a coup.

Another major error of analysis is Johnson's claim that religion was meant to be entwined in American political life from the start (Christian religion, of course). He provides little factual basis for this claim, which is highly dubious at best.

3. Most importantly, Johnson's title is a lie. For the most part, this is not a history of the American people. It is a history of America's political and cultural elite. Johnson wastes many pages on personal vignettes of various American presidents, even their wives (although, interestingly, he ignores Nancy Reagan, duplicitous wife of one of his heroes). The mass of American people don't show up in this book.

For all of its faults, Howard Zinn's history is indeed one of "the people," which Zinn unfortunately perverts into his own far-left ideology. Johnson's book, despite its title, is not an answer to Zinn's book, but a more standard "big trends and famous people" history. The real "answer" to Howard Zinn's book remains to be written.(less)

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Feb 02, 2012

Mike rated it

Well he says at the outset that he will not hesitate--as would some "academic" historians--to espouse his own opinions about matters.

And he sure keeps his word.

Definitely a "great man makes history" view of history. Very traditional.

At his best imho when discussing the positive contributions of the mighty industrialists of the late 19th century to improving American society.

In some respects almost comically predictable in...more

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Jan 03, 2011

Julie rated it

Very good history overview. Paul Johnson is a controversial writer of history books. He is a conservative Brit, but when he is dealing with facts this is irrelevant. The book covers in depth the early history of U.S to 1900. The 20th Century is covered swiftly and somewhat superficially. I would recommend his MODERN TIMES for 20th Century. Also his Conservatism is apparent as he covers Reagan. There is a review out there on this book saying he does not spend any time on slavery. That is ...more

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Jan 07, 2011

Andrea added it

It was the first book entirely devoted to History of USA I ever read.
Generally speaking it's a book who gave me a different point of view about many subjects:
for instance that the new deal wasn't so effective.
Or that the worst mistake of President Hoover was Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act.
Or that the Kennedy presidency was a complete failure.
Or the praise for President Coolidge
On the other side I didn't like the great attention dedicated to the "Awakening", and t...more

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Jan 12, 2012

Mike rated it

This is not "A People's history" in the tradition of leftist Howard Zinn, nor is it a Patriot's History" in the tradition of Bill Bennet, but rather a facts and movements history filled with all the life and thoughts of the people who have moved this nation in one direction or another for good or ill since the voyage of Columbus. If you come to it with an aganda you will not be satisfied when you leave, but if you come to learn it is the best, most thorough, fascinating and exciti...more

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Jul 05, 2011

Aaron rated it

Paul Johnson has created an incredible account the people in American history with a wonderfully rich, inherently readable, and not grotesquely detailed prose. Naturally, assuming a task of covering more than four centuries is an arduous task, but to focus on more than just the major players involves quite a bit of planning. Johnson follows a political timeline with interesting offshoots that relay a variety of color commentary regarding the twists and turns of this great country.

I...more

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Feb 01, 2011

Matt rated it

Shelves: history

This is an amazing book and a must read! I'd recommend A History of the American People be included in our college curriculum (ignoring the problem that it is too long to read through in a semester). In my view, it's the American History text book of choice. Each page is a pleasure to read and deserves some contemplation. I'm going to have to read it again -even slower.

Four hundred years of history is a lot material to cover, but all in all the detail and perspective Paul Johnson pro...moreThis is an amazing book and a must read! I'd recommend A History of the American People be included in our college curriculum (ignoring the problem that it is too long to read through in a semester). In my view, it's the American History text book of choice. Each page is a pleasure to read and deserves some contemplation. I'm going to have to read it again -even slower.

Four hundred years of history is a lot material to cover, but all in all the detail and perspective Paul Johnson provides is clear and often profound. Some of my views were challenged and I learned throughout. This tome is no mere superficial survey of American History. While the author has his biases - fore most includes his unapologetic love for America - he clearly delineates his own views to the readers attention and provides support for them. You can take his view or leave it and still benefit. Also his British point of view is really interesting; for example his indictment of the abilities of the British government at the time of the Revolution is honest and painful, answered some of the questions I had about how Britain and the Colonies came to armed conflict. Then there are the fascinating personal anecdotes from knowing key people like Dwight D. Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan. Here the reader benefits from the author's experience and age.

Criticism of the book lies on two fronts. The first: Johnson is labeled a "conservative" which immediately shuts the minds of many in our Universities off; however if you sift through the noise of negative reviews - I do not recommend this - you will find that that thoughtful self identified liberals do recommend his book.

The second area of criticism lies in the incomplete handling of the the period 1960 - 1997. I tend to agree, and I found this part incomplete; however, this portion of the text does include a fascinating analysis of the rise of pop culture and diminishing of the statesman. So while there are omissions, there are keen insights into the events of the last 40 years.

Throughout the book, Johnson takes a hard look at our presidents. Some fare better then they have in other accounts (e.g. Harding) and some fare worse (e.g. John F. Kennedy and George H. Bush). At times this analysis very painful to hear.

I would really like to see Johnson complete and addendum covering 1997 to 2010 but alas this may be too close for a clear historical view.

The paperback is out, and reasonably priced this book needs to be on your shelf and more importantly under your nose. It's the handbook of American History written by a British subject.(less)

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Jul 02, 2009

J. Dunn rated it

Shelves: nonfiction, contemporary, 20th-century, british, history, biography, america, politics, culture, technology, customs, language, capitalism, conservatism, individualism, owned, have-etext

I really enjoyed his “Birth of the Modern” book, about world history 1815-1830, and how that time and the personalities who made it were pivotal in the the birth of the modern world as we know it, so I thought I would check out his take on US history. I knew from the previous book that he was conservative, and had his biases(pro free-market, pro religion, pro-individual) but that was fine with me… I liked that he was opinionated and I liked getting a good devil’s advocate argument for the other ...moreI really enjoyed his “Birth of the Modern” book, about world history 1815-1830, and how that time and the personalities who made it were pivotal in the the birth of the modern world as we know it, so I thought I would check out his take on US history. I knew from the previous book that he was conservative, and had his biases(pro free-market, pro religion, pro-individual) but that was fine with me… I liked that he was opinionated and I liked getting a good devil’s advocate argument for the other side from what seemed to be a pretty honest broker.

And that held up for most of this book. He made a great case for why those values were integral in making America a great nation, and he told the story up to about FDR with balance and verve.

Post New-Deal though, it just turns into a bitter screed, and loses all sense of balance. FDR and Kennedy were corrupt charlatans(sure, they definitely had their major flaws, but that is all he looked at), Vietnam would have worked if only we had been willing to wage total war(probably would have, but that doesn’t make that a good idea), Nixon got a raw deal and Watergate was nothing but a witch-hunt, as was Iran Contra. Political correctness and affirmative action were creeping authoritarianism as opposed to well-meaning and ultimately pretty insignificant efforts to continue down the road of the civil rights movement that went a bit overboard. Moral equivocation of the anti-abortion movement with the anti-slavery movement. Praise for The Bell Curve, and breezy dismissal of the likes of C. Wright Mills, David Riesman, etc. And so on.

I realize he doesn’t like a lot of the postwar trends in the US and Europe, but he also makes no effort to engage the historical forces that caused and shaped them, or the good that came out of them(he spends very little time on the civil rights movement, for example.) He does things like applauding the US for engaging the world and taking its rightful place as a superpower postwar, and then turning around and criticizing the inevitable expansion of the bureaucracy that resulted from that, without connecting the one to the other. Or like saying that things like the EPA and the Clean Air act were probably necessary and desireable, even though they slowed the economy, but then praising Reagan’s economic genius in rolling them back. Feh. He just fails to engage the complexities and ambiguities and compromises that are a necessary feature of the postmodern, globalized world. He’s very good at writing history about the times when WASPS ruled the earth, before everything got complicated by race, gender, sexual orientation, colonialism, and on down the line. He acts like these are invented abstractions, as opposed to social and political realities and changes that were being grappled with in very nasty and difficult ways throughout the latter 2/3rds of the 20th century.

So, disappointing in the end. But, if you want a good lively, opinionated, sympathetic history of the US up to about 1929, you can’t go wrong with reading the first 3/4 of this. Even better, read it together with A People’s History of the United States, and compare/contrast. You should get most of the story between the two of them.(less)

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Aug 30, 2009

Monica Perez rated it

For me the two critical elements of "pot-boiler" history like this is that it is enjoyable to read and aims to convey the truth. It is a joy to me to find such a book on a subject I wish to broach and this is such a book. The writing and narrative style are engaging if not compelling from start to finish and I get the strong sense that Paul Johnson is critically assessing and interpreting the facts and presenting them fairly. He does offer, I think helpfully, the occasional editoria...moreFor me the two critical elements of "pot-boiler" history like this is that it is enjoyable to read and aims to convey the truth. It is a joy to me to find such a book on a subject I wish to broach and this is such a book. The writing and narrative style are engaging if not compelling from start to finish and I get the strong sense that Paul Johnson is critically assessing and interpreting the facts and presenting them fairly. He does offer, I think helpfully, the occasional editorial comment, but only when the weight of the evidence strongly indicates a certain conclusion be drawn.

On a whole, I believe Mr. Johnson presents the facts and their natural conclusions in a fair-minded and rational way, but I think perhaps he takes this approach too far in his assessments of the Presidents, showing a strong preference for each man's stated intentions and administrative abilities even if the man's policies were misguided and damaging--or even unconstitutional. I found this approach overly non-judgmental and it did not satisfy my desire to call these men to account.

It may be that Mr. Johnson's viewpoint demonstrates an observation I have made more than once, which is this: I think Mr. Johnson is probably considered a conservative Briton but even the conservatives in England seem to stipulate that the government is charged with certain positive moral and social obligations (i.e., requiring action rather than forbearance) and certain foreign responsibilities as well, and it is with that baseline viewpoint that Mr. Johnson assesses the rights and wrongs in US history.

As a libertarian and an heir to the Enlightenment embodied in the American Revolution, I would not so stipulate. Here is a demonstration of Mr. Johnson's viewpoint (p922): "[Reagan:] asked Paul Volcker, chairman of the Fed, 'Why do we need a Federal Reserve at all?' Volcker . . .sagged in his chair and was 'speechless for a minute.'" Clearly, Mr. Johnson identifies with Mr. Volcker. As for me, I would like to know Mr. Volcker's answer.

In conclusion, I highly recommend this book as an overview of American history.(less)

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Mar 02, 2008

Pete Sikora rated it

Recommends it for: anyone interested in right-wing brainwashing

This book is proof that modern conservatives never have to actually justify their opinions to publish. A movement primer, the book shakes loose the bonds of fact and consistency to produce a narrative Kissinger describes on the book jacket as "majestic in its scope".

Most of Paul Johnson's opus is great-man theory of history. The adoring descriptions of historical giants are fun. There are 2 problems: 1. writing history like it's determined by handfuls of powerful actors ...more

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Jan 04, 2011

Ethan Rose rated it

This is more of a right wing conservative christian fairytale than a history book. The idea that we got out of the great depression because Roosevelt followed a plan that Hoover put into place before leaving office should come with some corroboration and support. Also, I don't think pro choice advocates are equivalent to antebellum slavers. All histories are biased, I accept that, but some verification and cogent arguments would be appreciated. This was obviously written to sway the ignorant mas...more

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Aug 24, 2011

Laurel Korwin rated it

I had only good things to say about this book until I reached the 1930s. Johnson does a great job of inserting anecdotes, and making 19th century presidential history palatable (something which, for me, is not easy). Beginning at about FDR, though, it's clear that he has a conservative bias, which grew more and more offensive throughout. The crowning moment, for me, was when he compared anti-choice activists to anti-slavery activists...a bit of a reach.

Read this book for the older nar...more

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Feb 27, 2009

Marilyn Elisabeth rated it

History of the U.S. written by an eminent English historian might be intimidating at first because of its length, (about 1,000 pages) but exceedingly interesting and very well researched.

The dedication reads: "This book is dedicated to the people of America--- strong, outspoken, intense in their convictions, sometimes wrong-headed but always generous and brave, with a passion for justice no nation has ever matched." I recommend this book highly and will read it again.

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Mar 10, 2011

Kathy rated it

I have been listening to this book in fits and starts for months now. Though I enjoy it, it has over 48 hours worth of listening. I enjoyed it mostly because since the author is British, the biases I am used to and annoyed by are absent. I can detect a few but anything published lately in the US has such a political overtone I liked having a different viewpoint. I liked this book enough it is on my "to buy" list to have as a reference book in my home for my children.

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Jun 15, 2009

Rob Springer rated it

The author is British. He became curious about America when he was studying American history in the UK. He writes, "The creation of the United States of America is the greatest of all human adventures..." For example, I knew Eli Whitney invented the Cotton Gin, but I never knew that Eli Whitney helped develop "the American system" of standardized parts, giving the North such supremacy. Thus one man reinvigorated the institution of slavery and helped abolish it.

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Dec 07, 2011

Nick rated it

Recommends it for: Howard Zinn fans that need some balance to their views of American history.

One of the great things about this book is that Paul Johnson, being British, is an outsider looking in. He did not learn American history growing up or even in his college studies, so many of the preconceptions most historians of American history have are absent. His outsider status also allows him to point out a lot of the ugly truths we have to face about our country (e.g. the social security and debt problems).

He focuses largely on presidents in the post Revolutionary War part ...more

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Feb 07, 2009

Eve rated it

I felt like I needed to brush up on my American history, so I read this book. Good aspects: comprehensive, well-written, occassional flashes of the writer's personality. Bad aspects: too much focus on the "Great Men" and an off-putting, curmudgeonly tone during the final sections on modern developments, feminism, etc. (By the 1990s, "the Glass Ceiling was a myth" - ?!?).

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Aug 05, 2011

James added it

I most enjoyed the first 90% of this. Inevitably, we all lack the perspective to best judge our more recent history. But for the period up until the end of WWII I really enjoyed the pace and detail of this great history. It did give me a stronger historical feel on the events and people that have made the American character. In that way, it delivers on its title.

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Mar 08, 2011

Al rated it

Shelves: general-history

Easily the best and most entertaining one volume history of the U.S. that I've ever read. He was especially engaging when writing about Reagan, of whom he is obviously a fan (so am I). This is a good book to get a quick and accurate overview of U.S. history without too much PC or America-hating sermonizing, as found in Zinn's screed.

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Apr 01, 2011

Emu rated it

I read the entire thing except for the chapter on the Civil War (which wasn't required for my class). It was very informative, however, I often felt (especially toward the end of the book) that substantial amounts of information were missing in favor of Johnson's bias. He chose his favorite presidents and endlessly criticized all the others for their personal lives, sometimes even accusing them of being controlled by their wives. The more I read, the more I felt like a victim of Johnson's rid...more

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Oct 12, 2011

Benjamin rated it

Shelves: 1rst-quarrter-reading, nonfiction

I like this book mostly becuase it has a slightly conservative outlook, but not enough to make the book seem biased. It covers the entire American history, from the late 1500s, to 1997. A history of the American People gives a deep description and several facts on everything from presidents to popular books. It must take a lot of skill to write a book on a whole country from beginning to the current day. America is one of the few countries that have the whole history written in fact and not base...more

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Oct 23, 2009

Laura rated it

Paul Johnson writes lively, big picture history. He draws connections between causes and effects, and brings giant figures to life. I don't always agree with his opinions, but I do respect his understanding of history and his ability to write about it convincingly. This book was a nice refresher course to my American History survey classes from school, which for lack of enough weeks in the school year, never seemed to progress past WWII.

My one beef: He includes prurient details ...more

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May 05, 2010

Kara Williams rated it

This was my favorite book in all of my college classes. It is written by an English man, so the perspective is a little different. But I loved this book! One of the most intense studies of a single book I have ever done, aside from the Book of Mormon ;)

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Apr 23, 2007

Caner rated it

Recommends it for: general public

"Johnson’s book on the other hand seems exactly like the old fashioned conservative history that Zinn writes against. Johnson's conservatism is very clear and easy to see through. Take for instance this quote about the 1960s:

The Sixties were one of those meretricious decades were novelty was considered all-important, and youth peculiarly blessed. Normally circumspect men and women, who had once made a virtue of prudence, and were to resume responsible behavior in due course,...more

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May 01, 2010

David Evans rated it

This is simply the most amazing chronological history of the American people I have read. The details of things we thought we knew about are so intriguing, they make normally dull reading into a real page-turner.

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Dec 17, 2010

Philip rated it

By the time the book entered the 18th century I was ready to shoot myself. This an example of History at its worst: A total obsession with numbers, factoids, and names at the detriment of conveying concepts.

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About Paul Johnson

Paul Johnson works as a historian, journalist and author. He was educated at Stonyhurst School in Clitheroe, Lancashire and Magdalen College, Oxford, and first came to prominence in the 1950s as a journalist writing for, and later editing, the New Statesman magazine. He has also written for leading newspapers and magazines in Britain, the US and Europe.

Paul Johnson has published over 4...more

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Books by Paul Johnson

Modern Times: The World from the Twenties to the Nineties

A History of the Jews (Perennial Library)

The Birth Of The Modern: World Society 1815 1830

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“This book is dedicated to the people of America--strong, outspoken, intense in their convictions, sometimes wrong-headed but always generous and brave, with a passion for justice no nation has ever matched.” — 5 people liked it

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/184630.A_History_of_the_American_People?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223642397m/184630.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/184630.A_History_of_the_American_People?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]A History of the American People by Paul Johnson[/url]

A History of the American People

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