Days of Destiny: Crossroads in American History

by James M. McPherson

America's greatest historians examine thirty-one uncelebrated days that changed the course of history There are moments in American history when something old ends and something new begins. These are the days of destiny. We asked some of the most respected (and best-selling) historians of our time to choose specific days on which American history turned. Their responses make up the month's worth of essays included in this volume. Some chose wars and battles, politics and presidents; others found answers in less well-known areas of historical study: the Great Awakening of the 1740s, the Indian Wars of the 1870s, the plight of working women at the turn of the twentieth century, the countercultural efflorescence of the late 1960s. In Days of Destiny: Crossroads in American History, the Society of American Historians brings you thirty-one engaging narratives, each illuminating with crisp prose and unparalleled scholarship an event that profoundly shaped the nation and world in which we live in. From King Philip's 1675 parley with white colonial officials to the 1973 research conference at which the biotechnology revolution was announced, these vignettes will transport you to places and introduce you to people who have made a continuing difference in the history of America.

Genres: History, American History, Nonfiction

480 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2001

About the author

James M. McPherson, Ph.D. (Johns Hopkins University, 1963; B.A., Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, Minnesota), 1958) is an American Civil War historian, and the George Henry Davis '86 Professor Emeritus of United States History at Princeton University. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Battle Cry of Freedom, his most famous book. He was the president of the American Historical Association in 2003, and is a member of the editorial board of Encyclopædia Britannica.

Reviews

[Chip Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This heavy book is made up of 31 articles written by prominent historians, each of whom selected a day in American history that they believe were critical in forming the nation we live in today. For the most part, these aren't the typical events you would normally think of (signing of the Declaration of Independence, Pearl Harbor, ect.), but rather focus on the more obscure and overlooked events that nonetheless played important roles in our history. There is a very nice variety of topics discussed, including backroom meetings debating our form of government, presidential decisions on foreign policy, and even trouble in New Orleans that changed the face of Jazz music. If anything, there is an overly-heavy representation of articles focusing on the civil rights movements and Supreme Court decisions that influenced them.

One of the best aspects of this book is the incredible amount of illustrations and pictures throughout. Every article includes 10+ pictures helping to bring the stories to life. Important people, events, and scenes are displayed flawlessly, including full two-page pictures depicting most of the "days of destiny". My favorite article was written by the head editor, James McPherson, and chronicles the story of Jackson's famous "Lost Orders" that receives comparatively little attention in American History classes, but could be said to have changed the course of the Civil War.

The book is extremely well put together, with glossy pages and tight binding. While the layout is similar to a textbook, the articles themselves are very easy to read and entertaining. You'll be able to think of plenty of days that probably influenced America more than the ones included here, but this book isn't meant to detail the more well-known or the most important days. It focuses on the overlooked or forgotten days that these particular historians wished to focus more attention on. Extremely informative and entertaining. Well done to the editors, highly recommended.

[Cheryl Gatling]

The idea of this book is that there are certain moments in history, when a discovery was made, or a decision reached, that changed the course of future events. The moment may have been unrecognized at the time, and may be uncelebrated to this day, but still, these "days of destiny" have changed everything.

There are 31 days of destiny in the book, from 1675 to 1973. Each chapter is written by a different historian, so each topic is addressed by someone who who is most knowledgeable about, and fascinated by, that particular period of history. Because it is a DK book, it has a clean, attractive layout, and interesting pictures on ever page.

In many cases, the concept of "days of destiny" is a stretch. Many times history turned by an evolution of popular opinion, or by a series of interlocking events. But still, the editors have picked a single date for each chapter. Topics range widely, from the success of battles, to the intricate compromises required by the drafting of the constitution, to the changing status of women, blacks, and Native Americans, to legal decisions, to the implications of new technologies. Some were familiar, some were new to me, but I thought all were interesting.

One of my favorite chapters was "The President Learns about Civil Rights," about Harry Truman, who, when his advisers described to him violent acts against returning black servicemen, leaped from his chair with his hands clenched, and said, "My God! I had no idea it was as terrible as that! We've got to do something!" From that moment on, although he himself was a southerner, he was stubborn in pursuing equal rights under the constitution. I also liked the chapter "Days of Rage: The Life and Death of Newark," since my husband is from New Jersey.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

A series of 31 essays each highlighting a particular "uncelebrated" day in US history that had a great impact, often unnoticed at the time, on the course of the country or society's views. Some days were definitely more "uncelebrated" than others; the Battle of Yorktown, Dred Scott, and the atomic bomb aren't exactly unknown moments in history. But even when the topic was events with which I'm fairly familiar, I learned quite a bit. There seems to be a focus in the essays on viewing these events from the perspective of the "beautiful losers" as noted in the essay on the Human Be-In of January 14, 1967, and how these events fundamentally changed the way the country viewed itself or the way certain minorities, counter-cultures, or visionaries were viewed by the mainstream.

Lots of contemporary pictures give a flavor for the time period being discussed and informative sidebars regarding other related historical events and the personalities involved, provided greater context and depth to the essays.

There were a few minor typos and one inexplicable 1906 photo of John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt in Yosemite in the sidebar of the essay on hippies and beatniks, but all in all this is a valuable book for learning about these events within the context of American history.

For more book reviews, come visit my blog, Build Enough Bookshelves.

[Richard Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not an easy read--too much like an American history textbook. Some of the dates selected as "Days of Destiny" are as the subtitle suggests, uncelebrated Days. Some of the dates meet that criteria, others are questionable. For the date of Thomas Jefferson's dinner party for Hamilton and Madison to convince them that Washington should be the site of the national capital is one of those questionable ones for me. Jefferson has many good things to his credit. This is a poor one. However, setting up a city outside mainstream America as the capital may be one of the worst things ever done, and by that, qualify as a day of destiny in which the elected leaders of America were set up in an Ivory Tower, a Castle, A Gleaming City in a Swamp, where there is no semblance of actual American way of life. I couldn't wade all the way through every date.

[Colleen Browne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book published by the Society of American Historians that examines 31 days in American history that are largely ignored. It features essays by some of the most prominent American historians and the events covered begin in 1675 with King Phillip's quarrell through 1973 and the battle over biotechnology. Everything from the Dred Scott decision, to the lost instructions at Antietam are discussed in detail. This is a well written, handy book to have around. Its binding is reminiscent of a text book and yet not. I read a number of the essays and will read more of them over time. I would suggest it as a great reference book or just a handy refresher on the issues covered.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written a bit like a text book, but very informative. I am learning a lot about American History that I didn't know or had forgotten. It picks unlikely days around major events that you may have learned about and provides information and context about what was happening that made those events so historic.

[Tom Mackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting read. You can read the whole book or interesting points. Does well to explain the events and what happened after.