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The American Promise: A Compact History, Combined Version
You can have it all! A mid-sized alternative, The American A Compact History is the perfect compromise for instructors who want all the features of a full-length text in an affordable format. Condensed by the authors to deliver the latest scholarship in an engaging, flexible format, the fourth edition includes a lavish visual and special features program, study tools that rival any survey text, and a memorable narrative enlivened by the voices of hundreds of Americans.
928 pages, Paperback
First published July 27, 2006
About the author
James L. Roark
580 books1 followerJames L. Roark is professor of history at Emory University.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 22, 2011
Yes, this is a textbook. Yes, I am a complete nerd for spending my time away from school reviewing my college books. But seriously, this book was just that good, and it deserves it.
The format was just fantastic, in that it was completely easy to understand. I never felt confused or disjointed, and I loved how each chapter was started with a personal story from some lesser-known historical figure. Then, each subsection in the chapter had its own introduction, and the entire chapter was wrapped up with a fantastic conclusion that provided context and perspective.
Secondly, I can't stress enough how wonderful this book was in presenting lesser-known sides of history. Every single major historical moment in our nation's history --- whether it be the Revolutionary War or the Civil Rights movement --- was portrayed from both the usual storyline and then from the perspective of the people we don't typically think about in that context. For example, the Revolutionary War was portrayed from the eyes of the slaves, and the Civil Rights movement was depicted by the homosexuals and Latino-Americans looking for their own civil rights. This was all in addition to the more standard version of history.
Finally, I really, really enjoyed the authors' attention to original documents. A lot of times history books just spout a narrative without providing the documentation to back it up. I really enjoyed reading the actual letters from historical figures and the actual policy drafts that changed our nation's history throughout.
Fantastic. Absolutely fantastic.
Now, I just hope I get an A in this class =)
The format was just fantastic, in that it was completely easy to understand. I never felt confused or disjointed, and I loved how each chapter was started with a personal story from some lesser-known historical figure. Then, each subsection in the chapter had its own introduction, and the entire chapter was wrapped up with a fantastic conclusion that provided context and perspective.
Secondly, I can't stress enough how wonderful this book was in presenting lesser-known sides of history. Every single major historical moment in our nation's history --- whether it be the Revolutionary War or the Civil Rights movement --- was portrayed from both the usual storyline and then from the perspective of the people we don't typically think about in that context. For example, the Revolutionary War was portrayed from the eyes of the slaves, and the Civil Rights movement was depicted by the homosexuals and Latino-Americans looking for their own civil rights. This was all in addition to the more standard version of history.
Finally, I really, really enjoyed the authors' attention to original documents. A lot of times history books just spout a narrative without providing the documentation to back it up. I really enjoyed reading the actual letters from historical figures and the actual policy drafts that changed our nation's history throughout.
Fantastic. Absolutely fantastic.
Now, I just hope I get an A in this class =)
Displaying 1 of 1 review