all 8 comments

[–]ArthnoldManacatsaman🇬🇧🌳🟦 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

My American brothers and sisters, are there any books you would recommend about US history? I'm looking for a fairly general, single-volume overview. I've seen a couple on the internet and in bookshops, but I just wondered if there were any sort of 'standard', well-respected books that everyone reads in high school etc.

[–]julesburm1891 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

My experience in the American public school system didn’t include a single-volume overview. We had a text book that was never touched. Instead our history teachers lectured heavily and assigned us various important fiction and nonfiction works to read outside of class.

Unfortunately, all the overview books that come to mind are far from impartial (e.g. Howard Zinn’s A Peoples’ History of the United States).

If you’re curious about American history, I’d recommend a few things:

  1. Watch some Ken Burns’ documentaries. He does a really good job of creating informative and impartial overviews of major American periods.

  2. Narrow down something you might be interested in and I can give you a deluge of great books available in the UK.

  3. Holler at your girl. (Major history nerd, here.)

[–]ArthnoldManacatsaman🇬🇧🌳🟦 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

I have seen A People's History of the United States and it seemed to be pretty well reviewed. What's wrong with it? Has Susan B Anthony been transed? Or is he just like 'America: The Worst Country Ever?'

I'll definitely check out the Ken Burns stuff. I have very little knowledge of US history and don't really have a sort of 'mental timeline'. Witches > The Civil War > Louisiana? > ... > Cuban Missile Crisis?

Then I'll holler at my girl with specific questions ;)

[–]julesburm1891 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

There’s actually no trans content because it predates this madness. It’s definitely a far-left slant. I’d recommend it after having a better grasp on American history because there are things it talks about well that often get overlooked (e.g. the Seminole Wars). However, it has a lot of very inaccurate takes on events as well (e.g. most Americans opposed World War II), which would be a weird foundation to have.

Colonialism > Revolution > Founding / Early Nation > War of 1812 > Westward expansion/Pioneers > Civil War > Reconstruction > Gilded Age > WWI > Jazz Age > Depression > WWII > Cold War

[–]ArthnoldManacatsaman🇬🇧🌳🟦 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Gilded Age

Of Christine Baranski fame?

Depression

And PTSD because of my queerness

[–]julesburm1891 3 insightful - 3 fun3 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 3 fun -  (2 children)

One of my acquaintances posted this a couple of days ago with complete seriousness. (For reference, the acquaintance is a straight, white, middle-class woman who grew up in a nice suburb with a loving family. She now pretends to be queer and have innumerable “disabilities.”)

Figured you guys would laugh as much as I did.

[–]ArthnoldManacatsaman🇬🇧🌳🟦 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

I read the title and stopped there. My eyes may never roll back so they face forwards again. The neighbours have painted their garage door, I might go and watch that dry instead.

[–]julesburm1891 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

But, didn’t you know you want to murder disabled people with eugenics if you want to mind your business and live your life, Arthnold?