Nostrand deftly reexposes historical geography’s rich regional roots, celebrates the contributions of giants of the field, and traces the dynamic human settlement processes that transformed the physical landscapes while creating the cultural and economic landscapes of the United States up to 1900. He efficiently accomplishes this in a single, highly readable volume with ample illustrations.
The writing is crisp, clear, and precise.. .. The book is generously illustrated.. .. It is truly a comprehensive look at the historical geography of the United States between two covers. Yet, at the same time the detailed bibliography is well-suited for anyone needing a primer on the major historical regions in the United States.. .. Nostrand’s attention to detail and keen insight are revealed in every chapter of the book; he is a master at blending history and geography.. .. An outstanding example of regional geography.
A restatement of the book’s three themes for cultural regions, that is, cultural ecology, cultural diffusion, and cultural landscapes, concludes the book with a brief discussion of their six underlying influences, that is, physical barriers, resource management, uneven advance, pluralistic society, geographic persistence, and regions versus homelands. These would merit such lengthy explanations as to exceed the limits of this review. Hence, they are worth the readers’ further attention. Nostrand’s specialization on the United States’ historical geography throughout his teaching career will most especially benefit the general readers due to his gift in this likely culmination.
Languages, lifeways, built environments, trails and roads, economies, eccentricities, and ethnicities come together in the ‘culture region.’ Having mastered the beautiful blend of history and geography, Richard Nostrand has given us The Making of America's Culture Regions, a finely illustrated and perfectly realized text that brings North American landscapes together in ways that ‘we the people’—and a wonderfully diverse people we turn out to be—can truly appreciate.
Richard Nostrand has dramatically re-energized the subject of historical geography for my students. Simply put, they absolutely love his book. They appreciate the clear and fact-filled writing, the easy-on-the-eyes standardized maps, and the kind, unpretentious tone in every chapter.
Richard Nostrand has written an outstanding historical geography of the United States that will introduce generations of students to this engaging, yet neglected, field of study. He has skillfully synthesized decades of historical geography scholarship in a way that is enjoyable to read and thought-provoking for general readers and scholars alike.
A thoughtful and effective textbook for teaching university courses on the historical geography of the United States. This textbook is set apart from similar sources in three ways: structure, approach, and style. First, The Making of America’s Culture Regions stands out because it’s chapters are structured region-by-region.. .. Second, Nostrand picks three themes and employs them to interpret each region: cultural landscape, cultural diffusion, and cultural ecology. These pillars afford a sense of unity and memorability [and] provide a stable foundation to sample other thematic varieties, such as gender, race, animals, urbanization, and indigenous rights. Third, the style of the book makes the learning expectations refreshingly obvious.. .. Nostrand masterfully discerns how and when to place diagrams, photos, and maps so that they connect directly to the narrative.. .. The maps are as visually appealing as they are easy to read, relevant to the content, and incredibly practical as stand-alone maps.
Journal Of Cultural Geogrpahy
Nostrand’s regional portrait of the United States is a joy to read. It is highly accessible and an ideal text in an undergraduate historical geography course or for those new to the regional approach to geography. It emphasizes both the author’s deep understanding of a wealth of historical geographic research and the utility of a regional approach to the historical geography of the United States.
The new maps alone make the volume worthwhile and vital for teaching.. .. The book is a superb guide for anyone wanting to understand the development of the country’s regional diversity and how features of the cultural landscape created long ago have persisted in the present.
Journal of Historical Geography
I wish this book had been available when I was teaching a course in the history of planning.. . It is a well-organized book—academic, but readable—and is thorough and concise without being shallow. The Making of America's Culture Regions is a welcome guide to the American history of the contiguous United States from the early European settlement period through the twentieth century.
New Mexico Historical Review
The chapters are laden with detail and synthesis of the secondary literature as well as the importance of archival study in how historical geographers understand the past. The text's prose is a careful balance of serious discussion and lite anecdotes.. .. the detailed chapters outline the context of features that are still present today but are often poorly understood.
Pacific Historical Review
Hands down, the most comprehensive historical geography of the United States between two covers. Nostrand gathers a lifetime of disciplined understanding to showcase why historical geography should be presented regionally. The Making of America’s Culture Regions combines clear and insightful prose with thoughtful and revealing maps and illustrations. Geography at its very best.
Richard Nostrand has written an outstanding historical geography of the United States that will introduce generations of students to this engaging, yet neglected, field of study. He has skillfully synthesized decades of historical geography scholarship in a way that is enjoyable to read and thought-provoking for general readers and scholars alike.
Nostrand deftly reexposes historical geography’s rich regional roots, celebrates the contributions of giants of the field, and traces the dynamic human settlement processes that transformed the physical landscapes while creating the cultural and economic landscapes of the United States up to 1900. He efficiently accomplishes this in a single, highly readable volume with ample illustrations.
