Alistair Cooke's America

by Alistair Cooke

Overview

Classics stand the test of time, and Alistair Cooke's history of America is a classic.
Nearly three decades have passed since the original edition of America -- based on journalist-historian Cooke's extraordinarily popular thirteen-part television series -- sold more than a million copies. Yet Cooke's view of America's dynamic past and its impact upon the always-changing present continues to provide striking insights into the singular character of a nation.
Those thirty years since award-winning America first rose to the top of best-seller lists have themselves wrought further dramatic changes. Presidents have been impeached, economies have toppled, empires have collapsed, and towers have fallen. In light of such events, Cooke has written for this new edition a compelling introduction and final chapter that bring his story of America up to date with the wisdom of the inimitably grand old man of correspondents.
And what a story this book tells. From the discovery of America by European explorers to modern times; from the fighters for independence to the pioneers who tamed the West; from the slaves who fled to freedom to the huddled masses that sought a new life in the New World. And through it all, Cooke describes the essential forces that make America work so vitally. Updated in light of the September 11th tragedy, this new edition is complimented with full-color illustrations throughout.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780465021000
Publisher:	Basic Books
Publication date:	08/25/2009
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Alistair Cooke (1908-2004) enjoyed an extraordinary life in print, radio, and television. He worked as a journalist and broadcaster for many different organizations, including the BBC, the Times, and the Guardian, and won numerous awards for his work. He is best known both at home and abroad for his weekly Letter from America, the longest-running radio series in broadcasting history.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations ix

To the Reader (Old & New) 1

Prologue: A Passage to America 5

1 The New-Found Land 17

2 A Home Away from Home 47

3 Making a Revolution 72

4 Inventing a Nation 97

5 Gone West 122

6 A Firebell in the Night 146

7 Domesticating a Wilderness 168

8 Money on the Land 185

9 The Huddled Masses 204

10 The Promise Fulfilled - The Promise Broken 228

11 The Arsenal 252

Epilogue: The More Abundant Life 277

Acknowledgements 298

Index 301

Editorial Reviews

"The first and maybe the finest, tribute to the nation."—Newsweek

"A panoramic book, traveling fast and high, and the view it gives of our land and its people is exhilarating."—Atlantic Monthly

From the Publisher