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The History of the United States, 2nd Edition cover art

The History of the United States, 2nd Edition

By: The Great Courses, Allen C. Guelzo, Gary W. Gallagher, Patrick N. Allitt
Narrated by: Allen C. Guelzo, Gary W. Gallagher, Patrick N. Allitt
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Editor reviews

The History of the United States, 2nd Edition, is by The Great Courses and is a historical audiobook part of their Modern History series. This book has been narrated by three award-winning leaders in U.S Studies – Professor Allen C. Guelzo, Professor Gary W. Gallagher and Professor Patrick N. Allitt. This all-encompassing study of The United States of America starts at its roots with European settlement to the tremendously powerful nation it is today. This is an essential listen for those attempting to understand its history, culture, people and role in world politics and economies. Available now from Audible.

Summary

This comprehensive series of 84 lectures features three award-winning historians sharing their insights into this nation's past - from the European settlement and the Revolutionary War through the Civil War, 19th-century industrialization, two world wars, and the present day.

While American history spans not much more than two centuries, it is filled with a wealth of leaders, wars, movements, inventions, and ideas - each of which contributed in its own unique way to America's transformation from 13 disparate colonies on the east coast of North America into a global superpower.

These lectures give you the opportunity to grasp the different aspects of our past that combine to make us distinctly American, and to gain the knowledge so essential to recognizing not only what makes this country such a noteworthy part of world history, but the varying degrees to which it has lived up to its ideals.

The lectures chart the five predominant themes that run throughout the chronicle of U.S. history:

  • The American passion for freedom-including religious, political, and economic freedom.
  • The pursuit of education, which has been the quintessential way for Americans to invent (and reinvent) themselves.
  • The unquestioned faith in the value of popular government.
  • The willingness of Americans to experiment with and adapt to new environments and situations.
  • The belief that the United States is a "city on the hill," a country the likes of which the world has never seen before.

Placing familiar historical events in the context of these overarching themes will help you see American history less as a series of separate events and more as a mosaic in which everything is interconnected.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2003 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2003 The Great Courses

What listeners say about The History of the United States, 2nd Edition

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A fantastic, high-level history lesson

s brilliant listen, doesn't get into massive detail on some topics, but does touch enough to give you context and direct you to subjects you'd like to know more about.

a great summary

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  • 08-07-23

Enjoyable

I not only learned a great deal of USA history but also I was entertained.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Informative, but bland.

I learned a great deal from this course but I would liked to have heard more opinions from the teachers.

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1 person found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars

Well-made, but Dated and a bit Dubious

Entertaining lectures, but surface-level in parts and lacking in nuance. Clearly recorded in 2004 or so.

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    4 out of 5 stars

Good introduction, slightly uneven

This is a very long lecture series as their subject matter requires. The speakers are good and the lecture series covers history pretty well.

The only issue that I had was that not all history was covered evenly. Especially the modern part was slightly rushed. Also, the side of natives could have been covered a bit more. But it is understandable why they didn't have time, series is already 43+ hours.

Overall, definitely recommend this to anyone interested in US history who wants to get started.

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5 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars

Brilliant book

Very extensive and well narrated
Thought Prof Allitt often often only presented conservative view points although I understand why given that he is an expert on American conservatism.

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So informative and enjoyable!

Great series of well written and narrated lectures. each captured a view as America stepped through its history. Brilliant!

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A great overview

For a British person who has never studied American History, this was a perfect introductory summary to give me the key points. There are area that I would like more detail e g the civil rights movement, but these are for me to go on and look up independently.
the only thing I disliked was the music at the start of every lecture!!

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Comprehensive History of the USA

It is sad that much of the history of the USA is never taught to Europeans.
What happened after the American War of Independence ?
This well-organised set of lectures takes you through the whole history of the USA.
An excellent addition to any Audible member's library.

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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing!

So informative, nicely presented and fascinating throughout. 40 hours might sound very long, but at least nothing important is missed, and it's all structured in a very engaging way.

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