The American Future - Paperback

by Simon Schama (Author)

"With eloquence, wit, passion, and irony, The American Future traces the history of an idea: that of our national destiny....A book of beautiful writing, peppered with wisecracks, slashed with rapier thrusts." --Philadelphia Inquirer

A De Tocqueville for the 21^st century, Simon Schama, NBCC Award winning author of Rough Crossings offers an essential, historical, long view analysis of the American character in The American Future. Shama examines four themes--war, race and faith, immigration, and custodianship of the land--through the prism of the historic 2008 presidential election in a magnificent work that the Wall Street Journal calls a "celebration of American resiliency." Niall Ferguson says, "I hope Obama will have this book on his bedside table."

• The American Character: Explore the core of the American spirit, from its foundational myths to what the Wall Street Journal calls its celebrated resiliency.
• US History and Politics: Journey from the Founding Fathers and the Civil War to the defining moments of the 21st century in a sweeping historical analysis.
• American Democracy: Witness the historic 2008 presidential election through the eyes of a master historian, placing a pivotal moment in the long arc of America's story.
• Immigration and Identity: Unpack the complex questions of what it means to be an American by examining the nation's relationship with war, faith, immigration, and the land itself.

Front Jacket

Nothing that has happened since the inauguration of Barack Obama has dispelled the sense that the election of 2008 was the kind of moment of truth in American politics and history that seldom comes along. Simon Schama, the acclaimed historian and award-winning critic, followed the campaign, but unlike other accounts, The American Future looks at that contemporary moment through the window of time. In four areas critical to the fate of the American republic--war; the place of religion in politics and culture; immigration; and the tenacious grip of expectations of permanent abundance--Schama looks back to see more clearly into the future. Full of lost insights and spellbinding tales, discovering men and women who have been forgotten in the big record, The American Future showcases Schama's unique gift of storytelling, ensuring these eloquent voices will be heard again as the nation moves forward into an uncertain moment in its history.

Back Jacket

Nothing that has happened since the inauguration of Barack Obama has dispelled the sense that the election of 2008 was the kind of moment of truth in American politics and history that seldom comes along. Simon Schama, the acclaimed historian and award-winning critic, followed the campaign, but unlike other accounts, The American Future looks at that contemporary moment through the window of time. In four areas critical to the fate of the American republic--war; the place of religion in politics and culture; immigration; and the tenacious grip of expectations of permanent abundance--Schama looks back to see more clearly into the future. Full of lost insights and spellbinding tales, discovering men and women who have been forgotten in the big record, The American Future showcases Schama's unique gift of storytelling, ensuring these eloquent voices will be heard again as the nation moves forward into an uncertain moment in its history.