American History A.S.A.P. [antikvár]

What This Is and What This Isn't The best way to explain the purpose of this book is to examine the tail end of its title: A.S.A.P.—"As Soon as Possible," and "As Simple as Possible." The "soon" and the "simple" parts are key, of course, but so is the "as possible." For the goal is to deliver, in an informal, enjoyable, and highly efficient one-stop source, all the American history the general reader needs to stake a legitimate claim to cultural literacy. This much and no more, but no less, either—which is what is meant by "as simple as possible." American History A.S.A.P. is not a compact narrative history of the United States, nor is it a brief encyclopedia. Instead, it selects 200 events that everyone needs to know about American history and uses them as sturdy springboards to related events and, even more important, to the ideas, concepts, and themes that underlie and inform American history. There are just 200 events here, but they are leveraged into a full-scale appreciation of American history from the Ice Age to September 11, 2001, and beyond.