These Truths: A History of the United States

By Jill Lepore

These Truths: A History of the United States - Jill Lepore
  • Release Date: 2018-09-18
  • Genre: U.S. History
Score: 4
4
From 279 Ratings

Description

“Nothing short of a masterpiece.” —NPR Books
A New York Times Bestseller and a Washington Post Notable Book of the Year

In the most ambitious one-volume American history in decades, award-winning historian Jill Lepore offers a magisterial account of the origins and rise of a divided nation.

Widely hailed for its “sweeping, sobering account of the American past” (New York Times Book Review), Jill Lepore’s one-volume history of America places truth itself—a devotion to facts, proof, and evidence—at the center of the nation’s history. The American experiment rests on three ideas—“these truths,” Jefferson called them—political equality, natural rights, and the sovereignty of the people. But has the nation, and democracy itself, delivered on that promise?

These Truths tells this uniquely American story, beginning in 1492, asking whether the course of events over more than five centuries has proven the nation’s truths, or belied them. To answer that question, Lepore wrestles with the state of American politics, the legacy of slavery, the persistence of inequality, and the nature of technological change. “A nation born in contradiction… will fight, forever, over the meaning of its history,” Lepore writes, but engaging in that struggle by studying the past is part of the work of citizenship. With These Truths, Lepore has produced a book that will shape our view of American history for decades to come.

Reviews

  • Interesting perspective

    4
    By BeastMode1128218
    Not a favorite but it was a good perspective.
  • A U.S. History Text Worth Reading

    5
    By Scott's take on things
    This should be required reading in high school. At least at some point U.S. citizens should be exposed to an interesting, thoughtful account of U.S. history that I never got in school. What a wonderfully told story, by turns inspiring and courageous, but also—and far too often—exploitative, brutal, and sickening.
  • An Excellent Summary of the Truth We Can’t Hide From

    4
    By juliusa
    Well written, fast moving summary of our truthful history. It is given here not as something to hide from, but rather something to learn from and move forward with. For those who know much of this stuff this is a good reminder of where we as a nation came from and how we might move forward. There is still so much work to be done as this pandemic has shown us. Knowing our history can help put it all in perspective. Highly recommended.
  • Now everything make sense

    5
    By geekmee
    Everything happening today, now makes sense. You can’t know where you’re going, until you know where you’ve been!
  • Real History

    5
    By Beau's. Dad
    Brainwashing in this nation starts in the early years into higher education. The evangelicals and capitalism appear to be along with religious education systems the biggest offenders. It’s all about control and riches as in Trump dictatorship. Modern day slavery controlled by the one percent .
  • A needed historical POV

    5
    By Captain Eric 48
    It’s great to find a history of how the issues were argued and not just who came out on top.
  • Typical

    1
    By Wxteacher
    Revisionist history as usual.