American History - book recommendations please

[libertydoddle]

I'd like to read up on modern American history but not sure where to start! I'd appreciate recommendations for a couple of good, readable (ie not too academic) overviews and some ideas of books that cover particular topics / periods such as the Civil War, period between the WW1 and WW2 etc.

Many thanks.

[libertydoddle]

Bumping....

[LineysRun]

Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee

[Obsidian77]

Is this just for general interest or are you preparing for studying? Do you prefer books or would you be interested in watching documentaries?
Are you interested in social, military, economic history for example? Would works of fiction interest you or are you keen on non-fiction?

[LineysRun]

And funnily enough, Gone With The Wind isn't at all bad as a novel.

[hugoagogo]

I was going to say Bury me at wounded knee by Dee Brown, it's such a powerful book.
I like the penguin book of modern American history too, but will admit I haven't read that much American history really.

[libertydoddle]

Sorry late back to this.... Thank you! Will definitely get Bury my heart at Wounded Knee. I read Gone with the Wind as a teenager!

Obsidian77 general interest rather than preparing for study. I'm interested in social history but also military, would particularly like to understand the civil war. Fiction recommendations very welcome too.

[libertydoddle]

Penguin book also noted....

[Timeforabiscuit]

One summer America, by Bill Bryson i found quite readable and interesting - covers one summer in the 1920's.

[ClarenceOddbody]

Bill Bryson's Made In America is really good. It's not exactly a humourous book as such, like his others, it's more factual​. I think it mostly focuses on 20th C though (from memory). If you want some ideas for fiction, Malcolm Bradbury's The Modern American Novel is a good intro/handbook and pretty readable. And if you want to look into the Civil War, what about Uncle Tom's Cabin? It's a novel obv, but might be a good starting point. Yes to Bury my heart at wounded knee as well.

[libertydoddle]

Uncle Tom's Cabin is a good idea. Must be over 20 years since i read it. Thanks also for the suggestions re Bill Bryson.

[Floisme]

For the depression years - and also post WW2 - John Steinbeck. (Personally I struggle with him but I accept that I'm the one with the problem.)

[libertydoddle]

Thanks Floisme.

[lljkk]

The Jungle. Invisible Man.

[AuldHeathen]

Another on the civil war is 'Battle Cry for Freedom' by James M McPherson.

[LineysRun]

Are you Twitter? I can recommend some good Twitter accounts.

[libertydoddle]

Not on Twitter - can't cope with too much social media!

Really appreciate all the recommendations. My Amazon wish list is getting longer

[DelinquencyMatters]

A People's History of The United States

I loved it. Very inspiring.

[Floisme]

Also Studs Terkel for oral 20th century history e.g. 'Hard Times,' 'The Good War', 'Working'. Fascinating and very readable.

[Obsidian77]

I second the recommendation for James McPherson's 'Battle Cry for Fredom' and John Keegan's 'The American Civil War' is on my to-read list.
Niall Ferguson's 'Colossus'
Was also going to suggest Bill Bryson (particularly 'One Summer: 1927') as I find him very readable and most of his stuff is available as audiobooks if this works for you.
In addition to Steinbeck authors like Kerouac, Truman Capote, Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison offer interesting perspectives.

[ClarenceOddbody]

Oh Floisme I love Studs Terkel. The most moving stories from the depression. You'd have to have a heart of stone not to be touched by them. Great recommendation!

[toldmywrath]

Nemesis by Philip Roth is about polio and the march of dimes movement in 1950s USA.

[libertydoddle]

This is great. Loads to get me going and keep me going for a while!

[reup]

This is good - about race class and ethnicity since 1938

<a class="break-all" href="//www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/One-Nation-Divisible-Ethnicity-Classics/0140159991?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">//www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/One-Nation-Divisible-Ethnicity-Classics/0140159991?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[reup]

Stephen Ambrose has written lots of WW2 books and on post war politics.

<a class="break-all" href="//www.amazon.co.uk/Aint-Woman-Black-Women-Feminism/dp/0861043790/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1492374605&sr=1-1&keywords=ain%27t%20i%20a%20woman&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">//www.amazon.co.uk/Aint-Woman-Black-Women-Feminism/dp/0861043790/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1492374605&sr=1-1&keywords=ain%27t%20i%20a%20woman&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21 . This was one one of my uni course and was interesting about black women and feminism.

[BarchesterFlowers]

<a class="break-all" href="//www.amazon.com/History-American-People-Paul-Johnson/dp/0060930349?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">A History of the American People.