Johnson’s monumental history of the United States, from the first settlers to the Clinton administration, covers every aspect of American culture: politics, business, art, literature, science, society and customs, complex traditions, and religious beliefs. The story is told in terms of the men and women who shaped and led the nation and the ordinary people who collectively created its unique character. Anne Hutchinson, Cotton Mather, Ben Franklin, Tom Paine, George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, among others, are all presented in a fresh perspective. Wherever possible, letters, diaries, and recorded conversations are used to ensure a sense of actuality.

This is an in-depth portrait of a great people, from their fragile origins and struggles for independence, to their heroic efforts and sacrifices to deal with the “organic sin” of slavery and the preservation of the Union, to their explosive economic growth and emergence as the world’s greatest superpower.

REVIEWS

“Johnson is a lively writer (more so than nearly all other historians), and May’s reading is sensitive to Johnson’s wit and sharp comments….Her reading is lively, crisp, and sharp throughout.”—AudioFile

“Johnson's text is intelligent and rich with detail, and yet extremely accessible for anyone interested in a reinterpretive analysis of America's past….His detailed, provocative examinations of political and social icons, from Lyndon Johnson to Norman Rockwell, are especially strong.”—Amazon.com Review

“A magnificent achievement...brilliantly combines broad sweep with extraordinary detail.”—Wall Street Journal

“Expectations for a memorable, pleasurable, and instructive reading experience, and they are magnificently met. No dull pages occupy the space between the Puritans' “City upon a Hill” and superpower America….A work one can't begin to disagree with even partially without reading it wholly, which legions will eagerly do.”—Booklist

"This is vivid and memorable writing...Proves that history can still be literature."—National Review

"A fresh, readable and provocative survey. He is full of opinions...And Johnson can be very wise."—Los Angeles Times

"Arresting contentions and pieces of fascinating oddball information."—New York Times Book Review