Moving to the US - any good books on US history?

[tslex]

I came to this thread late. I have nothing to add to the reading list as far straight histories go, but want to say I am just damned pleased and impressed to find myself among a group like this.
Everything from Alexis de Tocqueville to Howard Zinn is on offer in this thread. Well done.
And I am not ashamed to say I've added a couple of items out of this thread to my own queue.
Beyond the excellent recos here, another approach -- one I enjoy -- is to select the right biographies to read. I'd suggest the following:
"1776" by David McCullough (essentially a biography of George Washington)
“Abraham Lincoln: A Life," two-volumes by Michael Burlingame
"The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt," "Theodore Rex" and (if you love Teddy, but less essentially) "Colonel Roosevelt," Edmung Morris's TR triliogy. (The first two together are my favorite biography I have ever read.)
"FDR," by Jean Edward Smith
Robert Caro wrote/is writing FIVE volumes about LBJ, which is more LBJ than I can stand, to be honest. But "The Passage to Power" is essential and will carry you through JFK and the early 1960s. Or you might want to wait for the fifth book, not out yet, which will cover civil rights, Vietnam and the Great Society.

 

[jguss]

everyone's take on what's essential is personal, of course. here's mine...
my view is you can't read too much about the founding fathers, the revolution, and its aftermath. there are tons of great books on this general subject, some already mentioned. to them i'd add franklin (isaacson), washington (either flexner or chernow, although neither make him human; probably not possible), and hamilton (chernow). oddly enough the movie 1776 is also an entertaining way to get a quick grip on some of the political divisions underlying the move towards independence.
as for the civil war, i cheerfully join the throng: shelby foote's landmark is a must read if you're at all interested in what was the most important event (barring only the Revolution) in American history. as for lincoln, like shakespeare there are shelves of books about his life. sandburg as noted is poetic and moving; another personal favorite is david herbert donald's biography. make an effort to find one that you like. lincoln was the most important american (arguably the most important man) of the 19th century; complex and pivotal. the u.s. and the world would not have been the same if he hadn't lived and occupied the white house.
as for more recent times, the macgregor burns books on fdr are old school, but terrific. and that's coming from someone who thinks roosevelt was a slippery weasel. mccullough's book on truman is equally great, and about a much better man. the caro books on johnson are remarkable; they reset the dial on what constitutes great political biography. and lbj himself is almost shakespearean in his complexity. it's hard to see how such a greedy, sadistic, manipulative, pathological liar could have also remade the civil rights history of this country. unlike mirza, i like all the books so far published. a lot about lbj, to be sure, but much of it is valuable context. the beginning of the third volume alone provides a concise 100 page disquisition on the origin and function of the american senate. and no, it's not to provide comic soundbites from moronic buffoons.

 

[instymp]

Welcome!

Wish I had unbiased books to recommend about the history, and after a trip to Charleston, South Carolina last week & 68 years old, I too am wanting to read some, but not novels.

Best to you & Family.

 

[indianafrank]

+1 with de Tocqueville

 

[johnnyiii]

As a different type of entry I add Mark Twain "Life on the Mississippi" for the history of the river. Surprisingly enjoyable.
For more complete history books you can get old text books cheep.

 

[jackswilling]

I think you need to start at the beginning, so to speak, so in addition to the other great suggestions, I will add
1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus Oct 10, 2006

by Charles C. Mann
1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created Jul 24, 2012

by Charles C. Mann
American Colonies: The Settling of North America, Vol. 1 Jul 30, 2002

by Alan Taylor and Eric Foner
What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848 (Oxford History of the United States) Sep 23, 2009

by Daniel Walker Howe
These give essential historic context to the question How did we get here in the United States.

 

[echie]

Oh wow, so many great recommendations! It's inspiring to see how much you care about your country's history.
Now, to find a quiet place where I can smoke a pipe and read. From what I hear, might be difficult in San Francisco :P
Thanks, everyone! ::

 

[reniaeats]

It won't be difficult in San Fran at all. You're moving to the mecca for good little coffee shops and restaurants in the USA. No other city (at least that I've visited) compares.

 

[echie]

@reniaeats: I meant the "smoke a pipe" bit

 

[perdurabo]

The US Constitution, Declaration of Independace, The Federalist Papers and an old dictionary. Best damn reading in the world.
Democracy in America is another good one.
Ignore the Democrat Party instigated Race relations in the South. They own that fair and square.

 

[pipefish]

Another good read is "Confederates in the Attic" by Tony Horwitz. Interesting insight about the relevance of the Civil War.

 

[steveva]

For a general history of the United States I would highly recommend David Emory Shi and George Brown Tindall's America: A Narrative History. It's normally a 2 volume text book, and the 9th printing has an abbreviated edition, but I suggest you find a copy of the unabridged 4th Edition, It's massive...north of 1400 pages, but beautifully executed. Used copies run about 26USD/18GBP.
Good luck and welcome to The Colonies!
SDF

 

[dochudson]

Save yourself a bunch of money and get yourself a library card.. you can find books online and have them delivered to your local branch same with movies and music. Lots of the books will be available to download to a Kindle type device.

 

[mothernaturewilleatusallforbreakfast]

Being a presidential election year... I would recommend Candace Millard's Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President. It's great insight into a number of things including the life of James Garfield, but I really found the story of how Garfield received the republican nomination interesting. Additionally, his death served as a catalyst for the practice of medicine. It's too bad Joseph Lister was from England. Otherwise, if he had been an American, Garfield would have most likely lived. It was still too early for American doctors to believe the crazy Englishman's wild assertion that antiseptic could prevent infection. American doctors still believed that 'bad air' caused infections. Nonetheless, it's a good, quick, easy read.

 

[akfilm]

The 2nd Edition of "Lies My Teacher Told Me" by James W. Loewen. Most history is viewed through the eyes of the country that's writing it, and therefore skewed in their favor. America is especially bad about it.

 

[andrew]

Must reads.

 

[perdurabo]

Find a book called Ameritopia, it's the guide book to survive the approaching mess the electorate is brewing up for you. Populism and Democratic nihlism-a secular movement, one not unlike the movement that destroyed the country you came from. Of course moving to San Fransisco you'll be right at home, so forget all post from me before hand, and enjoy.

 

[jerwynn]

I just finished "Washington: A History of Our National City" by Tom Lewis... a fascinating history of D.C. that mirrors much of the spirit and soul of the United States as a whole. I am presently into "The American President: From Teddy Roosevelt to Bill Clinton" by Wm. Leuchtenburg... amazing and disturbing stories of the state of the modern and post modern world, as well as the evolution of the presidency in the U.S. I recommend both. Good luck in SF! My daughter just moved away from there. Now I can watch disaster movies like San Andreas and 2012 breathing just slightly easier.