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sydapel's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
The thesis of this book is that America has always been a capitalist, white supremacist country fueled by partisan media and the only way forward is to reckon with it, learn from it, and to stop putting our political figures on pedestals. And I absolutely agree. The author breaks down our sordid history by presidential figures and historical eras, covering some things I knew and some things that were unbeknownst to me (namely the turn of the Democratic party to centricity and neo-libreralism around the time of Clinton). If you're trying to understand our current hellscape, I recommend this wholeheartedly
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Slavery, and War
Moderate: Torture, Islamophobia, Colonisation, Religious bigotry, Hate crime, and Classism
Minor: Homophobia, Police brutality, and Abortion
raro6511's review against another edition
challenging
informative
medium-paced
4.5
Very well researched look into the history of America that is not taught in schools. Some of the things I learned were hard to stomach and extremely upsetting to say the least. Very interesting and eye opening.
abigailfair's review against another edition
4.0
This book should have been depressing.
It's a detailed history of all the shenanigans rich white men have pulled to stay in power, from the very beginning of America's history to the Trump administration. The media has always been partisan and biased—first pamphlets and newspapers, then radio and TV, now email and social media have been funded by people with an agenda. The rich and powerful pitted poor whites against poor blacks so that neither would see they were both being taken advantage of. Parties sacrificed ideals to stay in power. Idealists make it to the top, only to find the forces against change too strong to overcome.
However, far from being discouraged, I was comforted. Despite all the compromises and power plays, progress has in fact been made. Trying to recover a lost golden age feels impossible; finding out it never was, or that if there ever was one, it was brief and localized, means we are free to choose a new path going forward.
I only wish the author had acknowledged his bias more openly. It's clear that he's quite liberal, but by leaving it unstated, he casts doubts on the truthfulness of his seemingly meticulous and carefully cited research. Although no party or president escapes the microscope, it will probably raise hackles with its description of modern Republican presidents (which, again, probably aren't false, but are presented with no attempt at neutrality).
From his epilogue:
It's a detailed history of all the shenanigans rich white men have pulled to stay in power, from the very beginning of America's history to the Trump administration. The media has always been partisan and biased—first pamphlets and newspapers, then radio and TV, now email and social media have been funded by people with an agenda. The rich and powerful pitted poor whites against poor blacks so that neither would see they were both being taken advantage of. Parties sacrificed ideals to stay in power. Idealists make it to the top, only to find the forces against change too strong to overcome.
However, far from being discouraged, I was comforted. Despite all the compromises and power plays, progress has in fact been made. Trying to recover a lost golden age feels impossible; finding out it never was, or that if there ever was one, it was brief and localized, means we are free to choose a new path going forward.
I only wish the author had acknowledged his bias more openly. It's clear that he's quite liberal, but by leaving it unstated, he casts doubts on the truthfulness of his seemingly meticulous and carefully cited research. Although no party or president escapes the microscope, it will probably raise hackles with its description of modern Republican presidents (which, again, probably aren't false, but are presented with no attempt at neutrality).
From his epilogue:
Americans must take a firm and nonnegotiable stand for fair representation and democratic values, understanding that electoral wins and losses need not be apocalyptic scenarios; grasp that divisive politics have been used as a weapon against the people from the very beginning; and recognize that communal good can far outweigh the visceral and toxic appeals of prejudice and tribalism.
…what we find is that normal people have been excelling and achieving greatness in spite of America. Once this is clear, it becomes obvious that the march on Selma, the Stonewall uprising, Frederick Douglass's fearless turn as America's conscience, the perpetual struggle by women and vulnerable minorities to seek equality, and even the ability of people to continue striving, dreaming, and just surviving in a system designed to hinder them at every turn, are just as inspiring as a band of eighteenth-century revolutionaries defeating Great Britain, the world's foremost empire.
mmcarlson's review against another edition
5.0
To say that I enjoyed this book would be incorrect. This was a difficult book to digest- not because the writing was poor, though. The writing was very clear and easy to understand. Peeling away the myth of America was the difficult part. Letting go of what I though the country was is what made me keep putting the book down. I feel like everyone needs to read it (even if it take 6 months to do it).