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reatschetter 's review for:
The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels
by Jon Meacham
I'm so glad I put this book on my shelf after hearing about it on MPR. I am not in the least bit a history buff, so while I knew the broad sketch of most of the historic events and people discussed, there were many details giving insight into the personality, motivations and thoughts of the people who stand large in the backdrop of our history. And that's sort of the whole point of the book, understanding the characteristics of an individual (and a nation) that make one person choose our 'better angels' while another sows chaos.
I will probably need to read this again at some point in order to truly understand the historical context being presented (like I said, NOT a history buff), but I still found this book to be pretty readable once I got past the initial sections.
I'll admit, my initial thought was "Oh great, a white man writes about history, will it be viewed through rose colored glasses?" Fortunately, that was not in the least bit the point of the book. Meacham takes great pains to point out that even when white people were making strides forward, the battle for equality for black people was a long, often ignored one. This is perhaps, the central thread that ties the sections of the book together. The only quibble I might have is that after some initial discussion, Native Americans fade into the background almost as if they have disappeared entirely from the landscape of this nation. Perhaps focusing on the rights and freedoms of more than one group of people would have added too much length to the book, nevertheless I found myself disappointed in this.
Still, I would highly recommend this book to anyone asking "What makes a good President? What makes our nation great? How can the challenges and lessons of the past inform us today?" And, perhaps most importantly, "How can I as an ordinary citizen help to steer the nation in the direction of our better angels?"
I will probably need to read this again at some point in order to truly understand the historical context being presented (like I said, NOT a history buff), but I still found this book to be pretty readable once I got past the initial sections.
I'll admit, my initial thought was "Oh great, a white man writes about history, will it be viewed through rose colored glasses?" Fortunately, that was not in the least bit the point of the book. Meacham takes great pains to point out that even when white people were making strides forward, the battle for equality for black people was a long, often ignored one. This is perhaps, the central thread that ties the sections of the book together. The only quibble I might have is that after some initial discussion, Native Americans fade into the background almost as if they have disappeared entirely from the landscape of this nation. Perhaps focusing on the rights and freedoms of more than one group of people would have added too much length to the book, nevertheless I found myself disappointed in this.
Still, I would highly recommend this book to anyone asking "What makes a good President? What makes our nation great? How can the challenges and lessons of the past inform us today?" And, perhaps most importantly, "How can I as an ordinary citizen help to steer the nation in the direction of our better angels?"