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Title: American Pageant by Thomas Bailey, Robert B. Grant, Neil R. Stout ISBN: 0-669-46265-9 Publisher: Houghton Mifflin College Pub. Date: June, 1998 Format: Paperback List Price(USD): $60.76

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Average Customer Rating: 3.46 (54 reviews)

Rating: 4
Summary: Beats the heck out of Howard Zinn
Comment: This book handles its subject very well. It was the basic text for my 11th Grade history course, where it provided a good balance of mildly amusing wit and genuinely useful information.

The main advantage of "The American Pageant" is that the author is not trying to push a major political agenda. It lacks the patriotic drivel for which "traditional" history texts are often denounced. However, it also lacks the negative, depressing Socialist philosophy which makes Zinn's "People's History of the United States" so difficult to read.

The end result is a history text which does a history text's job: telling what happened. The book covers politics, economics, and major events in a style which is sometimes amusing and usually informative. Although not overly political, it also pays due attention to such important issues as race and gender.

Not a particularly "specialized" book, but an excellent survey text.

Rating: 1
Summary: Worst. Book. Ever.
Comment: I may not be able to write all I can about how this book is really bad but the book, Lies My Teacher Told Me : Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong -- by James W. Loewen does a really good job with it. I just can't believe some people found this book ok to read. I had this book in school and I absolutely hated it.

This book personifies America A LOT for example on page 4 "The American continents were slow to yield their virginity." They uses a lot of metphors and flowery language.

Everything is very biased. He refered to the English as Anglo-Saxans. Just like Americans are Christian. (note the sarcasm)

The author likes to ignore some facts about history, like the existance of the Native Americans and believe me there was a LOT and their massacre is comparable to what happen to the Jews--- but more brutal. Of course I didn't learn that from this book. This book takes the existance of the Native Americans very lightly and passively.
-Page 4 "The American republic, which is still relatively young, was from the outset singularly favored. It started from scratch on a vast and virgin continent, which was so sparsely peopled by Indians that they could be eliminated or pushed aside."
-Page 10 "The English settlers, disagreeable though the thought may be, were more successful than the Spaniards in kiling off the Indians."
-Page 13 "The main attraction was hoped-for gold, although there was some desire to convert the heathen Indians to Christianity and to find a passage through America to the Indies."

Once again there's more that is wrong with this book. Just that I have to go to sleep now. But if you like flowerly language, a biased opinion on history, and the glorification of America then go ahead. I don't know about you but I just can't learn history like that, its a terrible way to try to improve our country if we don't learn the flaws or the wrong things that our country does.

Rating: 5
Summary: The best textbook I ever read
Comment: I'm 32 now and this was my AP US History book in high school. I'm thinking about buying it and reading it again, as a refresher and a pleasure. The satirical quips made it a joy the first time around, and I still remember charming phrases like "Nebrascals" and Martin van Buren being a "veritable steam engine in breeches." I remember about nothing from the rest of my high school and college textbooks. The authors find their subject grand, tragic and humorous, and that's the way they present it. Even if you think the style is inappropriate, you remember what is said. Perhaps it's even gotten under your skin enough for you to spout about it online for fifteen minutes instead of cracking open a bag of Doritos and firing up the Playstation. I'd say that's a colossal achievement when it comes to high school textbooks. And in case you're concerned that the relevent facts are missing, I got a 5 on my AP test.