America, Empire of Liberty: A New History
Encyclopedia
America, Empire of Liberty: A New History is a book on the history of the United States
by author David Reynolds
published in the United Kingdom in January 2009 by Penguin and in the United States in October 2009.
It is accompanied by a similarly named radio series on BBC Radio 4
. The radio series is to be broadcast in 90 15-minute segments over three series of 30 parts each.
The book takes its title from Thomas Jefferson
's speeches (he used the phrase "empire of liberty" at least twice).
reviewing the book for The Times
said "Journalism takes over from history in the last pages of the book. But that is a quibble [...] This is the best single-volume account of the world's greatest society for many years." The Guardian
reviewed it as 'book of the week' and DD Guttenplan
called it "a timely but flawed book" saying "on the topics I know a bit about, Reynolds is often unreliable. Finally, Reynolds is just cloth-eared when it comes to American culture."
In The Independent
Frank McLynn
said "readable, never dull, full of anecdotes, mini-biographies and arresting juxtapositions [...] but as a general overview of US history, Reynolds's book is chock-full of faults", The Daily Telegraph
's Alan Marshall said "Reynolds mostly succeeds in incorporating unfamiliar detail from the archives of ordinary life without losing his narrative thread. He has an enthralling tale to tell and he relates it in plain lively terms. And on the whole he is right to trust the sheer wealth of the material, familiar as its broad outline is, to hold us in its power unadorned." And The Financial Times Edward Luce
said "It is to Reynolds’ great credit that his book helps make sense not just of America but also of the Bushes. Now is a good time to read it."
History of the United States
The history of the United States traditionally starts with the Declaration of Independence in the year 1776, although its territory was inhabited by Native Americans since prehistoric times and then by European colonists who followed the voyages of Christopher Columbus starting in 1492. The...
by author David Reynolds
David Reynolds (English historian)
David Reynolds FBA is Professor of International History and a Fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge. He was educated at Dulwich College, then Cambridge and Harvard Universities. He has held visiting posts at Harvard, Nebraska and Oklahoma, as well as at Nihon University in Tokyo...
published in the United Kingdom in January 2009 by Penguin and in the United States in October 2009.
It is accompanied by a similarly named radio series on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
. The radio series is to be broadcast in 90 15-minute segments over three series of 30 parts each.
The book takes its title from Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
's speeches (he used the phrase "empire of liberty" at least twice).
Reception
Max HastingsMax Hastings
Sir Max Hugh Macdonald Hastings, FRSL is a British journalist, editor, historian and author. He is the son of Macdonald Hastings, the noted British journalist and war correspondent and Anne Scott-James, sometime editor of Harper's Bazaar.-Life and career:Hastings was educated at Charterhouse...
reviewing the book for The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
said "Journalism takes over from history in the last pages of the book. But that is a quibble [...] This is the best single-volume account of the world's greatest society for many years." The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
reviewed it as 'book of the week' and DD Guttenplan
DD Guttenplan
Don David Guttenplan is the author of The Holocaust on Trial. This book is about David Irving's trial for denial of the holocaust.He recently completed a biography of I. F. Stone, the American journalist, titled "American Radical: The Life and Times of I.F...
called it "a timely but flawed book" saying "on the topics I know a bit about, Reynolds is often unreliable. Finally, Reynolds is just cloth-eared when it comes to American culture."
In The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
Frank McLynn
Frank McLynn
Francis James McLynn, FRHistS, FRGS — known as Frank McLynn — is a British author, biographer, historian and journalist. He is noted for critically acclaimed biographies of Napoleon Bonaparte, Robert Louis Stevenson, Carl Jung, Richard Francis Burton and Henry Morton Stanley.McLynn was educated at...
said "readable, never dull, full of anecdotes, mini-biographies and arresting juxtapositions [...] but as a general overview of US history, Reynolds's book is chock-full of faults", The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
's Alan Marshall said "Reynolds mostly succeeds in incorporating unfamiliar detail from the archives of ordinary life without losing his narrative thread. He has an enthralling tale to tell and he relates it in plain lively terms. And on the whole he is right to trust the sheer wealth of the material, familiar as its broad outline is, to hold us in its power unadorned." And The Financial Times Edward Luce
Edward Luce
Edward Luce is the Washington bureau chief of the Financial Times, London. Earlier he was their South Asia Bureau Chief based at New Delhi. He is married to Priya Basu...
said "It is to Reynolds’ great credit that his book helps make sense not just of America but also of the Bushes. Now is a good time to read it."
External links
- Penguin Books - page in their catalogue.
- BBC website for the radio series.
- America, Empire of Liberty, The Daily TelegraphThe Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
- the author talks about the radio series.