| | |  | MUSIC | Home » » Seven Events That Made America America | | | | | | | Features: | |
• ISBN13: 9781595230645
• Condition: New
• Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
| | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Larry Schweikart | | Hardcover:
| 272 pages | | Publisher:
| Sentinel HC | | Publication Date:
| June 01, 2010 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 1595230645 | | Package Length:
| 8.9 inches | | Package Width:
| 6.3 inches | | Package Height:
| 1.0 inches | | Package Weight:
| 0.9 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 15 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
 Visiting New York CityAug 24, 2010
About 12 years ago, I lived in New York City for a time frame. I went to the Twin Towers and learned to love iced coffee there while talking with a new Associate. This Associate was later to leave for Florida and we lost contact. I was grateful, nevertheless, to know she was in Florida when I saw the disaster of 9/11. I always wondered what happened to all the wonderful people she worked with at the Legal Aid Foundation. I had not been back in New York since this tragedy. However, eventually, I went back to see my very dear friend who still lived in Briarwood. The first thing that greeted me was a sign that smacked of Moslims...a HUGE billboard, greeting one as they entered the roads leading to George Washington Bridge. What would George Washington have thought about that? Never, when I was there before, did I see Moslims so openly walking in the streets of New York City. They seemed to be everywhere now. New York is a "shadow" being rebuilt but with such sadness that it can be felt. The idea of a mosque by the twin towers would never have been entertained before so why do it now if the reason is not to invoke more pain and show who is supposedly controlling this great city? Of course, the Bible says "By their fruits you will know them...." Obama is certainly proving this to be true. He refused to acknowledge a day of prayer for the Christians but had no problems with praying on the White House lawn with Moslems. What would the first Presidents who lived in the White House, our Founding Fathers have thought about that? With these thoughts in mind, I found this book at the Brooklyn library when my friend and I stopped there so I could use the computer. I did not know how grateful I would become for this book. Even after I started reading... the first chapter was not easy to "immerse" oneself into. This is not the kind of book that those who do not have English as their first language would likely enjoy. For that reason, it is a GREAT American book all by itself. It speaks of AMERICAN experiences from our Founding Fathers to present day. I made my way through the first chapter and found the rest very easy reading. This book is a very rewarding read indeed. I highly recommend it to anyone who would like to be more "awake" regarding America and this country's background. The seven events have been covered well here by other reviewers. I will say that most Americans know the "basic" history of America but this book goes into more detail regarding the heritage of our country. It's such a quality book that even after reading it, I'm choosing to add it to my home library. Thanks New York for giving me another great "FIRST". I will always remember you with fondness and am ever grateful for this great book!
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Some very good points but also some very bad mistakesAug 19, 2010
Larry Schweirkart does a credible job at exploring some interesting topics in American history and giving them his spin. I enjoyed his take on the Dred Scott decision and I am sure he will anger his own fan base with his strong criticism of Ronald Regan even if he mutes it somewhat. He does conveniently ignore some facts that counter his beliefs. For example he decries the nanny state but he has no issue with the mass inoculation of polio or the ban against smoking.
His arguments against the FDA just seem foolish given what is going on even today. On the other hand he is right on when he describes how the media is different from everyone else and how certain people are treated differently based on how the media views them. Also, his crediting rock music with the fall of communism seems right. I mean does anyone know of a Chinese or North Korean rock band?
All in all if you're conservative you will like this. If you're not then you will hate it. If you are like me and a moderate you will find some of it interesting and some of it not.
3 of 5 found the following review helpful:
challenging but unevenAug 11, 2010
7 Events should be read by liberals (like me) and those interested in history for its interpretations and insights into the impact of these so-called overlooked events (Dred Scott overlooked? hardly). Much of the analysis is sound, but the overall historical interpretation is undercut by one sentence dismissals of controversial interpretations that he presumes to pass by with a mere statement that his analysis is correct. A more rigorous treatment of these (sometimes pivotal) issues might have made the book a little less easy to read but more scholarly (in the good sense). 3 1/2 stars
4 of 8 found the following review helpful:
 Polemics, not historyAug 06, 2010
While he apparently trained as a historian, Schweikart has become little more than a polemicist. His basic premise that government is too big and overly invasive is a fairly solid one, and some tiny portion of his book supports this. But for the most part he plays loose and fast with his 'facts' and the majority of the book consists of his extremely one-sided interpretation of facts that are cherry-picked to support his preconceived conclusions. I cannot recommend this book.
5 of 7 found the following review helpful:
Events usually have unanticipated consequences. Terrific read!Jul 14, 2010
The title is not claiming that these are the most important events in American history. But they are each very interesting because of the unforeseen ways history unfolded after they occurred. One of the requirements of being a compelling historian is getting the facts right, explaining them with compelling analysis, and telling the story with the page turning urgency of great story telling. Schweikart achieves all three in this fine book.
What are the 7 events?
1) How Martin Van Buren created the party system in order to win power by protecting slavery in the South and winning power in the North and West by not BEING from the South, but having "Southern Values". Along with this came patronage and the cynical notion of buying votes with government largesse. Sound familiar? Yep.
2) The Supreme Court decision against the slave Dred Scott's emancipation was so bad that caused violence and bloodshed in the west, gave energy to the rise of the new abolitionist Republican Part, and increased the likelihood of war between the North and the South.
3) How people in America responded to the tragedy of the flood following a dam failure in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Notice that it was the private sector response that fixed things quickly and ably. Compare that to the helpless dependence on the Feds for Katrina.
4) President Eisenhower had a heart attack during his second term in office which led to his program of "healthy living", which spread out into society and into government policy. Never mind that much of the advice has been dead wrong and overturned by later evidence. Never mind that there is no Constitutional power for a Nanny State to decide what Americans should or must eat and not eat. Just look at Bloomberg in New York City and listen to any recent speech by Michelle Obama and you know that Nanny State is not only getting stronger, it is moving from being a nag to enforcing with the power of law. Bad news for freedom and personal responsibility, folks.
5) I love Schweikart's tour of how rock and roll undermined the power of the Soviet Empire and its totalitarian control over people's lives. Well, it was Rock and Roll and fax machines, too. But this is about Rock and Roll, so let's party and have some fun.
6) Ronald Regan was a great president, but he made some serious mistakes. And the one that we are still paying for is his pull out of Lebanon after more than a hundred Marines were killed by a truck bomb. You can debate whether we should have been there or how the marines should have been better deployed, but the reality is that by pulling out, in the eyes of the Muslim fundamentalists that became Al Queda and similar organizations, we shamed ourselves. We made ourselves look week and emboldened them. You want to talk about recruiting terrorists that move and Bill Clinton's running from Somalia encouraged the delusions of Jihadists and Islamic Terrorists everywhere that they could conquer the West and destroy a weak and collapsing America.
7) The national and political media has leaned left for decades, but they gave up all pretense of objectivity in rooting for Barack Obama. Even while Obama's policies are unpopular and his poll numbers are sinking, he can count on the national media to still package stories as positively as they can. This means Obama can also bully them and ignore them and they still bend to him. We will see how this plays out in the next couple of elections and what its meaning is for other candidates in the future.
A fascinating book. Whether you want to debate the author or quibble over a detail or interpretation, that is part of the fun of history not a weakness. Enjoy!
Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Saline, MI
| | |
|
