Of the People: A Concise History of the United States; Second Edition; not only tells the history of America--of its people and places; of its dealings and ideals--but it also unfolds the story of American democracy; carefully marking how this country's evolution has been anything but certain; from its complex beginnings to its modern challenges. This comprehensive survey focuses on the social and political lives of people--some famous; some ordinary--revealing the compelling story of America's democracy from an individual perspective; from across the landscapes of diverse communities; and ultimately from within the larger context of the world.The Concise Second Edition tells the same great story; but with fewer words and images. Maintaining the structure; the features; and maps of the comprehensive edition; this concise version has been thoughtfully condensed--paragraphs now contain trimmed sentences and a reduced number of examples--thus leaving the book's core content and compelling narrative unchanged. The second edition includes 75 percent fewer margin quotations and 60 percent fewer images than in the comprehensive edition.
#1268171 in Books Oxford University Press; USA 2013-06-20Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 6.60 x 1.90 x 9.40l; 2.15 #File Name: 0199861455624 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. The Curious Race for Antarctic OwnershipBy Andrew Desmond“Antarctica†is a very curious book. I had expectations of the stories of Amundsen and Scott in their race to the pole; the gripping survival story of Shackleton and the exploits of Mawson. Indeed; these courageous men are mentioned but only in passing. Shackleton; for example; is glossed over in a handful of pages. Instead; the book gives extensive coverage to the politics and diplomacy of Antarctica. Clearly; this reader had false expectations.As far as Antarctic diplomacy is concerned; this largely involved the claiming of ownership rights to the vast and icy continent. In the 21st century; this sounds strange. Racing to own or claim title to certain parts of the continent seems to be such a pointless exercise. What did Antarctica have to offer? Well; potential mineral resources were often assumed to be there but precious little was ever found. Rather; it seems that a number of countries were in search for misguided prestige.Britain was the earliest of possible claimants with Captain Cook sailing south in the late 18th century. He never sighted the continent but may have whetted the appetite of other nations. Principal among these in no particular order was France; Norway; Australia; New Zealand and; later; the United States and the Soviet Union. There was also the duelling Latin America nations of Chile and Argentina. To this day; all these countries; except the U.S. and Russia; “claim†part of the continent. However; as time has shown; these claims are almost totally spurious. No one “owns†Antarctica. Rather; it is a giant international park.David Day has done a fine job in detailing the machinations of the various competing parties. Unfortunately; it is a somewhat dry topic. Perhaps Day should have devoted more attention to the explorers?6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Sweeping overview of Antarctic historyBy LighthouseguyFrom Captain Cook to the modern day tourist adventurers; David Day covers three plus centuries of exploration; exploitation and colonial claims of sovereignty over the last place on earth- the Antarctic Continent and its surrounding waters. I found the early chapters covering the efforts of Cook; Bellingshausen; Ross and others the most compelling and interesting. Having read many of the accounts of the heroic years in the Antarctic; I was a disappointed in the somewhat brief and dismissive chapters on Shackleton and Scott. David Day is squarely in the Roland Huntford camp in his opinion of Scott as his closing paragraph leads off "The bumbling incompetence of Scott and his expedition was not realised by some at the time." The later chapters on the post war years and the jockeying for priority of discovery amongst the contending countries; whilst in great detail; was less interesting and at times a struggle to get through. For readers new to the Antarctic and its story; this is a comprehensive overview. For those more widely read on the subject; it was perhaps less successful.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Outstandingly InformativeBy Peter L. MurrayDavid Day authoritatively relates the political history of the Antarctic Continent since its discovery in the early 19th century until the present day. This is a must read for anyone interested in the last World frontier as we start the 21st Century.
