'The term culture ... includes all the characteristic activities and interests of a people; Derby Day; Henley Regatta; Cowes; the twelfth of August; a cup final; the dog races; the pin table; the dart board; Wensleydale cheese; boiled cabbage cut into sections; beetroot in vinegar; 19th-century Gothic churches and the music of Elgar. The reader can make his own list ...'In this famous essay T. S. Eliot examines the principal uses of the word; and the conditions in which culture itself can flourish.'So rich in ideas that it is difficult to select two or three of them for comment ... it is a natural history of culture.' Sunday Times
#44094 in Books Michael Medved 2016-11-29 2016-11-29Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.54 x 1.45 x 6.43l; 1.29 #File Name: 0553447262416 pagesThe American Miracle Divine Providence in the Rise of the Republic
Review
63 of 68 people found the following review helpful. Divine Providence IndeedBy Big DaddyJust as God commanded Joshua to have the Israelites build a pile of rocks to remember what he had done for him; The American Miracle is a metaphorical pile of rocks; reminding the reader of how divine providence played a role in building this nation and how those truths are now being ignored and undermined by those who do not want the truth to be known.This book brings to life many of the stories of divine providence that have either been forgotten or are simply ignored in the regular history books. I enjoyed history as a student; but many of the things in this book were just ignored in history class. It's an interesting read. You will learn from it and will be amazed and encouraged by parts of it.5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Great book.By GG at RPVTrue to Medved's style of portraying history in very human terms. Great book.7 of 8 people found the following review helpful. More Luck than We DeserveBy Vince DittrichThe premise of the book is that the United States has been guided and protected by Divine Providence beginning with the pilgrims landing in North America. The book ends with Abraham Lincoln's assassination. Along the way enough events and personalities are explored so as to put our nation's first centuries into historical perspective and leave the reader appreciating each highly improbable event in view of the individuals and circumstances leading up to it. While the skeptic may mock by saying that Medved cherry picks his evidence and/or he puts too much emphasis on what the skeptic sees as simply a chain of fortuitous coincidences. The open minded will recognize that a pattern of coincidences is still a pattern which begs for an explanation. Even if you can't accept Medved's divine providence theme; the book is still an excellent read for its treatment of the history of our nation's infancy. One can hardly read the book without coming to the opinion that our founding depended on more luck than we've a right to expect.
