Product Description

A revised edition of the clasic study of American politics from the Founding Fathers to FDR.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13907 in Books
• Published on: 1989-04-23
• Released on: 1989-04-23
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 560 pages

Inside Flap Copy
A revised edition of the clasic study of American politics from the Founding Fathers to FDR.

Customer Reviews

5 stars for the first nine chapers, 1 star for the last two.
Therefore, I'll average it out at 3. I greatly enjoyed this book up until the last two chapters. The language was excellent, the characterizations vivid, the stories engrossing, and the information pertinent. The personalities of great American political minds jumped out of the page and were revealed in their genius and human fallibility. The chapters on Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt I thought were particularly good.

What a shame then that the last two chapters interjected so much socialist bias. I will say at the outset that I am politically conservative, and thus will not hide my own interpretive lens. However, I would like to believe that even the most staunch liberal would find the biased charges leveled at Hoover, and the unmitigated praise heaped on New Deal politics, to be distracting. Indeed, to the less disciplined reader it may ruin the book. Luckily it didn't for me, but it came close.

I understand that during the writing of this book Hofstadter was very sympathetic with socialist doctrine and a member of the Communist Party. His political leanings are evident in his interpretation of modern events. For example, in reference to Hoover he asks: "Could he have seriously believed that free enterprise might be restored to the post-war world?" (p. 308). Hofstadter betrays his historical determinism and love for the notion of a planned economy in arguments such as: "That there was anything natural, not to say inevitable, about this trend toward managed economies was a conclusion Hoover could never acknowledge..." (p. 309).

I agree with the previous reviewer that it would have been interesting to see Hofstadter's reaction to the rise of Goldwater economics and the Reagan era. It also would have been interesting to see his explanation for the recent elections of economically conservative administrations in Germany, France, and Scandinavia. Unfortunately he died before he could witness this reversion to more unfettered economic policies. Would he have referred to these events as the most "heroic setting-back of the clock" in world history, as he did somewhat sarcastically in regards to Hoover? (p. 308). I would like to believe that he would have realized the fallacy of the planned economy and the potential for prosperity in a free-market system, but there's no way to know for sure.

I would recommend the first 9 chapters of this book to those interested in American history. They are truly excellent. After chapter 9 I would stop, unless you're prepared to read with a several (large) grains of salt. I would also recommend "The Age of Reform" as a relatively more insightful and less biased Hofstadter work, although it only covers the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

GREAT MEN OF AMERICA AS HUMANS
I WON'T WASTE THE READER'S TIME PRAISING HOFFSTADTER--HE WAS ONE OF THE GREATS. THIS IS NOT A BOOK YOU WILL CUDDLE UP WITH ON A RAINY DAY. IT IS THOUGHT PROVOKING AND THOUGHTFUL. IT DELVES INTO STATESMEN OF ALL STRIPES AND DOESN'T MINCE WORDS FOR POLITICAL CORRECTNESS. THIS AUTHOR GIVES US A FRESH INSIGHT TO OUR HEROES AND MAY DISTURB US BY EXPOSING CLAY FEET THAT ARE NORMAL FOR ALL HUMANS GREAT AND AVERAGE. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN AMERICA'S PAST AND FUTURE READ THIS BOOK.

A Masterwork of its Genre
The classic story of American History, as told by Richard Hofstadter, has rightly come to be thought of as a masterpiece of American history since its original publication in 1948. This well deserved reputation comes from the rich storytelling, attention to detail, and thoughtful and complete narrative Hofstadter puts forward in this book.

Hofstadter takes as his guide one figure from each generation starting from the beginning of the Republic, and through biographical sketch describes both the historical figure and the time period he is depicting. Beginning with Jefferson and including people such as Jackson, Lincoln, Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt, Hofstadter demonstrates how a combination of the great men and the times they lived in shaped what have come down to us as the leading tradition in American politics: the belief in American greatness, individualism, and compassion.

The most significant contribution of this book is to show how these men, who have come down to us as legendary and nearly mythological figures were very much political animals. Just like Bill Clinton and George Bush make decisions today based on political calculation, so to do Lincoln and Jefferson. That these men were not demigods but in fact mere humans makes their achievements that much more incredible.