Don't Know Much About History: Everything You Need to Know About American History but Never Learned (Don't Know Much About...) | 
 enlarge | Author: Kenneth C. Davis
Publisher: HarperCollins
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  154 reviews
Sales Rank: 4188
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 678
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.3 x 1.3
ISBN: 0060083824
Dewey Decimal Number: 973
EAN: 9780060083823
ASIN: 0060083824
Publication Date: April 13, 2004
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Finally, someone who tells history like it was, without the old textbook gloss that's put so many students into premature naptime and misinformed the few who stayed awake. Davis corrects the myths and misconceptions from Columbus up through the Clinton administration, and shows that truth is more entertaining than propaganda.
Amazon.com Audiobook Review
Kenneth Davis's aim in this program, as it is in all the titles of this popular series, is to make learning relevant and fun. He succeeds marvelously. Davis has an easygoing style and a good sense of humor. And most importantly, he knows how to present the "big picture." His history of the United States is not a series of isolated incidents that happened long ago with no bearing on contemporary American life. Listening to this presentation, we recognize patterns, notice how problems of the past resurface in our own present, and realize that history is what makes us today. We are also presented with a look at American history that is far more honest than anything gleaned from traditional textbooks. Heroes and villains alike are presented, warts and all, and the "less savory moments" in America's past are discussed frankly. For, as Davis explains, "the real picture is much more interesting than the historical tummy tuck." The theme running through the program, from pre-European settlement to the Reagan years, is the struggle for power--the never-ending battle between the haves and have-nots that is the "essence of history." Six hundred years of history are broken up into manageable segments though a series of questions (spoken in a number of different voices to help distinguish them from the main narration), each of which is given a specific answer and then discussed in the context of its contemporary setting and perhaps past and future events. This is a crash course that focuses on the basics but will inspire listeners to want to know more--which is really what learning's all about. (Running time: six hours, four cassettes) --Uma Kukathas
Product Description
Who really discovered America? What was "the shot heard 'round the world"? Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: Did he or didn't he? From the arrival of Columbus through the bizarre election of 2000 and beyond, Davis carries readers on a rollicking ride through more than 500 years of American history. In this updated edition of the classic anti-textbook, he debunks, recounts, and serves up the real story behind the myths and fallacies of American history.
Download Description
"Dont Know Much About Kenneth C. Davis: An Interview with the AuthorIn this new and completely revised, expanded and updated edition of the million-selling book that launched the Don't Know Much About series, Kenneth C. Davis uses humor, wit, great stories and his trademark question-and-answer style to bring Americans a fresh new take on history. Perfect for history buffs and history-phobes alike. A new, completely revised, expanded and updated edition of the million-selling New York Times bestseller that launched the entire Don't Know Much About series When Don't Know Much About History first appeared thirteen years ago, it created a sensation. With humor, wit, great stories, and a trademark conversational style, the book brought Americans a fresh new take on history. Shattering myths and vividly bringing the past to life, it spent thirty-five consecutive weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Davis proved that Americans don't hate history -- they just hate the dull textbook version they were force-fed in school. The book became an instant classic, an ""anti -textbook"" that has sold more than 1.3 million copies. In his irreverent and popular question-and- answer style, Davis now returns with a completely revised edition that brings history right up to the moment -- covering such topics as the end of the Cold War, Clinton's impeachment, the bizarre election of 2000, and the events that led to September 11. Incorporating new research and discoveries, Davis also updates and expands on such long-standing American controversies as the Jefferson-Hemings affair, the Alger Hiss trial, and the Rosenberg spy case. And he includes an expanded ""civics lesson"" that examines some of America's hottest social and political issues, such as the death penalty, gun control, and school prayer.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 149 more reviews...
 Very Flawed Effort August 22, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The book attempts to make history interesting and debunk many misconceptions. The initial writing starts off strong, then quickly falls into the following traps:
1) Opinionated. The author injects strong opinions where it's not needed or supported. For example, he likes to mention the "myth" of American opportunity, even right after sections about prominent figures that started from very poor backgrounds. Every motivation is boiled down to greed and racism, even the abolitionist movements.
2) Inaccuracy. This is a deal-killer for historical books. Facts are frequently wrong, which is a problem since there are no sources cited. For example, the "small and unprepared" Polish army in WW2 consisted of 900,000 men and had been industrializing and training three years before the NAZI invasion.
3) Tireless racial notes. The author never misses an opportunity to point out a person's racism or antisemitism, even though that was the rule as opposed to the exception in pre-1960's thinking. The book should have been titled "Greed and Racism in American History."
4) Dubious choices of inclusion. Why does Whitewater, Watergate, and Iran-Contra occupy passages as large as the Vietnam war? Far too much attention is given to meaningless detail in the later sections. What about the failed equal rights amendment, the fall of unions, and the airline strike?
5) Failure to connect the dots. "Historical inevitability" is a phrase I never want to hear again. It's a cop-out term when the author can't come up with a good reason for something.
The book isn't a total loss. Several ridiculous theories are debunked and some interesting anecdotes are included. But once you're past the revolution, you get a tireless sermon of greed, racism, and uninteresting, disjointed text.
What was the point of the Afterward, other than to lament America's violence?
I can't recommend this book to anyone.
 What i learned about history August 19, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I am in the process of reading this book for my AP class. As a summer reading book and the third one I've read this summer, i was not expecting much from this book. I was pleasantly surprised upon completing the first chapter. Kenneth C. Davis writes in such a way, that you feel he is talking to you. As a book about history you would think it to be very dull and boring, but as i said before, his style of writing makes reading all the more endearing. Plus his "Must read" notations are surprisingly interesting, and I have to say, choices I would actually read.
 A Built-In Bias Book June 24, 2008
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
In terms of objectivity, this book has little to offer. Bias in the modern sections is easily spotted. Read the sections that describe Ronald Reagan as an incompetent dolt and Bill Clinton as a brilliant but flawed politician. If his bias is so readily apparent in these modern passages, then what kind of bias is probable in sections where a reader is less able to discern his 'slant' on history to suit hisown agenda. Historians should offer up facts and figures and weave from a variety of sources to come up with a solid profile of history. Davis has an ax to grind for the liberal camp. At the end of the book, he refers to Howard Zinn, a hard left historian, who offers a 'necessary corrective' in his books.
If you're looking for history books, keep looking.
A Good Starting Point June 7, 2008
If the last time you read about history was decades ago in high school, this is a good book to use as a brief overview. The 1-star reviews are primarily from politically conservative readers. Mr. Davis does lean somewhat to the left, but leaning to the right is just as error-prone ( i.e. the recent reviewer who whitewashed JD Rockefeller, using JDR's autobiography, no less, as one of her 3 sources ). The book is a fun read, and might just get you interested in reading more detailed, nuanced works.
Still Don't Know Much About History... May 20, 2008
7 out of 9 found this review helpful
As it purports to contain "Everything You Need to Know About American History but Never Learned", I had hoped that this book would provide me with 1) the truth behind the many common misconceptions that we learn in elementary school history; 2) an interesting revisionist American history; or 3) some really neat trivia. Unfortunately, it did not live up to these expectations. I'm sorry, Mr. Davis, I did learn this history as a kid, and my school wasn't all that great. Getting past the notable quirks, such as abhorrant grammar and obvious biases, it simply does not deliver. It is generally an uninteresting, bland rehashing of American history, like a high school text book with less pictures. The book is unaccountable, without footnotes. This is a shame because some of the facts just don't check out. The most mentioned outside resources seem to be David McCullough's biographies, which are great reads but not academic texts by any stretch. The bias towards modern history (i.e., what the author has lived through; look at the section on Ronald Reagan) is obvious, as is the political correctness. History is history, regardless of how repugnant it might have been; sanitizing it or giving it to us through 21st century eyes helps nobody. There are many better "quick history" or "little known history" books out there, don't waste too much time with this one.
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