America, Empire of Liberty: A New History of the United States - Softcover

Publishers Weekly "In an animated overview up to the present time, Cambridge historian Reynolds (In Command of History) captures the sprawling chronicle of a nation forged from the fires of revolution, populated by immigrants and constantly evolving politically and culturally... Most readers will find Reynolds's epic overview provocative and enjoyable." American History Magazine "Dazzlingly sweeping yet stippled with detail, this one-volume narrative runs from 1776 to Obama's election, serving up fresh insights along the way." Kirkus "Concise and still-inclusive...teeming...an evenhanded distillation of America's story from a singular outside observer." The National Interest "Let us not mince words...this is the best one-volume history of the United States ever written... At least on the face of it, no single mind can master this mountain of material, avoid the almost-inevitable factual blunders, negotiate the long-standing scholarly controversies, and control the narrative in clear and at-times-lyrical prose. But that is precisely what Reynolds has done... [A] remarkable tour of the American past."

Thomas Jefferson envisioned the United States as a great "empire of liberty." In this single-volume history of the United States, David Reynolds takes Jefferson's phrase as a key to the American saga. He examines how the anti-empire of 1776 became the greatest superpower the world has seen and asks difficult questions about the cost of American greatness, from slavery to the War on Terror. Written with verve, insight, and humour, America, Empire of Liberty is a magisterial depiction of America in all its grandeur and contradictions.