My review of "A Patriot's History of the United States"

JEFFHEAD.COM ^ | 11 June 2005 | Jeff Head

[Jeff Head]

Jeff Head's Review of "A Patriot's History of the United States"

Larry Schweikart (Freeper LS) and Michael Allen have written a history of the United States that is tremendously broad in scope, and monumental in its approach in our modern times. It begins with Christopher Columbus and proceeds through to current events, including 9-11 and its aftermath, the War on Terror and the fights in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as the re-election of George W. Bush.. The work covers over 510 years of history in 825 pages. There are over 70 pages of footnotes at the end of the book, detailing critical historical conditions and facts from each of the twenty-two chapters.

The best introduction to a review of this work that I could give regarding its approach the authors took, is from the mouths of the authors themselves in their own introduction:

"Is America's past a tale of racism, sexism, and bigotry? Is it the story of the conquest and rape of a continent? Is U.S. history the story of white slave owners who perverted the electoral process for their own interests? Did America start with Columbus's killing all the Indians, leap to Jim Crow laws and Rockefeller crushing the workers , then finally save itself with Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal? The answers, of course, are no, no, no, and NO.

"One might never know this, however, by looking at almost any mainstream U.S. history textbook. Having taught American history in one form or another for close to sixty years between us, we are aware that, unfortunately, many students are berated with tales of the Founders as self-interested politicians and slave-holders, of the icons of American industry as robber-barons, oppressors, and of every American foreign policy initiative as imperialistic and insensitive. At least Howard Zinn's, A People's History of the United States, honestly represents its Marxist biases in the title!

"What is most amazing and refreshing is that the past usually speaks for itself. The evidence is their for telling the great story of the American past honestly-with flaws, absolutely; with shortcomings, most definitely. But we think that an honest evaluation of the history of the United States must begin and end with the recognition that, compared to any other nation, America's past is a bright and shining light. America was, and is, the city on a hill, the fountain of hope, the beacon of liberty. We utterly reject "My country right or wrong"- what scholar wouldn't? But in the last thirty years, academics have taken an equally destructive approach, "My country always wrong!" We reject that too.

"Instead, we remain convinced that if the story of America's past is told fairly, the results cannot be anything but a deepened patriotism, a sense of awe at the obstacles overcome, the passion invested, the blood and tears spilled, and the nation that was built."

The authors then proceed to do just that, to show that despite the errors, mistakes, and shortcomings along the way, the telling of American history ends up being a story of unequaled faith, character, virtue, and moral clarity. They demonstrate how through the faith and goodness of most of the principle characters involved, as well as the majority of the settlers, colonists, and then citizens, a liberty was allowed to develop that was based on moral constraint and founded in Christian heritage. That liberty then allowed America to become the envy of the world. Not due to arrogance, selfishness or shortsightedness, though there was some of that at times, but due to the intrinsic foundational moral principles that those people based their lives upon which produced and then maintained that freedom and that prosperity.

It is a marvelous work that I cannot recommend highly enough. Every student of American history, every parent wanting their child to understand what truly has made this nation great, every home schooling parent should place this book in their library and make it readily available to their children. Better yet, they should sit down and read it together with them.

Now, you may find that because of the scope of the work that there are some particular details which you are personally aware of in history that do not get the attention you would prefer. I found this so with the phenomenal story of George Rogers Clark, older brother to the great explorer, William Clark of the famed Lewis and Clark expedition. George Rogers Clark, with a small band of less than 200 soldiers, during the Revolutionary War defeated and brought under American control, the entirety of the Northwest Territory at the time. A land mass that doubled the size of the United States. He did it through stratagem and through miraculous means that are a marvel to this day...and he did it without losing a man in combat. Because of his exploits, entire Indian nations at the time, who otherwise could have posed significant issue to the western expansion of America, and to the defeat of the British in the west, sued for peace with this great man, his very small band of soldiers, and the fledgling nation they represented. That his story was not covered was a disappointment to me because I had anticipated it. But, on the other hand, it gave me the opportunity to teach my youngest son about that particular aspect of the revolutionary war as we read the magnificent coverage of other more notable aspects of the revolution, and, which I might add, were in fact more germane to the ultimate victory over the British.

In a work of this scope, to pay that much attention to every detail would result in a work of ten or twelve volumes, which was not the author's aim. Through not becoming distracted, they accomplish their aim, as stated in the introduction, marvelously throughout the book, paying great heed to the pivotal points in history and the underlying political, cultural, and moral issues all along the way that contributed to them.

For remaining true to this, and remaining true to the actual conditions and intent of those of whom they write, the authors deserve our most sincere congratulations and their own scholarly notoriety. For having the courage and clarity to show how those events and those people used their faith, their determination, and their integrity and commitment to set the foundation for, craft, build, and then maintain and defend American liberty (including a true rendition of things like the Vietnam War and why it turned out the way it did) and its accompanying life style and prosperity, the authors deserve our undying respect and gratitude.

[rlmorel]

Ahhh. The fingers will never move at the rate of the mind. I don't mind seeing typos all that much here...unless someone is being a jerk and berating someone else...then any ammunition is good ammunition.

I live in the Boston area, and today I took a ride into Cambridge, MA. For the uninitiated, Cambridge, MA is the rough equivalent of Berkeley, CA, without the foolish nutcake charm. These folks are mostly serious, PC socialist types. So when I drive in with my Bush/Cheney sticker on my car, I definitely stick out as I drive past the people with signs decrying Bush as a war criminal.

The thing that really, really gets me, is that the huge majority of these people have no idea AT ALL what a REAL repressive government is like. They all think they are being opressed. I always wish I had this to hand to them (compliments of Flashbunny.org-a really funny site!)

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Slavery was actually mostly eliminated in Western Christendom between 1000 AD and the Renaissance.

Slavery by its name, perhaps - but our ancestors lived under governments which had no or nearly no influence on the government. And that is what I mean by "arbitrary" government.

[Jeff Head]

LOL! Great graphic.

Reminds me of one of my favorite graphics when organizing the:

50 Million Round March

to countert the Million Mom March in 200 and 2001 was the following. It punctuated the foolishness and naivety of these peoplee...as well as the abject danger they represent if their views are allowed to prevail:

It drove the liberal Moms crazy. Their organizer got wind of it and callled me a right wing nut job. When interviewed by the NRA, I responded by saying that what she and her ilk represented in their efforts was terribly ill informed and ignorant of history at best.

[Jeff Head]

Hope this thread is helping get the word out in some small degree. PHUS sales rank went from 1250+ to 850 today and hopefully this thread helped in that regard. The more who get it the better.

Spurred some good discussion and interaction too. Hope that continues.

[rlmorel]

Brings tears to my eyes. My God. How could humans do that to other humans?

[Jeff Head]

Becasue they gave themselves over to a dark, evil and dangerous sicailist ideology that relegated other humans to the status of non-humans.

Horrifically tragic, but none less so that what came to being under Stalin, Mao, Polpot, Rhawanda, etc. The real danger, IMHO, is that the seeds of similar ideologies are sowed amongst us in this nation in the far left, socio-marxist ideology we see...leading to things like the genocide of abortion (IMHO) and a culture of death every bit as real as that of sixty+ years ago.

[Jeff Head]

Hey, with your navy background (and thank you from our entire family for your service and that of your father), you would probably be interested ion...

The Rising Sea Dragoin in Asia

Also check out the fictional techno-thriller, The Dragon's Fury Series.

That first link is fact, the second is a fictional scenario projecting where those facts could lead if we are not more vigilant.

Best regards.

[rlmorel]

Thanks...I will check it out!

[Seadog Bytes]

Thank you!

[LS]

Jeff,

If you want to know the truth, your review had more of an impact on sales than the NY Times review!!!

[LS]

Not to be a mutual admiration society but I purchased all five of Jeff's books, and it is a terrific series. Talk about being "into" the technology!

[MileHi]

I'm going to order it for my 15 yo son to read this summer.

FReegards, Jeff.

[Jeff Head]

Great...you will not be sorry.

[Jeff Head]

JH2, how about a mega-ping for this excellent and very much needed "Patriot's History of the UNited States" thread?

[Jeff Head]

And a BIG BTTT back!

[Jeff Head]

You are very welcome AG! This book represents a very much needed academic return to the truth and our American roots and true ideals!

[Jeff Head]

How about some mega-pingfs for this fine Historical work by Freeper LS?

Every American and their children should have this in their library and use it as a text for American history.

[Dumb_Ox]

Well, irrespective of how you or I feel about it...and I must add, that the fact that we are both discussing those feelings on an open, public forum such as this without fear of retribution puts us ahead of the large majority of people who have lived on this planet.

A contrarian I know argues that this freedom institutes mealy-minded thinking and thoughtless cheerleading in the public even more than in regimes backed by censorship and oppression. Free speech often instills the false belief that that freedom is a sufficient check on lies and falsehoods. Just look at all the drek in the mouths of putatively-liberated college students, not to mention all the internet blabbermouths like me!

Even in regimes of soft authoritarianism, there is already a presumption of falsehood towards any successful member of the press. Here, every large party faction has its own cheerleading group and well-paid pundit, but in the interests of party unity the cheerleading is assimilated into the party machine.

I hope I don't sound like somebody afflicted by oppression envy, but I think it important to keep in mind that freedom can also be a danger to itself.

But speaking of faction, have you read Madison's Federalist 10? It occurs to me that one can describe party politics and the media industry as one faction according to the definition of Madison. Both aim at appealing to the largest number of people possible, and so have an interest in common to themselves but not necessarily common to their citizens, customers, and their country.

Will you still be talking about our great freedoms while wating in line for our National "Real ID" internal passports/permission slips for banking?

[Jeff Head]

As long as tens of millions of people still hold fast to the Christian values that form the undergirding for our society and try and live accordingly, and as long as 80+ million of us remain well armed, I will still talk about great freedom.

[Dumb_Ox]

Slavery by its name, perhaps - but our ancestors lived under governments which had no or nearly no influence on the government. And that is what I mean by "arbitrary" government.

I have one vote out of 120 million or so voters, and you're claiming I have more national influence than a medieval peasant? We don't even have rebellions anymore, much less peasant rebellions, and the only "Average Joes" who can have great influence on the government are nutjob assassins.