The American Future: A History

by Simon Schama

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Members	Reviews	Popularity	Average rating	Mentions
577	9	41,572	(3.61)	24
Historian Simon Schama offers an essential historical perspective on the 2008 presidential election and its importance for reclaiming America's original ideal. Cultural hostilities more irreconcilable than any since the Civil War have divided America in two. In November 2008, the American people elected a new president, feeling more anxious about the future of the nation than at any time since Watergate. Our omnipotent military, the cornucopia of material comforts available, the security of our borders, and the global economy can no longer be taken for granted. Schama takes a long look at the multiple crises besetting the United States and asks how these problems look in the mirror of time. In four crucial debates--on wars, religion, race and immigration, and the relationship between natural resources and prosperity--Schama looks back to find lost insights into the future.--From publisher description.… (more)

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While the future of America does get some mention in The American Future: A History. The book definitely spends more time on the past. Wars and the founding fathers played a large part, but the topics which most interested me were the fascinatingly detailed and very specific depictions of the horrible atrocities white America committed against the Native Americans, The Chinese, Latin Americans, and The Slaves. This came as no surprise to me, but some of the details were shocking ! (

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kevinkevbo | Jul 14, 2023 |

Full of fascinating historical tidibits paired with travel across the United States. The book ends on the optimistic note of Obama's election as President, seems quaint these days. (

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Bookjoy144 | Mar 2, 2022 |

A whirlwind tour of American History narrated through the portrayal of some of it's famous and important personalities. Though the backdrop is the 2008 election, the story starts with the Revlolutionary war and progresses on through the other important timelines such as the civil war, the late 80s and the 20th century.

danoomistmatiste | Jan 24, 2016 |

kkhambadkone | Jan 17, 2016 |

This kind of seemed like Schama’s “stuff I like about American history” book; I understand it’s based on a four-part documentary, and maybe it worked better that way. As a book, it moved backwards and forwards through American history connected by broad themes (and occasionally by family histories, especially the Meigs family): military service, slavery and its legacy, religion, immigration, optimism about the promise of the West. Maybe my reaction was also influenced by Schama’s immediate-post-Obama optimism that he’d just seen an amazing revitalization of the American dream, but I didn’t get much of a sense of coherence. (

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rivkat | Mar 30, 2011 |

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Besides, he’s a man trapped in the most punishing of literary cages. Jacques Barzun once observed that of all the books it is impossible to write, the most impossible is a book trying to capture the spirit of America (I first read this truth when I was three-quarters of the way through my own attempt). Schama has assigned himself a mission impossible. No one should wish a Brilliant Book upon any other human. And at least we can say that while Simon Schama, the Man of Brilliance, comes away from this book bruised and limping, at least Simon Schama the outstanding historian still survives.

added by John_Vaughan | editNY Times, David Brooks (Jul 19, 2011)

As a stylist, the historian wanders from entertaining observations to ponderous, tortured phrases.

added by Shortride | editPittsburgh Post-Gazette, Bob Hoover (May 17, 2009)

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Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
Simon Schama	—	primary author	all editions	calculated
Degas, Rupert	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed

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Thomas Jefferson

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USA

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I can tell you exactly, give or take a minute or two, when American democracy came back from the dead because I was there: 7:15 p.m. Central Time, 3 January 2008, Precinct 53, Theodore Roosevelt High.

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▾Book descriptions

Historian Simon Schama offers an essential historical perspective on the 2008 presidential election and its importance for reclaiming America's original ideal. Cultural hostilities more irreconcilable than any since the Civil War have divided America in two. In November 2008, the American people elected a new president, feeling more anxious about the future of the nation than at any time since Watergate. Our omnipotent military, the cornucopia of material comforts available, the security of our borders, and the global economy can no longer be taken for granted. Schama takes a long look at the multiple crises besetting the United States and asks how these problems look in the mirror of time. In four crucial debates--on wars, religion, race and immigration, and the relationship between natural resources and prosperity--Schama looks back to find lost insights into the future.--From publisher description.

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