HomeGroupsTalkMoreZeitgeist
Search Site
This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and (if not signed in) for advertising. By using LibraryThing you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your use of the site and services is subject to these policies and terms.

Results from Google Books

Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.

Loading...

A New Age Now Begins: A People's History of the American Revolution (Volume 1)

by Page Smith

Series: People's History (1.1)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingConversations
1221221,898 (4.44)None
None
Loading...

Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book.

No current Talk conversations about this book.

For 12 years, I've housed Page Smith's multi-volume American history set on my shelves. From time to time, I marveled at how a single individual could have written such a seemingly magnificent set of works -- nearly 8000 pages of history -- in a mere 14 years. I've resolved from time to time to devote myself to reading it, despite the immense amount of time it would take from other endeavors. And I've wondered how such an intellectual giant was viewed by his colleagues: with admiration, surely, with envy perhaps, or at least with acknowledgement of his ambitious and magnificent accomplishments.

I finally took some time to actually look at the books, and to read about them online. Now I understand; and I am glad I never bothered to try to read any of them. The books have no footnotes, and no references. That fact alone makes one question their legitimacy. Readers are expected to take Smith's word on everything -- not just his ideas and interpretations but his claims, his statement of facts. In his defense, one might argue that his volumes are meant for the general public, which would be put off by footnotes; but why no references from which readers might glean further information, or alternative interpretations of controversial issues?

And then I noticed a factual error. John Quincy Adams is said to be the grandson (not the son) of John Adams -- the latter being an historical figure on which Smith has written a separate, for volume set. A visit to reviews at Amazon.com revealed plenty of other such errors. And wondering how professional historians viewed the works of their retired colleague, I sought some published reviews.

One needs to look no further than the review of volumes 1 and 2 by Forrest McDonald in the Virginia Quarterly Review. The reviewer notes mountains of factual errors, many of them elementary. In his view, Smith's interpretations are ideologically based and deeply suspect. McDonald calls the book "the worst book I have ever reviewed"... that for this work "to appear under the imprint of a respectable publisher and a reputable historian is nothing less than prostitution." The reviewer goes on to state: "The Supreme Court has defined an obscene book as one that is offensive to ordinary standards of decency and contains no redeeming social value. By that criterion, A New Age Now Begins is on a par with the movies of Linda Lovelace." A link to this review is available at the Library Thing page.

And so, Page Smith took up a full bookshelf shelf in my basement for 14 years, but mercifully, none of my valued reading time. I am deleting the set of books, unread, and without regrets.
  rybie2 | Jun 22, 2022 |
History As Bunk: One might sum this up merely by saying this is the worst book I have ever reviewed, which is true enough. But one cannot let it go at that. The book contains some potent and persuasive narrative, and plays upon highly fashionable prejudices, and thus there is a likelihood that it might be taken seriously. Indeed, in some quarters it already has been; it was an April Book-of-the-Month Club selection. One must therefore be more explicit in repudiating it. Had such a work appeared anonymously in an underground newspaper, no one would have a right to be offended, but for it to appear under the imprint of a respectable publisher and a reputable historian is nothing less than prostitution.

The Supreme Court has defined an obscene book as one that is offensive to ordinary standards of decency and contains no redeeming social value. By that criterion, A New Age Now Begins is on a par with the movies of Linda Lovelace.
 

Belongs to Series

You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data.
For more help see the Common Knowledge help page.
Canonical title
Original title
Alternative titles
Original publication date
People/Characters
Important places
Important events
Related movies
Epigraph
Dedication
First words
Quotations
Last words
Disambiguation notice
This is volume 1 of the 2-volume edition (McGraw-Hill or Penguin). Do not combine with the complete set or with volume 1 of the 4-volume edition (Easton Press).
Publisher's editors
Blurbers
Original language
Canonical DDC/MDS
Canonical LCC

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English

None

No library descriptions found.

Book description
Haiku summary

Current Discussions

None

Popular covers

Quick Links

Rating

Average: (4.44)
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5 1
4 3
4.5
5 4

Is this you?

Become a LibraryThing Author.

 

About | Contact | Privacy/Terms | Help/FAQs | Blog | Store | APIs | TinyCat | Legacy Libraries | Early Reviewers | Common Knowledge | 202,661,120 books! | Top bar: Always visible