I found this to be an excellent, and very readable, general history of the United States. Since the author is British, he can take a step and observe the American scene without the inevitable tendency to interpret history through the filter of one's current beliefs and preferences. ( )

You would think an overview of US history would either be boring or slanted in some dubious way, but this one isn't. If you've been educated in the United States, the author, who appears to be British, offers you a slightly new perspective from what you may have received in school. He is clearly pro-American without feeling he has to lay on any of the patriotic gilt (or dour pc agenda) on display in most other overview U.S. histories. There are some gaps I've noticed, like pieces of the history of Texas and Mexico. But Brogan's storytelling talent is prodigious and the book is a gripping read, particularly the chapters on slavery and the approach to the Civil War. Throw away your high school textbook and buy this small paperback, for entertainment and for reference, instead. ( )

The Penguin History of the USA: New edition by Hugh Brogan (2001)