As we celebrate America’s 246th birthday—a good and proper celebration—we have much to be thankful for, and much to reflect upon. America has a storied past going back far beyond our celebrated independence day—July 4th, 1776. But the story of our Country is as amazing as it is detailed.
Personally, I enjoy experiencing our country’s great history through the pages of the many great history books available to us—and man, have I had some wonderful experiences!
Here are a some of my favorite books on the American story...
The Presidents
Several years ago, I decided to try and read a biography on every American President. So far, I’ve covered 16 or 18 different presidents. Here are a few of my favorites.
David McCullough's, John Adams
Edmond Morris’ three-volume set on Theodore Roosevelt:
David McCullough’s Mornings on Horseback is wonderful as well.
Doris Kearns Goodwin’s, No Ordinary Time:
And my favorite Biography of all time,
Robert Caro’s, The Years of Lyndon Johnson:
Johnson was a terrible person, but Caro is a wonderful biographer and tells the story of America through the life of LBJ. The fifth volume is still being written.
The Wars
-Throughout its history, the United States has been involved in numerous armed conflicts; some major, some on a much smaller scale. Here are a few of my favorite war related books…
David McCullough’s, 1776:
Michael Korda’s, Robert E. Lee:
H.W. Brands’, Ulysses S. Grant in War and Peace:
Rod Gragg’s, Confederate Goliath
Margaret McMillan’s, The War that Ended Peace
Arthur Herman’s, Douglas MacArthur, American Warrior
Winston Groom’s, The Allies and The Generals:
H.W. Brands, The General and the President
The Triumphs
David McCullough’s, The Pioneers:
David McCullough’s, The Wright Brothers
Bernard Schwartz’, A History of the Supreme Court
Evan Thomas’, First, Sandra Day O’Conner
The Struggles
Thomas Sowell’s, Conflict of Visions:
Thomas Sowell’s, Discrimination and Disparities:
William F. Buckley’s, Up from Liberalism
Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt’s, The Coddling of the American Mind
Robert Caro’s, The Power Broker:
The Game Changers
Justice Clarence Thomas’s autobiography, My Grandfather’s Son:
Billy Graham, Just as I Am:
Mark Mulder and Gerardo Marti’s, The Glass Church
John Muir, Nature Writings
Jason Riley, Maverick, A Biography of Thomas Sowell
The National Parks and Other Beauties
H.W. Brands’, Theodore Roosevelt, The Last Romantic
Douglas Brinkley’s, The Wilderness Warrior
Teddy Roosevelt’s fight for Americas’ National Parks
John Muir, Works
Denise Kiernan’s, The Last Castle - The history of the Biltmore Estate
General Histories
Thomas Kidd’s 2 Volume, American History
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