Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story

By Wilfred M. McClay and Wilfred M. McClay

Book Overview

A wonderfully written, sweeping narrative history of the United States that will help Americans discover the land they call home.

High School and College Age Students

The Original Land of Hope Narrative in Hardback Edition

We have a glut of text and trade books on American history. But what we don't have is a compact, inexpensive, authoritative, and compulsively readable book that will offer to intelligent young Americans a coherent, persuasive, and inspiring narrative of their own country. Such an account will shape and deepen their sense of the land they inhabit, and by making them understand that land's roots, will equip them for the privileges and responsibilities of citizenship in American society, and provide them with a vivid and enduring sense of membership in one of the greatest enterprises in human history: the exciting, perilous, and immensely consequential story of their own country.

The existing texts simply fail to tell that story with energy and conviction. They are more likely to reflect the skeptical outlook of specialized professional academic historians, an outlook that supports a fragmented and fractured view of modern American society, and that fails to convey to young people the greater arc of that history. Or they reflect the outlook of radical critics of American society, who seek to debunk the standard American narrative, and has an enormous, and largely negative, effect upon the teaching of American history in American high schools and colleges.

This state of affairs cannot continue for long without producing serious consequences. A great nation needs and deserves a great and coherent narrative, as an expression of its own self-understanding: and it needs to convey that narrative to its young effectively. It perhaps goes without saying that such a narrative cannot be a fairy tale or a whitewash of the past; it will not be convincing if it is not truthful. But there is no necessary contradiction between an honest account and an inspiring one. This account seeks to provide both.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1594039372
• ISBN13: 9781594039379
• Release Date: May 2019
• Publisher: Encounter Books
• Length: 504 Pages
• Weight: 2.99 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 7.5" x 9.9"
• Age Range: 13 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 8 to 12

Customer Reviews

Engaging

Land of Hope is a refreshing and engaging narrative of American history that strikes a rare balance between honesty and optimism. Wilfred McClay offers a well-written, accessible account that celebrates the nation’s ideals while thoughtfully acknowledging its flaws. His storytelling approach brings historical figures and moments to life, making it a valuable resource for students and general readers alike. It's an inspiring read that encourages a deeper appreciation for the American experiment without shying away from complexity.

An Even-Handed, Very Readable Text

Unlike most text books, this one reads easily -- even entertainingly sometimes. Its "tone" is reminiscent of that of Shelby Foote's Civil War: A Narrative. Those areas of American History that have recently been "politicized" are dealt with in a straightforward, factual manner. If one is looking for "just the facts" dispassionately delivered in a very readable text, this is your book!