Simon Winchester, the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of Atlantic and The Professor and the Madman, delivers his first book about America: a fascinating popular history that illuminates the men who toiled fearlessly to discover, connect, and bond the citizenry and geography of the U.S.A. from its beginnings.How did America become “one nation, indivisible”? What unified a growing … indivisible”? What unified a growing number of disparate states into the modern country we recognize today? To answer these questions, Winchester follows in the footsteps of America’s most essential explorers, thinkers, and innovators, such as Lewis and Clark and the leaders of the Great Surveys; the builders of the first transcontinental telegraph and the powerful civil engineer behind the Interstate Highway System. He treks vast swaths of territory, from Pittsburgh to Portland, Rochester to San Francisco, Seattle to Anchorage, introducing the fascinating people who played a pivotal role in creating today’s United States.
Throughout, he ponders whether the historic work of uniting the States has succeeded, and to what degree. Featuring 32 illustrations throughout the text, The Men Who United the States is a fresh look at the way in which the most powerful nation on earth came together.
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I was initially skeptical of Simon Winchester’s organization of the origins of this country around the five classical elements (wood, earth, water, fire, metal). However, upon finishing The Men Who United the States, I will say that it worked. It really, really worked and it’s hard to envision to better framework to tie together such disparate …
This interesting book includes the very well-known as well as some folks that have always flown under the radar. Some information that’s well-known and some that will give you a better understanding of how things happened.
I learned a LOT! Worth reading if you want the whole story on many, many things, like the Erie Canal, the interstate highways, etc. Great background. Covers in more and interesting detail what we learned about in school in just a paragraph or two. I loved it.
The author paints a picture not of government forming our country but of entrepreneurs and transportation systems. I found it highly entertaining, educational and it introduced me to very significant people and events that I was not even aware. It is a good read especially if you enjoy history.
The story of the many people that built the United States, their canals, railways, their electricity grid and much more.
Like American history…read this book. It brings together years of history from the founding of our nation to the West Coast. I’ve re-read it a couple of times.
While it was interesting it would not make the top of my list bu worth the read none the less
History always better than fiction. Somewhat a set up for the next book I red- Top Drawer.