--- product_id: 4361394 title: "A History of the American People: The Classic Narrative History of the United States told through Letters, Diaries, and Conversations" price: "$65.48" currency: USD in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.us/products/4361394-a-history-of-the-american-people-the-classic-narrative-history store_origin: US region: United States of America --- # A History of the American People: The Classic Narrative History of the United States told through Letters, Diaries, and Conversations **Price:** $65.48 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** A History of the American People: The Classic Narrative History of the United States told through Letters, Diaries, and Conversations - **How much does it cost?** $65.48 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.us](https://www.desertcart.us/products/4361394-a-history-of-the-american-people-the-classic-narrative-history) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description "As majestic in its scope as the country it celebrates. [Johnson's] theme is the men and women, prominent and unknown, whose energy, vision, courage and confidence shaped a great nation. It is a compelling antidote to those who regard the future with pessimism."— Henry A. Kissinger Paul Johnson's prize-winning classic, A History of the American People , is an in-depth portrait of the American people and a landmark of narrative U.S. history, covering every aspect of the nation—from politics to the arts. "The creation of the United States of America is the greatest of all human adventures," begins Paul Johnson's remarkable work. "No other national story holds such tremendous lessons, for the American people themselves and for the rest of mankind." In A History of the American People , historian Johnson presents an in-depth portrait of United States history from the first colonial settlements to the Clinton administration. This is the story of the men and women who shaped and led the nation and the ordinary people who collectively created its unique character. Littered with letters, diaries, and recorded conversations, this comprehensive history details the origins of their struggles for independence and nationhood, their heroic efforts and sacrifices to deal with the 'organic sin’ of slavery and the preservation of the Union to its explosive economic growth and emergence as a world power. Johnson discusses contemporary topics such as the politics of racism, education, the power of the press, political correctness, the growth of litigation, and the influence of women throughout history. Sometimes controversial and always provocative, A History of the American People is one author’s challenging and unique interpretation of the complete American story. Johnson’s views of individuals, events, themes, and issues are original, critical, and in the end admiring, for he is, above all, a strong believer in the history and the destiny of the American people. This comprehensive history offers a challenging and unique interpretation of the American story, exploring: A Sweeping Narrative: Follow the journey of the American people from the first colonial settlements to the modern era, told through the letters, diaries, and conversations of those who lived it. From Colony to Superpower: Chart the nation’s struggles for independence, its grappling with the ‘organic sin’ of slavery, and its explosive economic growth to become a world power. The People's Story: Meet the men and women, both prominent and unknown, whose vision, courage, and confidence collectively created the unique character of the nation. Provocative Analysis: Delve into a challenging and unique interpretation of America’s past, tackling controversial topics like racism, political correctness, and the power of the press. Review: An English perspective on American history: overflowing with rich and deep insights - This is my first book to read by Paul Johnson. It exceeded every expectation I had. Having just finished “A short history of the United States“ by Robert V. Remini, and knowing that Johnson‘s book was three times the length, I waded in. It was not long before I recognized a genius at work. Johnson approaches American history from several perspectives. First, the book is a history of the US presidents. I’ve read several lengthy presidential biographies, and was amazed at how complete Johnson‘s descriptions and insights were as he treated each of our chief executives. If you simply read his summaries of each of the presidents, it would be a fabulous book. He found positive things in presidents who have historically received low ratings, and pointed out the flaws in those presidents who have received the best ratings. (Only exception: Abraham Lincoln, who is described in glowing terms exclusively.) Second, he uses statistics, which can be boring, to paint and fill out a holistic picture of every major time period. He explains developments in economics, employment, warfare, politics, etc. with page after page of statistics. Somehow, this helped to make the story come even more alive. Third, he writes history as a cohesive story. The book may be history in a strict sense, but it is narrative at its best. He connects the major threads of the American story from chapter to chapter, forward and backward. I got so hooked that I read hours at a time and simply could not stop. “Truth is stranger than fiction.” In the first 2/3 of the book, Johnson does not reveal his own political stance or cultural worldview. But by the time he gets to the late 20th century, however, his political conservatism becomes clear. Although I’m a bit more progressive than he is, I couldn’t argue with the statistics and facts he presented to make his case. He is a thinker’s conservative, without being an intellectual snob – one of the traits he hates most in East Coast newspapers and private schools. Bottom line: Paul Johnson is an Englishman who treasures the history of the United States, who tells the story of America with generous appreciation and appropriate criticism, and whose insights are rich and deep — even if you disagree with some of his interpretive conclusions. Review: Great corrective to what's out there - While I wouldn't recommend that my students read only Paul Johnson's work on US History, I would definitely recommend that they read it in accompaniment to their texts. Johnson is rightly to be credited for providing a more balanced and optimistic view of the American people/government than is prevalent in the majority of publishing firms today. He does not shy away from criticism where it is due, but neither is he afraid to assert honor where honor is due--even if it means offending some politically correct ears. While I agree that he can be classified as a conservative, I would also note that this is not a "conservative's conservative" book. By that I mean that people who are unabashedly Republican, Religious Right, etc., will not find unscrutinized support for their revisionist accounts of history. While Johnson does overlap with certain conservative appraisals of historical events and figures, he does so on a case-by-case basis, always aiming to support his evaluations with fact. In many instances, these facts are not widely known because they have been cut out from liberal textbooks. They are not, however, smelling of the party line. Indeed, Johnson's book is fascinating for his historical scholarship, research, and deep analysis. His coverage of "forgotten" spans of time (i.e. Grant, Arthur, Hayes, Garfield) is welcome, as is his deft treatment of figures who are normally expansive in coverage (i.e. Lincoln, JFK). I found the 1860-1900 chapters to be personally most enlightening. Johnson is especially great at noticing overarching themes in government and economic life. He is not a social or sociological commentator, which will relieve some of his more liberal readers. And in fact, I believe most people--liberal or conservatve--would gain an awful lot from his research and presentation if they read with an open mind. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #29,216 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #21 in History Encyclopedias #28 in Cultural Anthropology (Books) #103 in U.S. Revolution & Founding History | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 988 Reviews | ## Images ![A History of the American People: The Classic Narrative History of the United States told through Letters, Diaries, and Conversations - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/610PDuPSG4L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An English perspective on American history: overflowing with rich and deep insights *by P***N on September 27, 2020* This is my first book to read by Paul Johnson. It exceeded every expectation I had. Having just finished “A short history of the United States“ by Robert V. Remini, and knowing that Johnson‘s book was three times the length, I waded in. It was not long before I recognized a genius at work. Johnson approaches American history from several perspectives. First, the book is a history of the US presidents. I’ve read several lengthy presidential biographies, and was amazed at how complete Johnson‘s descriptions and insights were as he treated each of our chief executives. If you simply read his summaries of each of the presidents, it would be a fabulous book. He found positive things in presidents who have historically received low ratings, and pointed out the flaws in those presidents who have received the best ratings. (Only exception: Abraham Lincoln, who is described in glowing terms exclusively.) Second, he uses statistics, which can be boring, to paint and fill out a holistic picture of every major time period. He explains developments in economics, employment, warfare, politics, etc. with page after page of statistics. Somehow, this helped to make the story come even more alive. Third, he writes history as a cohesive story. The book may be history in a strict sense, but it is narrative at its best. He connects the major threads of the American story from chapter to chapter, forward and backward. I got so hooked that I read hours at a time and simply could not stop. “Truth is stranger than fiction.” In the first 2/3 of the book, Johnson does not reveal his own political stance or cultural worldview. But by the time he gets to the late 20th century, however, his political conservatism becomes clear. Although I’m a bit more progressive than he is, I couldn’t argue with the statistics and facts he presented to make his case. He is a thinker’s conservative, without being an intellectual snob – one of the traits he hates most in East Coast newspapers and private schools. Bottom line: Paul Johnson is an Englishman who treasures the history of the United States, who tells the story of America with generous appreciation and appropriate criticism, and whose insights are rich and deep — even if you disagree with some of his interpretive conclusions. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great corrective to what's out there *by W***E on August 20, 2006* While I wouldn't recommend that my students read only Paul Johnson's work on US History, I would definitely recommend that they read it in accompaniment to their texts. Johnson is rightly to be credited for providing a more balanced and optimistic view of the American people/government than is prevalent in the majority of publishing firms today. He does not shy away from criticism where it is due, but neither is he afraid to assert honor where honor is due--even if it means offending some politically correct ears. While I agree that he can be classified as a conservative, I would also note that this is not a "conservative's conservative" book. By that I mean that people who are unabashedly Republican, Religious Right, etc., will not find unscrutinized support for their revisionist accounts of history. While Johnson does overlap with certain conservative appraisals of historical events and figures, he does so on a case-by-case basis, always aiming to support his evaluations with fact. In many instances, these facts are not widely known because they have been cut out from liberal textbooks. They are not, however, smelling of the party line. Indeed, Johnson's book is fascinating for his historical scholarship, research, and deep analysis. His coverage of "forgotten" spans of time (i.e. Grant, Arthur, Hayes, Garfield) is welcome, as is his deft treatment of figures who are normally expansive in coverage (i.e. Lincoln, JFK). I found the 1860-1900 chapters to be personally most enlightening. Johnson is especially great at noticing overarching themes in government and economic life. He is not a social or sociological commentator, which will relieve some of his more liberal readers. And in fact, I believe most people--liberal or conservatve--would gain an awful lot from his research and presentation if they read with an open mind. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A broad, and different, perspective on American history *by T***K on March 23, 2008* Recommended for two types of readers: 1) The person who wants to get an overview of U.S. history in one easy-to-read (but large) volume; and 2) those who, like myself, have read many American biographies and histories. We can benefit in at least two respects. First, we get to share a history of our nation as seen from an outsider's perspective. Second, we learn factual history that somehow never made it into the books we have read, perhaps because we, collectively, were not much interested. My comment avoids political controversy, so I'll stick with the earlier portion of the book. First, the beginnings of American slavery were brand new to me, and fascinating. Second -- and as a Philadelphian news to me -- was Johnson's view of the northern colonies/States' support of slavery. Quakers in Barbados, rich from slave trading, moving to North America! news to me. Especially appreciated was Johnson's discussion of the "thousand years of political traditions, inherited from England," which formed the basis of our Founding Fathers' political actions. Johnson attributes to Madison's famous "We, the people" Lincoln's rationale for not permitting States to leave the Union. And more, much more. Buy it. Enjoy it! One word of warning: read cautiously; Johnson has some blunders, the funniest of which is calling Horatio Gates "Horatio Alger." ## Frequently Bought Together - A History of the American People - The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.us/products/4361394-a-history-of-the-american-people-the-classic-narrative-history](https://www.desertcart.us/products/4361394-a-history-of-the-american-people-the-classic-narrative-history) --- *Product available on Desertcart United States of America* *Store origin: US* *Last updated: 2026-07-08*