Written at the beginning of the new millennium, these reflections provide a refreshing view of America, full of the sort of optimism sorely needed 20 plus years later in 2023.
We get short descriptions of events like the Battle of New Orleans, and Ambrose’s experiences writing about Theodore Roosevelt, Grant, Nixon, and Eisenhower. He lets us in on his personal reflections about his work as a distinguished historian, his effort to be impartial while at the same time being honest about his own evolving viewpoints. He describes history as presented by his teachers and mentors and offers his own conclusions.
To American by Stephen Ambrose is a worthwhile satisfying read in which the historian becomes history, and his hope for the future is unavoidably colored by the reality of the moment.
