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James West Davidson

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Born

The United States

Genre

History

Member Since

January 2016

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James West Davidson is a historian, writer, and wilderness paddler. He received his Ph.D. in American history from Yale University and writes full time. He is also co-editor, with Michael Stoff, of New Narratives in American History, a series published by Oxford University Press, as well as the coauthor of textbooks in American history. These include "Experience History," "After the Fact: The Art of Historical Detection," and "US: A Narrative History" for the college level and "The American Nation" for the middle grades. ...more

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James West Davidson’s books

Average rating: 3.99 · 3,446 ratings · 353 reviews · 162 distinct works • Similar authors

	A Little History of the United States 4.07 avg rating — 2,073 ratings — published 2015 — 27 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Great Heart: The History of a Labrador Adventure by James West Davidson (Goodreads Author), John Rugge 4.29 avg rating — 288 ratings — published 1988 — 16 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	After the Fact: The Art of Historical Detection by James West Davidson (Goodreads Author), Mark H. Lytle 3.95 avg rating — 297 ratings — published 1982 — 28 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	After the Fact: The Art of Historical Detection, Volume 1 by James West Davidson (Goodreads Author), Mark H. Lytle 3.84 avg rating — 147 ratings — published 1981 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	"They Say": Ida B. Wells and the Reconstruction of Race 3.78 avg rating — 115 ratings — published 2006 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Nation of Nations by James West Davidson (Goodreads Author), William E. Gienapp, Christine Leigh Heyrman 3.68 avg rating — 77 ratings — published 1981 — 56 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	After the Fact: The Art of Historical Detection Volume 2 by James West Davidson (Goodreads Author), Mark H. Lytle 3.75 avg rating — 67 ratings — published 1986 — 13 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Complete Wilderness Paddler 4.07 avg rating — 56 ratings — published 1975 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	U.S.: A Narrative History, Volume 2: Since 1865 by James West Davidson (Goodreads Author), Brian DeLay, Christine Leigh Heyrman 3.07 avg rating — 44 ratings — published 2008 — 21 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Nation of Nations: A Concise Narrative of the American Repulic, Vol. 2: Since 1865 by James West Davidson (Goodreads Author), Seth Weissman 3.41 avg rating — 39 ratings — published 1990 — 18 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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James Davidson made a comment on Meg Esbitt’s review of A Little History of the United States " I'm the author. There is a newer paperback edition of the book including an epilogue that takes the story up through the election of 2024. For some re ...more "
Mar 13, 2026 08:10PM · see review
James Davidson rated a book did not like it A Little History of the United States by James West Davidson (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 05, 2026 07:35AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Little History of the United States by James West Davidson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Little History of the United States by James West Davidson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
James Davidson made a comment on Lars Thorkildsen’s review of A Little History of the United States " I am the author; thank you for your kind words. As to the lack of footnotes, Yale's series is designed for a wide range of readers and footnotes are n ...more "
Sep 07, 2024 09:53AM · see review

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Quotes by James West Davidson (?)

“Ancient writers had told tales of a golden age before history, where “men lived simply and innocently”—no laws, no quarrels. The people on this island seemed to be folk from such a time. “They go as naked as when their mothers bore them,” Columbus reported, and were so meek and friendly, they were “ready to give the Christians all that they possess.”
― James West Davidson, A Little History of the United States

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“Jefferson said that if he were told he had to join a party in order to get into heaven, he wouldn’t go.”
― James West Davidson

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“But ideas are a bit like dandelions. Like a tiny seed clinging to an explorer’s boot, an idea can cross the Atlantic lodged in the back of someone’s head.”
― James West Davidson

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