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We Americans
Illustrates the evolution of American society, from the indigenous peoples, through the colonists, the Civil War, immigrants, and the Depression, to today.
449 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1975
3 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
About the author
National Geographic Society
4,222 books1,119 followersThe National Geographic Society (NGS), headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations in the world.
Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical conservation, and the study of world culture and history. The National Geographic Society's logo is a yellow portrait frame—rectangular in shape—which appears on the margins surrounding the front covers of its magazines and as its television channel logo. Through National Geographic Partners (a joint venture with The Walt Disney Company), the Society operates the magazine, TV channels, a website, worldwide events, and other media operations.
Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical conservation, and the study of world culture and history. The National Geographic Society's logo is a yellow portrait frame—rectangular in shape—which appears on the margins surrounding the front covers of its magazines and as its television channel logo. Through National Geographic Partners (a joint venture with The Walt Disney Company), the Society operates the magazine, TV channels, a website, worldwide events, and other media operations.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 12, 2008
When I was a kid the only thing I looked forward to when I visited the orthodontist's office was reading this book, which was kept in the waiting room. I absolutely inhaled it and now, as an adult, I've owned two copies of it. (One to replace the copy I lost in a house fire.) That's how much I still love it. A compulsively readable and generously illustrated history of the U.S. up to the American bicentennial.
June 4, 2017
I first encountered "We Americans: A Musical Journey With Burl Ives" in a $2 bin at the record store which I instantly snapped up because, well, who doesn't want to hear Burl Ives sing folk classics like "Oh! Susannah," "Get Along Little Dogies" and "On Top Of Old Smoky"? Released by the National Geographic Society in celebration of the 1976 Bicentennial, the record is a treat, but gave no clue as to the existence of a companion book. As it turns out, soon after I was in Indianapolis visiting family and found myself (as I always do if at all possible) at Christys on the Southside for their weekly auction. And what should I find there lying on a table in the book section (of course you already know)? That's right, "We Americans." My winning bid was ten dollars.
Nearly the dimensions of an LP, numbering 450 pages and weighing in at an enormous 7.6 pounds, "We Americans" was most certainly designed as a coffee table book to be casually digested rather than read straight through. I, of course, read it straight through, but in two sessions interrupted by a nearly 2.5 year break during which, in addition to maintaining a full-time job, I opened a winery (with some partners, of course).
Despite it's massive size, "We Americans" is not your typical school history text, and is all the more interesting for it. Generously loaded with photographs, paintings, illustrations and other ephemera, it's wondrous to look at and works as a sort of Museum of American History. The text, while mostly academic in tone (not surprising given the long list of professors from Duke, Harvard, Yale, MIT, Vassar, Brown and more who contributed chapters), is a casual, easy read and each chapter successfully captures the American experience and the "spirit of the age."
As historical chapters give way to more current thematic topics (cars, leisure, movies, television, technology, etc.) near the end, "We Americans" loses some of its steam — and its charm. The authors of these chapters come across as old fuddy-duddies yearning for the way things were. In his chapter "Gone To The Movies," film critic Richard Schickel laments, "But most new movies "interest" us without really involving us — or without making us feel sanguine as we warily approach the box office the next time we decide to take a flyer on a film."
That may be so for Mr. Schickel, and for the Bicentennial audience this book was designed to reach, and for me, too, had I discovered this book as a youth in the late '70s. Still, the first 300-plus pages are a treat, and despite some minor complaints with the final quarter, "We Americans" is a worthy and interesting read, a time capsule of history as it was seen more than four decades ago.
Nearly the dimensions of an LP, numbering 450 pages and weighing in at an enormous 7.6 pounds, "We Americans" was most certainly designed as a coffee table book to be casually digested rather than read straight through. I, of course, read it straight through, but in two sessions interrupted by a nearly 2.5 year break during which, in addition to maintaining a full-time job, I opened a winery (with some partners, of course).
Despite it's massive size, "We Americans" is not your typical school history text, and is all the more interesting for it. Generously loaded with photographs, paintings, illustrations and other ephemera, it's wondrous to look at and works as a sort of Museum of American History. The text, while mostly academic in tone (not surprising given the long list of professors from Duke, Harvard, Yale, MIT, Vassar, Brown and more who contributed chapters), is a casual, easy read and each chapter successfully captures the American experience and the "spirit of the age."
As historical chapters give way to more current thematic topics (cars, leisure, movies, television, technology, etc.) near the end, "We Americans" loses some of its steam — and its charm. The authors of these chapters come across as old fuddy-duddies yearning for the way things were. In his chapter "Gone To The Movies," film critic Richard Schickel laments, "But most new movies "interest" us without really involving us — or without making us feel sanguine as we warily approach the box office the next time we decide to take a flyer on a film."
That may be so for Mr. Schickel, and for the Bicentennial audience this book was designed to reach, and for me, too, had I discovered this book as a youth in the late '70s. Still, the first 300-plus pages are a treat, and despite some minor complaints with the final quarter, "We Americans" is a worthy and interesting read, a time capsule of history as it was seen more than four decades ago.
January 26, 2015
Mostly a mammoth picture book, I can appreciate the collection of photos and stories of American past. Most of the images resemble those of high school text books, thus adding to an odd familiarity. Although chuck full of information, I think it petered out at the end. I felt like it was light of a full story and ultimately a let down. The sentences printed created a literary text full of exclusionary tales and uncritically checked privilege. Basically it came across to me as a big purty picture book for the contemporary "normal" Americans.
March 11, 2021
This book lived untouched in my parents home all throughout my childhood. I don’t have any recollection on how I ended up with it- but I finally read it and it is amazing! Lots of history, stories, pictures, newspaper pages, etc. The only thing I didn’t love were the pictures of civil war era corpses. 😮👎
August 20, 2015
This is a wonderful book, but not one to be read all at once. It's a coffee table-sized book and conveniently, it's divided into chapters that can be read individually. The book is filled with beautiful photography, old and new, and wonderful old illustrations and advertising art, etc.
June 2, 2019
Coffee table book about American history. Lots of pictures.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews