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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
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1975
About the author
Daniel J. Boorstin
128 books387 followersDaniel Joseph Boorstin was a historian, professor, attorney, and writer. He was appointed twelfth Librarian of the United States Congress from 1975 until 1987.
He graduated from Tulsa's Central High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the age of 15. He graduated with highest honors from Harvard, studied at Balliol College, Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and earned his PhD at Yale University. He was a lawyer and a university professor at the University of Chicago for 25 years. He also served as director of the National Museum of History and Technology of the Smithsonian Institution.
His The Americans The Democratic Experience received the 1974 Pulitzer Prize in history.
Within the discipline of social theory, Boorstin’s 1961 book The Image A Guide to Pseudo-events in America is an early description of aspects of American life that were later termed hyperreality and postmodernity. In The Image, Boorstin describes shifts in American culture—mainly due to advertising—where the reproduction or simulation of an event becomes more important or "real" than the event itself. He goes on to coin the term pseudo-event which describes events or activities that serve little to no purpose other than to be reproduced through advertisements or other forms of publicity. The idea of pseudo-events closely mirrors work later done by Jean Baudrillard and Guy Debord. The work is still often used as a text in American sociology courses.
When President Gerald Ford nominated Boorstin to be Librarian of Congress, the nomination was supported by the Authors League of America but opposed by the American Library Association because Boorstin "was not a library administrator." The Senate confirmed the nomination without debate.
Boorstin died in 2004 in Washington, D.C.
He graduated from Tulsa's Central High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the age of 15. He graduated with highest honors from Harvard, studied at Balliol College, Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and earned his PhD at Yale University. He was a lawyer and a university professor at the University of Chicago for 25 years. He also served as director of the National Museum of History and Technology of the Smithsonian Institution.
His The Americans The Democratic Experience received the 1974 Pulitzer Prize in history.
Within the discipline of social theory, Boorstin’s 1961 book The Image A Guide to Pseudo-events in America is an early description of aspects of American life that were later termed hyperreality and postmodernity. In The Image, Boorstin describes shifts in American culture—mainly due to advertising—where the reproduction or simulation of an event becomes more important or "real" than the event itself. He goes on to coin the term pseudo-event which describes events or activities that serve little to no purpose other than to be reproduced through advertisements or other forms of publicity. The idea of pseudo-events closely mirrors work later done by Jean Baudrillard and Guy Debord. The work is still often used as a text in American sociology courses.
When President Gerald Ford nominated Boorstin to be Librarian of Congress, the nomination was supported by the Authors League of America but opposed by the American Library Association because Boorstin "was not a library administrator." The Senate confirmed the nomination without debate.
Boorstin died in 2004 in Washington, D.C.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 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 24, 2012
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.
Did Not Finish
August 14, 2026A history tome by 20 distinguished historians commissioned by National Geographic some 200+ years after America’s founding and compiled with the accompanying revelation that “the United States is the world’s most photographed country; fully two-thirds of our national adventure has been chronicled on film” is all well and good, but I do need to be honest with myself in that it turns out I don’t actually want to read it very closely.
April 26, 2026
My parents bought this when it was first published. I grew up reading it, and learned so much history that wasn't covered in school. It's an enjoyable read, lots of great photos, you never get stuck in blocks of text. It's kinda like a book version of Wikipedia, easy to read, and lots of information that makes you want to learn more. I
June 2, 2019
Coffee table book about American history. Lots of pictures.
April 19, 2012
it's a good "coffee table" book. I loved the pictures and articles inside, and I think it is a great reference to have. I think it's worth the read/buy.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews