Star-Spangled Eden: 19th Century America Through the Eyes of Dickens, Wilde, Frances Trollope, Frank Harris, and Other British Tra

by James C. Simmons

Takes a look at nineteenth-century America through the eyes of eight famous British visitors, including Charles Dickens and Oscar Wilde, who offer their accounts and opinions of the New World.

Genres: History, American History

368 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2000

Reviews

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book as it gave an interesting perspective on life in America--albeit in the 19th Century--and gave insight into why our society, at least in part, works as it does today. I especially enjoyed the chapter on Oscar Wilde's travels in America.

This is a "must read" for anyone who wants to better understand America and Americans, and who wouldn't mind a laugh or two along the way.

[Maura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this for my British and American Relation class. Seeing a growing America from the perspective of these relatively famous British people is pretty interesting. I especially liked Dickens and Trollope, mostly because they had a negative experience here and it was fun to analyze their ideas based on that. Others were pretty boring though.