American History, Combined Edition: 1492 - Present

by Thomas S. Kidd

In this combined edition, the full content of volumes 1 and 2 of Thomas Kidd’s American History are brought together in a single, accessible textbook. This sweeping narrative spans the full scope of American history from the first Native American societies to the political and cultural struggles of contemporary times. In clear, readable prose, and with attention to well-known and more obscure figures from American history, Kidd gives a robust account of the events, people, and ideas that gave shape to our nation.

Students will come away from American History well-informed, and better prepared to wrestle with the political and cultural changes that have dramatically transformed contemporary American life.

Praise for American History
“Thomas Kidd has succeeded well in providing a high quality American history text that integrates the usual political and social history with its religious dimensions.” 
—George Marsden, professor of history emeritus, University of Notre Dame
  
“Thomas Kidd explores the entirety of American history in this carefully researched and clearly written text. It is an ideal book for students new to American history as well as for older readers who would like a sprightly, objective, and discerning refresher.” 
—Mark Noll, professor of history emeritus, University of Notre Dame, and research professor of history, Regent College

 

Genres: History, American History, Nonfiction

704 pages, Paperback

Published December 1, 2019

About the author

Thomas S. Kidd teaches history at Baylor University, and is Senior Fellow at Baylor's Institute for Studies of Religion. Dr. Kidd has appeared on the Glenn Beck tv program, the Hugh Hewitt and Dennis Prager radio shows, and written columns for USA Today and the Washington Post. He is a columnist for Patheos.com. His latest book is Patrick Henry: First Among Patriots. Other books include God of Liberty: A Religious History of the American Revolution. His next book projects are a biography of George Whitefield, and a history of Baptists in America.

Reviews

[Mark Giolli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good book. I am not a tough rater of books. Since I never wrote a book myself, the whole process seems very difficult and painstaking. I respect anyone who has the discipline to write a book and organize it to a finished product. Who would not, unless they wrote several. I have not.

I read this book initially in about 5 weeks, and not for a class but for knowledge. Sometimes I think reading a book like this would be better so I get credit for it, but I took the history classes which correspond to the subject and eras many years ago at the Community College level, or what some would say the General Education format for college. For me reading is relaxing more than anything in life. It was always a good escape from life, which I am sure many people think the same as me. I hate thinking about myself and my problems.

As for the book. I am going over it now to memorize things so I don't forget what I read. That has taken three weeks at night when I go over it. The Author Dr. Thomas Kidd has an interest in religion which is very obvious and he explains it well. I am not too well versed on Puritans or Baptists or different types of Baptists and denominations, so I had to stop and go over those paragraphs and pages more intently as he discusses religious factors more. He explains the different aspects of denominations in regards to religion and how it impacted society. Sometimes he gave me the impression that he felt religion was the main motivator for society, yet later he would back off from that and talk of economics and what was basic for many people which was probably eating and survival.

When I read the book over it helps as far as memorization, which is different from a novel or some other books where you read it to get the encompassing story. But if you want to memorize anything you have to review quite a bit. Later I have to go through it and write out the different acts and then Supreme Court actions in regards to some laws, which then would deem those laws unconstitutional or constitutional relating to the court and what Justices were appointed at what time and era. The different amendments to the constitution are numerous, which after some amount of time where recended because of changes in thinking,like the prohibition of alchohol which I think came up in 1919 and was recended in 1933. I will have to look that one up for proper dating, but I think it is fairly accurate.

The book is very well put together and the Author does not miss much history. I want to read the Howard Zinn book eventually to see how that compares with this book since Howard Zinn would write from more a liberal standpoint. Objectivity is a hard thing to exhibit when you write a book about events which everyone would and has formed opinions on, but Dr. Kidd does a good job staying out of that and stating the facts.

So I rate this book highly, yet like I said I am not a hard person to impress. I love history, although talking about history is fine if arguments do not ensue. I am not too big on arguing politics or people's viewpoints politically. That is rather boring and gets nowhere. The same as discussing religion. I do not enjoy it. Enjoy what your beliefs and political opinions are. I just want to have the knowledge and know things for myself. Although the type of discussion I have seen which seem more productive are the symposium format where people have time to discuss and then respectfully counter opinions and listen and are pleasant. Some of that sort of thing is missing in today's world of 2021. Take care. Mark A. Giolli

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

America is changing every day. How did we get here? In American History, Thomas Kidd presents the sweeping narrative that spans the full scope of American history.

Events, People, and Ideas

Thomas S. Kidd is distinguished professor of history and associate director of the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University. He also serves as distinguished visiting profess of church history at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.I know him from his work at The Gospel Coalition, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal.

This textbook is a combined edition of the full content of volumes 1 and 2 of Thomas Kidd’s American History. In just over 700 pages, Kidd covers 1492 to the present day, from early American encounters and England and its colonies through the Age of Terrorism. Along the way, The American Revolution and the Constitution, The Civil War, World War I, and World War II are discussed.

Christianity in America

While Kidd is sure to address our Presidents, important historical figures, and cultural events, I most appreciated what Kidd had to say regarding Christianity in America. For instance, Kidd clearly explains how theological threats in the early 1900s led conservative Christianity to embrace fundamentalism. And he highlights how this led to the founding of new institutes and seminaries, such as Chicago’s Moody Bible Institute, the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (Biola), and Dallas Theological Seminary.

This was my first book review for B&H Academic and I was not disappointed. This is a textbook worthy of serious study and consideration. The full-color pages and illustrations help history come alive. Selected bibliographies are featured at the end of every chapter, and a robust index is included at the back of the book. It will be a primary resource for classroom or home study.

A Discerning Perspective

After reading this book, I came away with a better understanding of how we arrived at our current state of the nation. I feel better equipped to tackle political issues and cultural worldviews. With the news and politics giving differing opinions on how our nation should operate, it is good to have this book as a tool to know the facts. And while I firmly believe that the future is in God’s hands, I am ready to wrestle from a discerning Christian perspective with the changes that will come.

I received a media review copy of American History but was not required to write a positive review.

[Barbara]

This is a good overview of American history from 1492 through Donald Trump's Presidency. It is easy to read and seems well researched and balanced. The author makes it clear that he is interested in the role religion has played in our founding and our history and that he includes references to it frequently. He often talks about the way in which various religious groups have or have not influenced American history, and the faith, or lack of faith, exhibited by important people who had a large influence on various events. Enjoyable and surprisingly delightful to read, it does a good job of giving brief accounts of major people and events, but it does not go into great detail because of the lengthy time period covered. I am very glad I read it.

[Carol Ghattas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though a history major in college, I tend to forget more than I remember, so when I heard about this concise history to our nation, I looked forward to reading it. I took my time, but enjoyed re-engaging with names and events that have impacted our nation.

The writing is concise and easy to digest, and Thomas Kidd makes it clear from the beginning that he is a Christian and will touch on the religious aspects of our nation's story without apology. I did not feel, even as a Christian myself, that it was overbearing, but that he brought a well-researched, balanced view throughout.

A great one-volume read for history-lovers and a good gift for families.

[Molly Aimée Doolittle · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars for a History book! I loved how he focused on how Christianity and other religions changed over the years and how Christians affected the culture. It was an interesting read, which is impressive for a History book. Truly well done!

[Eris Cardin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Methinks this is an excellent, concise overview of American history. There were times I struggled to feel engaged, but history has never been my favorite subject.

[grace wiersma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great general history of the United States. The writing was clear and concise and had many interesting events that I had never heard of before.

[Darrell Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally a straight down the middle, politically unbiased approach to US History

Kidd has written a superb analysis of US History that details the greatness, as well as the black-eyes, of US History. Democrats and Republicans are treated fairly, discussing both their successes and their failures. Most textbooks dismiss the role religion played in US History, but Kidd incorporates America's religious aspect into this history. He describes the concerns of the working class, the praying class, and the elite in a remarkably balanced survey that is refreshing to see in a college-level textbook. As an AP US History teacher, this textbook will detail the Contextualization, Comparisons, and the Continuity and Change Over Time that is essential to pass the APUSH exam in May. I highly recommend this textbook if you are searching for a better balance than what you normally find in US History textbooks.