We Americans: Celebrating a Nation, Its People and Its Past

by Thomas B. Allen (Editor), Charles O. Hyman (editor)

With contributions from leading Pulitzer Prize-winning writers, this heirloom social history of the United States is brimming with the tales of the everyday people and events that shaped our nation, from colonial days to the Internet era. 300 photos, many in color.

Genres: History, Reference, Nonfiction, American History

400 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

Thomas B. Allen's writings range from articles for National Geographic Magazine to books on espionage and military history.
He is the father of Roger MacBride Allen.

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Eli Poteet · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

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. 😮👎

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Sandra Noonan · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Coffee table book about American history. Lots of pictures.