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America
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
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As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
337 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 1918
20 people want to read
About the author
Johan Huizinga
101 books170 followersJohan Huizinga was a Dutch historian and one of the founders of modern cultural history.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 12, 2021
Brilliant analysis but outdated
Like most societies, America has changed immensely since 1918. That's when Johan Huizinga, an eminent Dutch historian, took on the task of providing an analysis for Europeans of that large, (then) poorly-understood nation across the ocean. Like de Tocqueville before him, he cuts to the quick, he gets down to the basic points in a way that few Americans ever could---blinded as they are by their more detailed knowledge or their prejudices. Unlike de Tocqueville, however, Huizinga wrote most of this book before ever setting eyes on America. Never mind, much of what he writes---for example on the difference between long-term themes in American and European history---is still valid today, though the vagaries of time are erasing that difference to some extent. He talks about the much larger role of economic forces in American history, the role of caucuses, clubs, and societies, and then the domination by great capitalist cabals. He is good at pointing out contradictions such as the secrecy, violence, and corruption in American society, but also their opposites. In the section about his own visit to America, he writes well of universities and media, the seeming need for organized emotion, the strong religious current, and much more.
Perhaps Huizinga's style is not the most interesting ever written, but it is extremely thoughtful. Its main defect in my eyes, however, is that it is outdated. What is missing here ? Well, for starters, the dizzy boom after WW I, the Depression, the vast changes wrought by Roosevelt's administration, WW II, the emptying of the countryside, America's rise to superpower status, television, the civil rights movement, the rise of high tech, computers, and big agriculture, the massive immigration since 1965. You can think of your own "main changes" since 1918. As I read, I kept thinking, "is America really like that anymore?" Sometimes I answered `yes', but more often, `no'. That's the drawback of this once-insightful book. Still, for a European view of America almost 100 years ago, you can do a lot worse than this volume.
Like most societies, America has changed immensely since 1918. That's when Johan Huizinga, an eminent Dutch historian, took on the task of providing an analysis for Europeans of that large, (then) poorly-understood nation across the ocean. Like de Tocqueville before him, he cuts to the quick, he gets down to the basic points in a way that few Americans ever could---blinded as they are by their more detailed knowledge or their prejudices. Unlike de Tocqueville, however, Huizinga wrote most of this book before ever setting eyes on America. Never mind, much of what he writes---for example on the difference between long-term themes in American and European history---is still valid today, though the vagaries of time are erasing that difference to some extent. He talks about the much larger role of economic forces in American history, the role of caucuses, clubs, and societies, and then the domination by great capitalist cabals. He is good at pointing out contradictions such as the secrecy, violence, and corruption in American society, but also their opposites. In the section about his own visit to America, he writes well of universities and media, the seeming need for organized emotion, the strong religious current, and much more.
Perhaps Huizinga's style is not the most interesting ever written, but it is extremely thoughtful. Its main defect in my eyes, however, is that it is outdated. What is missing here ? Well, for starters, the dizzy boom after WW I, the Depression, the vast changes wrought by Roosevelt's administration, WW II, the emptying of the countryside, America's rise to superpower status, television, the civil rights movement, the rise of high tech, computers, and big agriculture, the massive immigration since 1965. You can think of your own "main changes" since 1918. As I read, I kept thinking, "is America really like that anymore?" Sometimes I answered `yes', but more often, `no'. That's the drawback of this once-insightful book. Still, for a European view of America almost 100 years ago, you can do a lot worse than this volume.
Displaying 1 of 1 review