I Wish I'd Been There: Twenty Historians Bring to Life Dramatic Events That Changed America

by Byron Hollinshead (Editor), Biloine Whiting Young (Contributor), Mary Beth Norton (Contributor)

Twenty distinguished American historians vividly reimagine twenty events of great drama and significance in our country’s past.

“What is the scene or incident in American history that you would like to have witnessed—and why?” This is the thought-provoking question that editor Byron Hollinshead posed to twenty of our finest interpreters of American history with the invitation to write a personal essay answering it. The result is I Wish I’d Been There , a book that trains a lens on crucial moments of our past and brings them to vivid life. With these peerless scholars as their guides, readers will be transported to the Salem witch trials, the Lewis and Clark expedition, the raid on Harpers Ferry, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, the Scopes “monkey trial,” the beginnings of the Vietnam War, the voting rights march to Selma, and other turning points of our national drama. Contributors include Mary Beth Norton, Joseph Ellis, Jay Winik, Carol Berkin, Kevin Baker, Robert Cowley, Carolyn Gilman, Geoffrey Ward, Robert Dallek, and William Leuchtenburg, among other luminaries of the historical profession.
I Wish I’d Been There is a marvelous concept, wonderfully and imaginatively executed. The result is an American pageant of character and event that will attract and delight readers of history.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History, Essays, Historical, Anthologies, Politics

338 pages, Hardcover

First published October 3, 2006

Reviews

[Jay Schutt · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of this book seemed interesting to me so I thought I would give it a try.
I used the kindle version of this book. If I had been able to actually hold the print version in my hands prior to purchase and view the contents, I probably would have passed on it.
Some of the essays were of interest to me, but most, not so much.

[Jan C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually 3 1/2 *. Some were very interesting, others barely worth skimming.

I enjoyed the venture to Cahokia. I think I went there once, but it is nothing like it once was. Also enjoyed the one about the Salem witches. It drove me to take out the audio of the recent book, The Witches: Salem, 1692 - that turned out to be a mistake. That seems like a book that should be read, not listened to - the narrator read it like it was satire.

Also enjoyed the Trial of John Scopes - but, again, this will make me delay again the excellent book by Edward J. Larson, Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate Over Science and Religion, because the author borrowed heavily from it.

Other enjoyable essays included the one about how John Quincy Adams became an attorney on the Amistad trial (one of a number), John Brown and his adventure in Harpers Ferry (a lovely place to visit, but the way), Jay Winik and the day that Lincoln was shot (possibly making me forestall the reading of April 1865 The Month That Saved America), Chief Joseph's surrender.

But I possibly enjoyed William Leuchtenburg's meeting of President Johnson and Gov. George Wallace. Most of the others that I was alive for some or a portion of I didn't enjoy that much, but this I did. The first sentence refers to Richard Hofstadter asking him to go to the march from Selma with him as part of a contingent of historians. I met Hofstadter's nephew once, as he was a neighbor of a friend. But as he described LBJ putting Wallace in a settee that sank so low that he was barely inches off the ground and 6'4" LBJ towering over him and really putting him on the carpet, so to speak. This I could see.

Unfortunately, this book has been on my shelf for most of the last 7 years unread except probably for the first 10 pages. Glad that I finally got to it.

[Dan Dundon · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those who enjoy a little dose of history on a variety of events rather than reading an entire book on a subject, this is the book for you. Twenty historians discuss events that changed the life of America. They are all interesting stories although some are more compelling than others.
For example, the story of how George Washington handled an officer revolt after the Revolutionary War is both educational and compelling reading. Similarly, the chapter dealing with how President Lyndon Johnson handled Alabama Governor George Wallace is truly revealing about both LBJ and Wallace.
Other stories are not as compelling such as the last days of World War I or the details of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The details of both of these stories are pretty well know even by those who are only casually interested in history.
Nevertheless, the stories are well told and well researched. It's a lot like picking up a fictional book of short stories, some are more interesting than others but well worth your time.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a collection of essays, this book contains some hits and misses, though in general the stronger essays outweigh the weaker ones. In fact, I assigned one of the essays (on Lewis & Clark) to my class and recommend the essays that cover America pre-Civil War. Given the chronological distance, it may be that those subjects are better suited to this sort of history writing than events of the recent past (for example the essay on the Civil Rights movement). Although written for a general audience the collection also raises questions for scholars concerning how we write and teach these subjects.

[Theresa Connors · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this collection of essays, twenty historians choose an event in history that they would have wanted to witness. My favorites were John Quincy Adams’ defense of The Amistad slaves and the poignant surrender of Chief Joseph. The events spanned the time from 1030 to 1965. A couple of chapters were worth skipping but overall, it was a good read.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly Faithful

At first, I wasn’t sure I’d like the imaginative spins on unseen, real historical events. But, there was enough objective historical record to keep me tuned in long enough to find myself entertaining the same conjectures as the authors. Really enjoyable.

[Mark Fallon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every historian - professional and amateur - wished they could have witnessed at least one famous event. In this book, Hollinshead gives 20 authors the opportunity to describe the events they wanted to witness and why.

[Beverly Hollandbeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoughtful essays from periods of time from 20 historians, reflecting their studies as much as important historic events . The best writers can put you into a scene, like Chief Joseph's surrender and the Scopes trial. And the very best can make you understand how individuals can change history. We already knew how important Lyndon Johnson's 1965 Voting Rights legislation was, and the consequences of it, but this description of Johnson's confrontation with George Wallace adds spice - and some humor - to the historical account.

[Kirsti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought "A Day in Cahokia—AD 1030" was the most vivid essay, "Jenny Lind's American Debut, 1850" was the most interesting, "With John Brown at Harpers Ferry" and "LaFollette Speaks against the War—1917" were most educational, and "Lost-Found Nation: The Last Meeting between Elijah Muhammad and W. D. Fard" was the weirdest. "The Salem Witchcraft Trials" essay was actually rather boring, but I thought it was the only clunker in the batch (and if I'd had no prior knowledge of the trials, I'm sure I would have found it fascinating).

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of essays from historians covering the birth of America to 1965. They each chose a moment in history that they could have been present for and described the circumstances and the supposition in detail.
I have a very different opinion of this book from other reviews. I learned something from each essay, therefore I thought it was excellent. Perhaps I am naive or ignorant and didn’t learn history appropriately. But I found each essay fascinating.

[Ron McGaw · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of short sketches of historical events, but not terribly satisfying. Not quite in depth enough on any given topic to be engaging.

[Mariah Landry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this more than I thought I would! Favorite chapters and things I learned: Cahokia- huge Native American Society in North America, the madness of the Salem Witch Trials, Jenny Lind the opera singer from Europe that enchanted the US, I learned how crazy and poorly planned John Brown's raid was, The Amistad trial a historical event I knew nothing about in which and JQA put forth a huge effort in defending would-be slaves who had taken over a slave ship before it could reach its destination... as a result of the trial the Africans were released and allowed to return to Africa, the chapter on the day Lincoln was shot was heart-wrenching and I didn't know that it was part of a greater assassination plan involving members of the cabinet, the chapter on Chief Joseph was heart wrenching, the John Scopes chapter on teaching evolution was a bit weird but also interesting. The Elijah Muhammed and WD Fard chapter was super interesting, I didn't know about the mysteriousness of WD Fard and how he disappeared from history, it seems like he did lie about his identity in creating the Nation of Islam and the chapter on LBJ and George Wallace and how it tied into the Selma march was also very interesting. Although some chapters were boring, I would overall recommend this book. It was nice reading smaller stories of pivotal historical moment. Also the chapter on LaFollette the congressman who spoke against WWI was very interesting in that it really was a turning point in American govt involving itself overseas with frequently disastrously consequences and few politicians stepping up against it.

[Roger Smitter · Rating 4 out of 5]

By the time you read the book, you do feel like you have been there. The 20 stories come from a string of academics, mostly historians. Eighteen of the chapters focus on American history. The other two are about what happened in the “new world” before it become the US. There is some diversity among the people in the stories. The problem is that the chapters are anchored in a power, a way that historians would challenge as a theme. There's a good spread of gender and races in the narratives. The chapters on the death of Lincoln and the Scopes trial chapters were the most engaging for me. All of the writers are academics who demonstrated an ability to create a reading for non academics.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twenty American historians were each invited to write a chapter in this book, as experts, about specific events. For example, the day that Lewis and Clark realized that they were not going to float to the pacific but were going to have to take horses for the next phase of their journey when they discovered Sacajawea’s tribe, in what is now still rural Idaho. Or the events surrounding Amistad as John Quincy Adams argued before the Supreme Court. Or the knee to knee conversation Lyndon Johnson had with George Wallace to ease the harsh segregationist measures Wallace was using in Alabama in 1965. All these stories were told as though the writer had been there. Wonderful glimpses of our past. I liked this book.

[Stephen Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a compilation of essays by a bunch of historians about important moments in history that they witnessed. They are trying to tell a good story rather than making a ground breaking argument and it works. It is extremely easy to read and is fun. The authors give flavor to the stories that really draw you in. While there are a couple of chapters that aren't as captivating, the rest of them more than make up for it. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a broad range of history.

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, really good. But chapter to chapter quality depended on how much you were invested in that time period. I only skimmed one chapter, and mostly it explored a more nuanced look at both the historical figures themselves and paradigm shifting moments within history - especially in periods that I had never really been super interested in.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like others have said, the premise is interesting, though I think the essayists struggled on how best to carry out their mission, the “opportunity to imagine” if they had been there.
I did appreciate collecting the names of the twenty historians and their major writings that were presented at the beginning of each essay and to get a taste of their writing style.

[Abby W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really good book. Now, if I'm being completely honest, some of the essays were boring, but the others were very well-written. Anyone who has an interest in history should read this book.

Events that I wish were in the book:
-Landing at Jamestown
-Boston Tea Party
-Battle of Gettysburg

[Karen Daly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tantalizing small bits of History...

This book offers small but quite knowledgeable insight into
a number of fascinating, important scenarios of human history. Each has been artfully fleshed out by a talented historian. Great read !

[Tom Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this collection of historical accounts as a gift. Although I was unimpressed with some of the first stories, it got better and I enjoyed almost every short account.

[Mario · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a compilation of historians' short accounts of various points in history, so the style differs from chapter to chapter. Overall, it was still good.

[Nancy Lilly F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! I enjoyed the stories from the perspective of various history scholars who imagine what it must have been like to have witnessed various important events in American history.

[Lnsimon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A twist in history

This provides a twist to the traditional history book. Although a few of the sections are muddled, most stories are insightful.

[The Transmuted Tree · Rating 3 out of 5]

1) A Day in Cahokia-AD 1030-Biloine W Young - 5⭐
2) The Salem Witchcraft Trials-Mary Beth Norton- 3⭐
3) George Washington & the Newburgh Conspiracy-Carol Berkin- 3⭐
4) The McGillvray Moment-Joseph J Ellis- 3⭐
5) Merriweather Lewis on the Divide-Carolyn Gilman- 3⭐
6) The Corrupt Bargain- Robert V Remini- 2⭐
7) The Amistad Trial-Paul C Nagel- 4⭐
8) James K. Polk & the 1844 Election-Robert W Johannsen- 2⭐
9) Jenny Lind's American Debut, 1850-Philip B Kunhardt III- 5⭐
10) With John Brown at Harper's Ferry-Thomas Fleming- 5⭐
11) The Day Lincoln Was Shot-Jay Winik- 5⭐
12) Chief Joseph Surrenders-Mark Stevens- 4⭐
13) La Follette Speaks Against the War--1917-Bernard Weisberger- 2⭐
14) The Road to Butgnéville--November 11, 1918-Robert Cowley- 2⭐
15) Trying John Scopes-Jonathan Rabb-4⭐
16) Lost-Found Nation: The Last Meeting between Elijah Muhammad & W.D. Fard-Kevin Baker- 5⭐
17) The Sick Man in the White House- Geoffrey C. Ward- 4⭐
18) JFK & RFK Meet about Vietnam-Robert Dallek- 2⭐
19) Memory, History, & the March on Washington- Clayborne Carson- 3⭐
20)Lyndon Johnson Confronts George Wallace-William E. Leuchtenburg- 5⭐

[Rob · Rating 2 out of 5]

As with any anthology or collection I Wish I'd Been There reveals the best and worst of historical discourse. Conceptually, the book initially appealed to me on a a form of historical speed-dating, short sweet, topical excursions to whet the appetite or provide just enough information. In some ways, the text reminded me of Cowley's What If series (slightly overdone by volume II, but a treasure nonetheless)

Stand out "must read" essays:
1. Robert Remini's "The Corrupt Bargain"
2. Paul Nagel's "The Amistad Trial"
3. Philip Kunhardt's "Jenny Lind's American Debut, 1850"
4. Thomas Fleming's "With John Brown at Harpers Ferry."
5. Mark Stevens' "Chief Joseph Surrenders"
6. Kevin Baker's "Lost-Found Nation: The Last Meeting between Elijah Mohammad and W.D. Fard."

The remaining pieces, for me, were throw aways with authors either ignoring the premise of the collection or crafting essays that lacked focus, purpose, and reason. Cowley's "Road to Butgneville and Wards's "The Sick Man in the White House" were particularly offensive in this regard. The self-righteous, anti-war "it's all Bush's fault" tone of Cowley and cow-towing progressivism of Ward and others was lamentable. While I love a well placed historical parallel, those presented here were juvenile and overdone.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept of this book is a great one, the execution was hit and miss. I loved the chapter on John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry. Brown is one of the most controversial people in US History and it would have great to have really seen what he was all about. Thomas Fleming thinks he was a nut who happened to believe in a good cause. The chapter on GW rejecting becoming a US king was good. One of my favorites was on a meeting that LBJ had with George Wallace at the White House during the desegregation crisis. It would have been awesome to see Johnson give the little shit the treatment. Other chapters were far less interesting than these three. I found out that the Amistad Trial was much less moving than the movie and this was a bit depressing, I didn't care about James Polk and the election of 1844, and I pretty much already new what Jonathan Rabb had to say about the Scopes trial. If you can pick this book up at a used store it would make a good bathroom/night table book because each chapter stands alone and you can pick out the stories that you are really interested in. Not worth full price.

[Maura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up from my library one summer while earning my history degree and was feeling my history major. I liked the concept - that these historians would write themselves into a historic period or event and essentially through their narrative bring the scene to life. It didn't fully manage its goal. Perhaps if each historian had written a fiction story within the historically accurate depiction, I might have been a bit more interested. But each one was an essay, rich in detail and description but only really interesting if one found that period of history truly interesting. I think that was one of my other issues with the book - I didn't care for all of periods that were chosen. I generally dislike most of the 1800s...can't think of a single historical event in the 1800s that interests me...so I probably should have skipped those. Still, it is an intriguing idea and I would probably enjoy some that were set in ancient times a bit more....or perhaps if they hadn't limited themselves to American history.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gosh, the email back-and-forth I had with family and friends over the places that we'd have like to have been was more fun.

Don't get me wrong, some of the chapters were especially good. But every chapter was written by somebody different, so a few were real nose-pickers. You can pick a 24 hour period to be some place and you're picking a 1,000 years ago to watch the natives dance to the gods? And some of the chapters were simply must-haves for the P.C. crowd. We allow you to go back in time and you choose the last known meeting between Elijah Muhammad and W.D. Fard? Gimme a break. Go with the Cross of Gold speech or Easter Sunday or Franco Harris' catch in the 72 playoffs. Don't give me P.C. crap to please your college buddies.

If you're given this book, make sure to read the chapters on John Brown at Harper's Ferry, and The Day when Lincoln Was Shot. The last half of the book was better than the first, but this book sold me on the title, not on what I got.

[Andrew · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found it pretty underwhelming and each chapter seemed slightly rushed. Some were better than others, like the section on the Newbergh Conspiracy and George Washington's efforts to negotiate a treaty with the Creeks. Robert Remini was his dry, too-pro Andrew Jackson self, and one of the writers tried to make too much out of the Amistad case of 1841. With Prigg v. Pennsylvania decided the following year, I take issue with anyone who argues that the Amistad case was the most important slavery case the Supreme Court decided before Dred Scott. I ended up skimming a lot of the rest and found little that hasn't been written about already.

[Chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a smart decision on the editor's part to put the most interesting, engaging story as the first. "A Day in Cahokia - AD 1030" was set in first person, so it read almost like fiction. This really got me excited for the rest of the book. But. . .it's not all like that. The rest is like a essay, and most of them I've already forgotten. I don't want to sound stupid, but jeez, there are some big words and bigger descriptions on here. It was very hard to follow sometimes. But, some of these events I had not learned about before, and so I have a basic knowledge about them.