Review
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“Appalled by the ascendancy of Donald J. Trump, and
shaken by the deadly white nationalist rallies in Charlottesville
in 2017, Meacham returns to other moments in our history when
fear and division seemed rampant. He wants to remind us that the
current political turmoil is not unprecedented, that as a nation
we have survived times worse than this. . . . Meacham tries to
summon the better angels by looking back at when America truly
has been great. He is effective as ever at writing history for a
broad readership. . . . [Meacham] is an adroit and appealing
storyteller.”—The New York Times Book Review
“Gripping and inspiring, The Soul of America is Jon Meacham’s
declaration of his faith in America. . . . Meacham, by
chronicling the nation’s struggles from revolutionary times to
current day, makes the resonant argument that America has faced
division before—and not only survived it but thrived. . . .
Meacham believes the nation will move beyond Trump because, in
the end, as they have shown on vital issues before, Americans
embrace their better angels. This book stands as a testament to
that choice—a reminder that the country has a history of
returning to its core values of freedom and equality after
enduring periods of distraction and turmoil.”—Newsday
“Meacham tells us we’ve been here before and can find our way
out, urging readers to enter the arena, avoid tribalism, respect
facts and listen to history.”—The Washington Post
“This engrossing, edifying, many-voiced chronicle, subtly
propelled by concern over the troubled Trump administration,
calls on readers to defend democracy, decency, and the common
good. Best-selling Meacham’s topic couldn’t be more
urgent.”—Booklist (starred review)
“Meacham has become one of America’s most earnest and thoughtful
biographers and historians. . . . He employs all of those skills
in The Soul of America, a thoroughly researched and smoothly
written roundup of some of the worst parts of American history
and how they were gradually overcome. . . . Meacham gives readers
a long-term perspective on American history and a reason to
believe the soul of America is ultimately one of kindness and
caring, not rancor and paranoia. Finally, Meacham provides advice
to find our better angels—enter the arena, resist tribalism,
respect facts and deploy reason, find a critical balance and keep
history in mind. He’s provided a great way to do it.”—USA Today
“This is a brilliant, fascinating, timely, and above all
profoundly important book. Jon Meacham explores the extremism and
racism that have infected our politics, and he draws enlightening
lessons from the knowledge that we’ve faced such trials before.
We have come through times of fear. We have triumphed over our
dark impulses. With compelling narratives of past eras of strife
and disenchantment, Meacham offers wisdom for our own time and
helps us appreciate the American soul: the heart, the core, and
the essence of what it means to have faith in our nation.”—Walter
Isaacson
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About the Author
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Jon Meacham is a Pulitzer Prize–winning biographer.
The author of the New York Times bestsellers Thomas Jefferson:
The Art of Power, American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White
House, Franklin and Winston, Destiny and Power: The American
Odyssey of George ert Walker Bush, and The Soul of America:
The Battle for Our Better Angels, he is a distinguished visiting
professor at Vanderbilt University, a contributing writer for The
New York Times Book Review, and a fellow of the Society of
American Historians. Meacham lives in Nashville and in Sewanee
with his wife and children.
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