A True History of the United States

May 15, 2021
An engaging warts-and-all history of the U.S. meant to better educate those who fight for it. Examining the country's history from its European "discovery" through Trump, Sjursen, a retired U.S. Army major and history instructor at West Point, expands on the course he taught there to help close "the gap between what scholars know and what students learn" about American history. Describing his approach to the original course, he writes, "exposure to the historical myths and flaws--in addition to the well-worn triumphs--of the country they might very well die for seemed appropriate. Anything less would have felt obscene." Sjursen divides the book into 37 largely chronological chapters, many with provocative titles such as "Andrew Jackson's White Male World and the Start of Modern Politics," "Lies We Tell Ourselves About the Old West," "JFK's Cold War Chains," and "The Obama Disappointment." Throughout this fluid, readable history, the author provides illuminating comparisons between elements of American history and the modern world. "The Massachusetts Bay Colony," he writes, "may indeed have more in common with modern Saudi Arabia--executing 'witches' and 'sorcerers'--than it does with contemporary Boston." These comparisons help readers better understand and contextualize the topics discussed. In each chapter, the author breaks down the positive and negative aspects of the subject, allowing readers to reconsider our shared history, with each chapter building on the previous one. Though mostly based on previous works, Sjursen's book serves as an ideal overview of American history and a study guide to many of the events and figures that have been misrepresented in standard historical narratives. "The stories we tell about ourselves and our forebears," writes the author early on, "inform the sort of country we think we are, the public policy we craft, and even what we imagine possible." Sjursen tells those stories with aplomb. Strongly written and thought-provoking--a must read for nonhistorians seeking a firm grasp of accurate American history.

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