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Freedom: A History of US Freedom:

A History of US


Out of Print -Coming Soon-


The U.S. histories I've written are grounded in respect and admiration for our system of government. I believe that approach is appropriate for young people. We can take pride in our history. Yes, it has some shameful moments–more than a few of them (and I don't ignore them)–but, for the most part, ours is the story of a diverse people guided by some remarkable founding ideas. We have perfection as our goal: liberty and justice for all. Can we attain it? Of course not. But the story of our struggle in that direction is–as the kids say–awesome.
Including more than four hundred illustrations, sidebars, and historical documents, Freedom: A History of US pairs illustrations with cogent text.


This handsome book was made into a PBS television series that is now available on DVD for home or classroom use. Katie Couric hosts the series. Stars include Susan Sarandon as Susan B. Anthony, Tom Hanks as Abraham Lincoln, Brad Pitt as James K. Polk, Whoopi Goldberg as Sojourner Truth, and Dennis Quaid as General Robert E. Lee. Check the link to the PBS website for more information. Extensive classroom support materials, written at Johns Hopkins University, and geared to high or middle school use, are available.

A coordinated teaching website can be found at:

Freedom: A History of US is currently available at your favorite bookstore, online, or for special school prices from Oxford University Press. A coordinated PBS teaching website is free and downloadable (check the links below). This volume is being used in high schools and some college classrooms.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/historyofus/menu.html

Click here to purchase A History of US dvd.
Some images from Freedom: A History of US


Fifty-six men signed their names to the Declaration of Independence. If the war ended in Britain's favor, it meant certain death for all of them.
This lithograph by Currier & Ives depicts four of the major inventions of the nineteenth century; the steam press, the electric telegraph, the locomotive, and the steamboat, all of which were developed during the Industrial Revolution.
During World War II, with American men fighting overseas against the fascists, American women took over the jobs at home. Here a patriotic war poster tries to inspire more women to join the effort.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the summer of 1965. King had already become the preeminent spokesman of his time for American freedom.
President Reagan speaks with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in the White House during their Washington summit in December 1987. The friendship between these two men would help to bring a thaw to the Cold War that had dominated global relations for over forty years.