The Battle for Our Better Angels - The Soul of America

This book ties together historical threads which leads to the consistent notion of American exceptionalism. Are we truly making progress or do we simply recycle through the patina of individual liberty covering our desire for certainty and want for caretakers? Th carefully crafted explanation of the never resolved civil war which morphed into ongoing manifold terrorism both physically and verbally continues. The book is clear about this until the year 1968. The last 50 years are given short shrift. Maybe the last 50 years reflect recycling rather than progress, as for instance we go from Bush to Obama to trump.

A hopeful, beautifully written book that reminds us of how often the American ideals have been endangered and how we have managed to overcome, but not defeat them. Racism, corruption and inequality have plagued this nation. We have made progress, but often take steps backward as well. The author reminds us that many of these issues have been around since the Revolutionary War and continue to be problems as each era grapples with how to make things better. So far, our "better angels" have prevailed. Now it is our turn to help our better angels win. Everyone needs to read this and become aware of our history so we can avoid repeating our mistakes.

This history lesson in our leadership gives hope to issues of today. Each administration in the White House has had challenges. The book points out that a leader can appeal to the prejudices in our Nation. Politicians can run for office on these dreaded prejudices and win, but it will hurt our nation.

I heard Jon Meacham on NPR speaking about this book. My interest was peaked. He provides a great overview of how America has cycled through periods of hatred and bigotry. America has overcome so much. This book shows us that we will once again overcome because of who we are as a country of "better angels".

This is an important read in this divisive time. It's optimistic, too. Meacham persuasively runs through past times when circumstances and leaders have tried to break the American people apart and details how the nation's character kept that from happening. You'll leave the book with a spark of hope.

Jon Meacham is a wonderful writer. I have been really depressed about the state of things in the USA. This book helped me figure out that we as a nation have been in places similar to this in the past and survived so we have every reason to expect to survive, learn from our mistakes and grow as a nation. The book is wonderfully engrossing and very well written.

For anyone in chronic dismay over the abomination that is President Trump, this book offers great perspective of American history and how we've survived troubled times and poor leaders before. Stay hopeful for the future. We will survive the Trump administration. Thanks Jon Meacham for a wonderful read.

This book provides a fascinating history of political partisanship and divisiveness in our country, reminding us that we've experienced and overcome such extremes before. Thus it offers some hope that we can recover from the overwhelming partisanship that has paralyzed our government and divided our nation in recent years.

Thought provoking. Focus on the 'good' of us versus the 'trump' of us. Poses the question....are we able to overcome this time like we have in the past. Meacham obviously thinks we can. I am not so sure......

Jon Meacham is a wonderful writer. I have been really depressed about the state of things in the USA. This book helped me figure out that we as a nation have been in places similar to this in the past and survived so we have every reason to expect to survive, learn from our mistakes and grow as a nation. The book is wonderfully engrossing and very well written.

For anyone in chronic dismay over the abomination that is President Trump, this book offers great perspective of American history and how we've survived troubled times and poor leaders before. Stay hopeful for the future. We will survive the Trump administration. Thanks Jon Meacham for a wonderful read.

This book provides a fascinating history of political partisanship and divisiveness in our country, reminding us that we've experienced and overcome such extremes before. Thus it offers some hope that we can recover from the overwhelming partisanship that has paralyzed our government and divided our nation in recent years.

Thought provoking. Focus on the 'good' of us versus the 'trump' of us. Poses the question....are we able to overcome this time like we have in the past. Meacham obviously thinks we can. I am not so sure......

This is a wonderful book. The language at times is majestic. It is passionate and powerful, optimistic and
patriotic. In a period of contentious conflict, a light at the end of the tunnel. Hope is where the heart is.

Reading the history of various fearful times of the American experience helps gain perspective on the scary period we are currently living through. Maybe the end isn’t nigh. Jon Meacham’s writing is beautiful and inspiring. I know I can be a better citizen following his lead.

This is an extraordinary work by a Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential biographer. The research is impeccable, the photos add much to the story line, and the prose is highly, highly readable and engaging. This is a book worthy of everyone’s reading, regardless of their personal political persuasion.

Are you distressed by politics in 2018? Well this very sane, historically precise, and calming book will benefit you enormously. It has truly given me a fresh outlook on the chaos surrounding the politics of Trump.

A brilliantly written and thoroughly researched book. The Soul Of America helps explain the historical events and decisions that have lead us to our current social and political challenges. Love this book and highly recommend it for all students of American history.

Its comforting to remember that while we are living in very dangerous times, when clearly our better angels have fled the scene, that at other critical times in our history, we overcame the dark nights and prevailed. Of course this time the calamity we are facing is of our own making rather than an external event. Meacham's prose is like a dose of medicine delivered in a sugar pill, easy to digest, and you will feel better for it.

An intelligent, literate, well researched and documented book, a breath of fresh air in this history challenged time. The ideas and insights
are well reasoned and supported and the writing is beautiful. This is a book worth reading more than once.

Enlightening read for those troubled by the path America appears to be on. Meacham knows his stuff, clearly did painstaking research, and writes in a style that makes a subject matter that's rather heavy very easy to consume. Important book, highly recommended.

Mr. Meacham, who fully meets the definition of a scholar, has spent his adult lifetime studying American history. His ability to apply the lessons of past eras to the present time is unsurpassed ; His calm and reassuring manner of making those connections is very reassuring to those of us who have been especially concerned about recent events. I plan to re-read his book from time to time, if only that I might recover confidence in our government and faith in our country.

After a slow, yet polemical beginning, the book was actually excellent. Meacham is really an excellent writer, though I insist he’s a biographer and not a historian (like Edmund Morgan, for example.)

A painful and necessary read of American history. Trump's sexism, classism, and racism are not new. America has never come to grips with it's five great sins: genocide, slavery, environmental degradation, patriarchy, and meaningless consumerism.

A wonderful read. You will discover how figures from the public and private sectors of our country struggled to ensure the promises of the declaration of Independence to the citizens of our nation. Some will argue that are founding fathers intended the promises only for white men. After you read this, you will see that freedom is for all of us

The Soul of America starts with a largely general, theoretical chapter that had me thinking about what I used to write on English 101 students' papers: "avoid unsupported generalizations." Meacham risks losing audience-members in that section, which would be a real shame, as the meat of the book is wonderful.

I had seen Jon Meacham on television and appreciated his calm and intelligent approach to our time. This book gives wonderful insights into our past American presidents and helps us to see that we have been through hard times before and have weathered those storms and come to a better place. Above all, this book offers hope.

Helps you keep a perspective that any current 'OMG, our country is being ruined!' phase is just another in a long line of such issues we've endured. Hopefully our great governance model of checks and balances and overseeing institutions will continue to prevail.