The Men Who United the States: America's Explorers, Inventors, Eccentrics, and Mavericks, and the Creation of One Nation, Indivisible - Softcover

Winchester, Author And Historian Simon

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0062079611 ISBN 13: 9780062079619

Publisher: Harper Perennial, 2014

Synopsis

Simon Winchester, the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of Atlantic and The Professor and the Madman, delivers his first book about America: a fascinating popular history that illuminates the men who toiled fearlessly to discover, connect, and bond the citizenry and geography of the U.S.A. from its beginnings.

How did America become "one nation, indivisible"? What unified a growing number of disparate states into the modern country we recognize today? To answer these questions, Winchester follows in the footsteps of America's most essential explorers, thinkers, and innovators, such as Lewis and Clark and the leaders of the Great Surveys; the builders of the first transcontinental telegraph and the powerful civil engineer behind the Interstate Highway System. He treks vast swaths of territory, from Pittsburgh to Portland, Rochester to San Francisco, Seattle to Anchorage, introducing the fascinating people who played a pivotal role in creating today's United States.

Throughout, he ponders whether the historic work of uniting the States has succeeded, and to what degree. Featuring 32 illustrations throughout the text, The Men Who United the States is a fresh look at the way in which the most powerful nation on earth came together.

About this title

Review:

"Vivid, valuable. ... An extraordinary, propulsive tale."--Wall Street Journal

"[M]esmerizing and fascinating... Mr. Winchester is a master storyteller, and all the individuals, places, and events that he passionately writes about come to life in exquisite detail."--New York Journal of Books

"Winchester has found a thematic way to tell this familiar story so it seems fresh and informative, even fascinating."--St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"What makes this book so enjoyable is that he ties the development of these advances to some brilliant but idiosyncratic personalities."--BookPage

"[I]nformative and absorbing"--The Oregonian (Portland)

"An elegantly written account... filled with fascinating information."--Boston Globe

"Winchester provides surprising insights into our social history, further enriching his narrative with accounts of his personal odysseys around the country. The results are highly recommended for public and school libraries and all readers looking for new and stimulating perspectives on the history of America."--Library Journal

"A most genial storyteller"--Las Vegas Weekly

"He ... freshens U.S. history by refusing to tell it through the usual suspects."--Seattle Times

"Entertaining. ... A pleasure."--New York Times Book Review

From the Back Cover:

New York Times bestselling author Simon Winchester follows the footsteps of America's most crucial innovators, thinkers, and explorers, from Lewis and Clark and the leaders of the Great Surveys of the West to the builders of the transcontinental railroad and the great highway systems to show how these daring men from three centuries left their mark on America's natural landscapes through courage, ingenuity, and hard work. Winchester brings together the breathtaking achievements of those American pioneers who helped to forge and unify the new nation, and who toiled fearlessly to bond the citizens and the geography of the United States from its very beginnings. This sweeping narrative is an unforgettable journey of unprecedented scope across time and open spaces, providing a new lens through which to view American history, led by one of our most gifted writers.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0062079611
• ISBN 13: 9780062079619
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 512