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

Winchester, Simon

ISBN 10: 0062282816 ISBN 13: 9780062282811

Publisher: Harperaudio, 2013

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:

‘Winchester achieves something remarkable here ... ‘The Men Who United the States’ is not only readable, it’s compelling and quite marvellous reading’ Literary Review

‘Winchester pioneered the genre of popular narrative history ... His admiration for his adopted homeland, and respect for those who forged it, shine out from every page ... [he] understands that specificity is what counts, as it always does in writing’ Sunday Telegraph

‘Simon Winchester is a literary impresario ... The subtitle promises readers a sackful of exciting tales – and the author delivers. This is a clever, engaging and original look at what would seem well-trodden historical paths; but Winchester, delightfully, breaks a fresh trail’ Economist

‘An imaginative piece of historical writing, interwoven with memoir. But it is, in the end, more than either of those things: it is a love poem to the American landscape and to the spirit of people’ BBC History Magazine

‘A rousing tribute to the alliances, agencies, and inventions – from Lewis and Clark to the Internet – that underpin our more perfect union. A stunning, highly original feast of a book.’
Stacy Schiff

‘Simon Winchester never disappoints, and ‘The Men Who United the States’ is a lively and surprising account of how this sprawling piece of geography became a nation. This is America from the ground up. Inspiring and engaging.’
Tom Brokaw

From the Back Cover:

For more than two centuries, E pluribus unum—Out of many, one"—has been featured on America's official government seals and stamped on its currency. But what unified a growing number of disparate states into the modern country we recognize today?

Simon Winchester follows the footsteps of America's most crucial innovators, thinkers and explorers, from Lewis and Clark, to the builders of the first transcontinental railroad and the curmudgeonly civil engineer who oversaw the creation of more than three million miles of highway. Winchester travels across vast swaths of the American landscape, from Pittsburgh to Portland, Seattle to Anchorage and Truckee to Laramie, using the five classical elements—Wood, Earth, Water, Fire, and Metal—to chart the contributions these adventurous leaders made to connect the diverse communities within the United States and ensure the future of the American project begun in 1776.

The Men Who United the States 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 the most gifted writers.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harperaudio
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0062282816
• ISBN 13: 9780062282811
• Binding: Audio CD