A GUARDIAN AND A SMITHSONIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR
A SUNDAY TIMES, OBSERVER AND I-PAPER SUMMER READ
'Enormously entertaining' Sunday Times
'Fascinating' New Statesman
'An enthralling book' Guardian
'The American dream is dead,' Donald Trump said when announcing his candidacy for president in 2015. How would he revive it? By putting 'America First'.
The 'American Dream' and 'America First' are two of the most loaded phrases in America today, and also two of the most misunderstood. The American Dream began as a pledge for equality rather than as a dream of supremacy and 'making it big'. America First has not just served as an isolationist term, but as an early slogan of the Ku Klux Klan with surprising links to the present. In 1927, a KKK riot led to the arrest of seven men - among them a certain Fred C. Trump.
Both phrases were born nearly a century ago and instantly tangled over capitalism, democracy and race, coming to embody opposing views in the battle to define the soul of the nation. Behold, America recounts the unknown history of these two expressions using the voices that helped shape that debate, from Capitol Hill to the newsroom of the New York Times, students to senators, dreamers to dissenters. As America struggles again to project a shared vision, to itself and to the world, Sarah Churchwell argues that the meanings and history of these terms need to be understood afresh so that the true spirit of America can be reclaimed. Insightful and revelatory, Behold, America overturns everything we thought we knew about the American dream, America First and the battle for the identity of modern America.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
£ 25
From United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. Dust Jacket Condition: New. 1st Edition. xiii, 356 pages : illustrations (black and white) ; 20 cm. Summary:What does America stand for in the twenty-first century? Behold, America confronts this urgent question by looking at the story behind two of the most contentious phrases in the American political playbook: the 'American dream' and 'America first'. What do these phrases tell us about America's idea of itself? What does it mean to put America first, and what exactly are Americans supposed to be dreaming of - personal wealth, public power, racial equality, political refuge, individual freedoms? What happens when these values collide? 'America first' and the 'American dream' were born nearly a century ago and instantly tangled over capitalism, democracy and race. Invoked most recently in Donald Trump's presidential campaign, they came to embody opposing views in the battle to define the soul of the nation. Behold, America recounts the unknown history of these two expressions using the voices that helped shape that debate, from Capitol Hill to the newsroom of the New York Times, students to senators, dreamers to dissenters. As America struggles again to project a shared vision, to itself and to the world, Sarah Churchwell argues that the meanings and history of these terms need to be understood afresh so that the true spirit of America can be reclaimed. Insightful and revelatory, Behold, America overturns everything we thought we knew about the American dream, America first and the battle for the identity of modern America. Seller Inventory # 2lc411
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New Copy. Customer Service Guaranteed. Seller Inventory # think1408894807
Book Description Condition: new. Seller Inventory # FrontCover1408894807
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New. Seller Inventory # Wizard1408894807
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. Brand New Copy. Seller Inventory # BBB_new1408894807