This is not a book. It is an era. Since its publication in 1974, The Glory and the Dream has remained unforgettable to countless readers. This great work deftly condenses forty rich years of American history, from 1932 to 1972. The renowned popular historian William Manchester uses the presidencies and campaigns of several American presidents as its main thread. From “Hoovervilles” and “Hoover cars,” which left Hoover humiliated, to Roosevelt’s four election victories, he recounts the eras of Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy, all the way to the Watergate scandal that brought down Nixon. At the same time, he quietly and meticulously portrays forty years of American social development, covering the Bonus Army march, the Great Depression, the civil rights movement, McCarthyism, racial segregation, two world wars, the development of the atomic bomb, the space race, the Cold War, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Manchester brings to life the full panorama of America’s politics, economy, military, society, art, science, fashion, music, and entertainment over these forty years, even including popular lifestyle trends, women’s clothing fashions, changes in slang, and shifts in sexual attitudes. He also describes American society in a global context, creating striking contrasts that strongly engage readers. What readers admire most is Manchester’s masterful use of journalistic techniques. He transforms a sweeping, monumental history into a series of enthralling episodes. He takes a broad view of major events while weaving multiple threads through the details, using a cinematic montage that carries readers between different historical events. In his telling, every moment of those forty years unfolds before our eyes. The book’s ever-present historical weight and grandeur, combined with Manchester’s perfectly judged humor, make that distant past vivid and tangible. That is why The Glory and the Dream is hailed as a classic and the memory of an era. It is a book that reveals the origins of the American character, a classic that inspired countless writers, and a spiritual guide to countless people. It is an intellectual feast no one should turn down.
This book is so wonderful! It was like an epic American drama, bringing 40 years of American history to life before my eyes. I especially hate McCarthy in the book. His McCarthyism has brought too much harm to people of that era. However, this book also made me understand that every era has its glory and dreams. We must cherish the present and strive to pursue our dreams. It also gave me a deeper understanding of American history and culture, which I feel has benefited a lot! I highly recommend you read this book as well.
Tomato is quite awesome, even in this book
This is a forty-year history of the United States, but it's not boring. The presidential campaign is the main thread throughout the book. It outlines how several presidents with different origins, education, and political experiences thought and made choices in the face of major events during their administration. At the same time, it selects people and events that happened in those years that affected the lives of Americans and even people around the world, and depicts and describes them in detail. Let this history be vividly displayed in front of us. This book is easy to read and contains a lot of information. It's like a textbook and a gossip magazine. Click on this book and you will not be disappointed.
Very good very good
It showed me American history that I didn't know, the cruelty of the Great Depression, the bourgeois life of the middle class, etc.