Garraty's book The American Nation was informative and interesting. It provided information needed to help the student's in my AP History class. Granted, it was not perfect and was confusing at times, but all in all, it provided a good, detailed description of our history. Here are the pros and cons of Garraty's book. PROS: 1). Garraty is knowledgeable in his assessment of history 2). The book is very helpful with its timelines at the end of each chapter 3). Garraty explains the gist of every major event and sometimes non-major event 4). It's the only book where our class actually worshipped :) 5). IT WILL BE HELPFUL FOR AP HISTORY AND THE NATIONAL EXAM. I (personally) felt confident with the outcome of my exam, but that could also be due in part to my teacher who really complemented with Garraty. 6). It could be a GREAT paperweight! CONS: 1). It's not a good book to keep in your backpack all day long 2). Sometimes Garraty likes to force his opinions on certain historical figures ( he likes Hamilton, but not Jefferson) 3). There ARE events he doesn't cover that many might think was important or he might undercover events that many might think was important.

That's about it for the pros and cons, but remember these are just my opinions! Hope they helped! Good luck in AP History or whatever you're doing in regards to this book!!

This text is absolutely unsurpassed in terms of clarity, conciseness and general usefulness. I first used Garraty's book in 8th grade, then again as a supplement to some other texts in a U.S. A.P. class in high school (I got a 5 on the test, which I am confident is owed entirely to Garraty) and still use it for general reference in college. In a little over 1000 pages, Garraty covers just about every major event in United States history in interesting and extremely clear prose. I have yet to find any book that communicates such an enormous amount of information in such a small amount of space with such an enormous degree of clarity. I promise that this book will not only improve your understanding of U.S. history, but will also serve as a lifelong reference source.

Kudos to Garraty for his newest edition. I was a student in AP US History and thoroughly enjoyed the book. I received a 5 on the AP exam (highest possible score ranked 1-5). I wholeheartedly recommend the text to anyone serious about succeeding in AP US History or if you just want to refresh your knowledge of US History. Within the American Nation, you will find all sorts of ancedotes told by a preeminent raconteur. If you can not remember the "Sumner-Brooks" affair, you will enjoy reading Garraty's skilled account of that affair to remember.