We have been here before. In this timely and revealing book, the Pulitzer Prize-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jon Meacham helps us understand the present moment in American politics and life by looking back at critical times in our history when hope overcame division and fear.
Jon Meachamis a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer. The author of theNew York TimesbestsellersThomas Jefferson- The Art of Power, American Lion- Andrew Jackson in the White House, Franklin and Winston,Destiny and Power- The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush,andThe Soul of America- The Battle for Our Better Angels,he is a distinguished visiting professor at Vanderbilt University, a contributing writer forThe New York Times Book Review,and a fellow of the Society of American Historians. Meacham lives in Nashville and in Sewanee with his wife and children.
“Appalled by the ascendancy of Donald J. Trump, and shaken by the
deadly white nationalist rallies in Charlottesville in 2017,
Meacham returns to other moments in our history when fear and
division seemed rampant. He wants to remind us that the current
political turmoil is not unprecedented, that as a nation we have
survived times worse than this. . . . Meacham tries to summon the
better angels by looking back at when America truly has been great.
He is effective as ever at writing history for a broad readership.
. . . [Meacham] is an adroit and appealing storyteller.”—The New
York Times Book Review
“Gripping and inspiring, The Soul of America is Jon Meacham’s
declaration of his faith in America. . . . Meacham, by chronicling
the nation’s struggles from revolutionary times to current day,
makes the resonant argument that America has faced division
before—and not only survived it but thrived. . . . Meacham believes
the nation will move beyond Trump because, in the end, as they have
shown on vital issues before, Americans embrace their better
angels. This book stands as a testament to that choice—a reminder
that the country has a history of returning to its core values of
freedom and equality after enduring periods of distraction and
turmoil.”—Newsday
“Meacham tells us we’ve been here before and can find our way out,
urging readers to enter the arena, avoid tribalism, respect facts
and listen to history.”—The Washington Post
“This engrossing, edifying, many-voiced chronicle, subtly propelled
by concern over the troubled Trump administration, calls on readers
to defend democracy, decency, and the common good. Best-selling
Meacham’s topic couldn’t be more urgent.”—Booklist (starred
review)
“Meacham has become one of America’s most earnest and thoughtful
biographers and historians. . . . He employs all of those skills in
The Soul of America, a thoroughly researched and smoothly written
roundup of some of the worst parts of American history and how they
were gradually overcome. . . . Meacham gives readers a
long-term perspective on American history and a reason to believe
the soul of America is ultimately one of kindness and caring, not
rancor and paranoia. Finally, Meacham provides advice to find
our better angels—enter the arena, resist tribalism, respect facts
and deploy reason, find a critical balance and keep history in
mind. He’s provided a great way to do it.”—USA Today
“This is a brilliant, fascinating, timely, and above all profoundly
important book. Jon Meacham explores the extremism and racism that
have infected our politics, and he draws enlightening lessons from
the knowledge that we’ve faced such trials before. We have come
through times of fear. We have triumphed over our dark impulses.
With compelling narratives of past eras of strife and
disenchantment, Meacham offers wisdom for our own time and helps us
appreciate the American soul: the heart, the core, and the essence
of what it means to have faith in our nation.”—Walter Isaacson
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