Should I buy this book (details inside)
The book in question
On one hand, the concept of the book is really interesting, and the author provides maps and detailed research. I really like it when someone talks about something in a different perspective. But on the other hand, because the topic is rather controversial, there is the possibility that the author somehow misinterpreted his data and comes up with the wrong conclusions for his research in the book. This could mean I would then believe in the wrong things. I did read some critical reviews on Amazon. While no one is saying the author provides false information, people think he is kind of too proud of writing about something different, and it shows in his writing.
And it’s not like I have a lot of money to spare either. I want to really make sure my money is going into a good place, because I can’t afford buying a book just to later find out I have been fed with false information.
If you have read the book at least a little bit of it, do you think it’s a good book? And if you haven’t heard about this book before, do you think you would buy it according to the overall look of it and the reviews?
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13 Answers
Looks interesting to me. And an unsanitized and un
mythologized history of the Revolution. I say go for it.
We are in a period of American historiography of revising some of the more grandiose versions of our past (or at least some historians are.) There are more honest versions of Native American history, of the legacy of systemic racism in this country, etc. If you are studying American history, it is crucial to consult these works to balance the more glorifying standard works.
I’m not familiar with that work but if the reviews @canidmajor points to (all of which are used by librarians and book sellers) I say it’s worth reading. However, if you are short on money is there a way you can get a copy on loan through your university library?
I also checked a couple of used book sites that I have used (no idea if they ship outside the US) and it’s being carried at greatly reduced rates, as it is a couple of years old.
I see that Amazon also has access to used copies, maybe you can order through them?
Please let us know if you are able to get it and what you think of it, if you do.
I looked this book over for you with my usual criteria in mind, using the Amazon features.
I checked the index first. A book like this must have a solid index. It’s easier to examine an index in a bound paper book because you can readily relate it to the contents and hold your fingers in several pages at once; nevertheless this one seems okay, if a little thin for the subject matter. Publishers may limit the number of pages devoted to an index, so that’s just one data point.
I then paged backward through the list of maps and illustrations. There’s a lot of them—good.
Further backward into the notes. Detailed notes are a strong plus. They not only document sources but give you leads for further research. They also may indicate something about the author’s point of view or bias. I noticed a lot more instances of “I” in these notes than I usually see in this type of writing.
One thing I watch out for is an author who does a lot of citing of his or her own work. Didn’t see that on a quick pass.
So far, so good.
The copyright page and the table of contents don’t reveal much.
But the introduction: struck gold.
(To be continued)
You have to view events in their historical context. The American Revolution occurred at the start of the Enlightenment. One of the Amazon reviewers is Steven Pinker, who wrote a book about the history of violence that I highly recommend, The Better Angels of Our Nature. He shows that before the Enlightenment, the general use of torture by governments was common and few people questioned the rightness of slavery. So, on the face of it, the book’s thesis is plausible.
Meanwhile, here are some comments from ordinary readers who aren’t professional reviewers in the book business.
A lot depends on what you want to get from it. Even at the time, there were many different opinions of right, wrong, and who to trust.
It sounds brutal. If wanting to understand how brutal war can be, it, and many others would interest you.
If you expect it to put you into what the US is about, and stands for, maybe not so much. That too is an individual viewpoint thing.
I have never been deprived of books, so understanding your hardship is unknown to me. I have wanted things in my life, most I will never have, but I remember a neat Christmas book my mom read to me when I was three. I bought it a couple of years ago, because I just wanted that special thing back in my life.
For me, having your own collection is special, but only if you are going to read them more than once.
So, that’s my point. If it is as accurate as any account could be, what would buying it do for you? Would it be a one time reading, or a repeated go to?
Here is something I have learned from living over half a century, research is important, but not definitive. Sometimes great choices still end up disappointing.
You do have some great stuff above to help with your decision.
I always hurt when I know someone who wants books. I donated stacks to my daughter’s grade school class when I learned most of them had no books at home, and none had more than five. My daughter is still angry I did that.
@janbb @canidmajor I have looked through all the links. All three of them say good things about the book, so I’m less vary of the book now :)
I don’t think this book can be found in my city’s library, because I’ve been to their foreign section before, and that place only either has books that are popular or books that were published at least 10 years ago. This book is recent, isn’t well-known in my country, and talks about a controversial subject, so I don’t think it stands a chance there. I’ll go check the library again though. And the used option is also good.
I’m not that short of money, but I’m not filthy rich either. I’m mostly concerned with wasting my money on something that isn’t worth it. So my issue isn’t that I will run out of money, but that I would make a wrong purchase and become frustrated. I just try to be careful with what I do with my money :P
@Jeruba Thank you for your wonderful research. You searched for things I didn’t even think of when I check out books. I definitely learned a lot from reading your post :D I’ll be waiting for your part 2.
Caution with the used option: the price may look good, but often when you add the shipping charges it’s not much less than buying a new copy.
Rather than put out money for books, why aren’t you subscribing to the oodles of online library services like Libby or Hoopla? You can borrow even the audio versions of most titles absolutely free.
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