1
of
1
A Little History of the United States
Series: Little Histories
Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.
Check link for latest rating. ( 1,835 ratings, 192 reviews)
Brief Description
A character-filled history that brings the American saga to life "This is a little history with a big heart, meant to be savoured more than studied, read out loud like poetry, or perhaps sung like a hymn."—Joseph J. Ellis, author of Founding Brothers "Davidson has written...
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2599
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Backorder
STOCK ARRIVING MID NOVEMBER
Order now to secure your copy from our next shipment
Found a better price? Request a price match
A Little History of the United States
$2599
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Latest News
Liam's Halloween Spook-tacular
Our newest Bookstore Hero, Liam, is a self-diagnosed horror fanatic, with a love for both books...
The Team's Long Weekend Reading
With the long weekend upon us, the team is hopefully getting some time in the...
What Actually Makes a Jigsaw Puzzle Difficult?
Does more pieces always mean a harder puzzle? Not necessarily! After Dylan surprised me by...
A Court of Splintered Harmony: How to Get Your Copy on Release Day
A Court of Splintered Harmony is almost here, and we have some exciting news for...
The ACOTAR Countdown Is On, But We Need to Talk…
Last week, things started taking a dark turn. The excitement surrounding the release was suddenly...
See more"Describes how the United States developed from the first contact between extremely different cultures to its role as a superpower and explores how a country based on diversity seeks the sometimes contradictory goals of freedom and equality."--Publisher's description.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
A character-filled history that brings the American saga to life
"This is a little history with a big heart, meant to be savoured more than studied, read out loud like poetry, or perhaps sung like a hymn."—Joseph J. Ellis, author of Founding Brothers
"Davidson has written a work that should lead readers to reflect anew on America's past and present... We can all use not just a good refresher course on American history, but also some good historical thinking on how we might better realise freedom, equality, and E pluribus unum."—Daily Beast
The United States is one of the most powerful countries in the world. This is the remarkable story of how it came to be. Beginning with the first contact between the old world and the new over 500 years ago, this Little History moves through the centuries from the first European explorers and slave-owning farmers, to the Declaration of Independence and the Civil War, to the Great Depression and the wars of the twentieth century.
We meet key figures, including founding father Benjamin Franklin, the Hunkpapa Lakota leader Sitting Bull, the abolitionist Harriet Tubman, and the civil rights activist Rosa Parks. This is a fast-paced, character-filled history that brings the great, diverse American saga to life.
Little Histories – Inspiring Guides for Curious Minds
Series: Little Histories
View all-
A Little History of the World
In 1935, with a doctorate in art history and no prospect of a job, the 26-year-old Ernst Gombrich was invited to attempt a history of the world for younger readers. Amazingly, he completed the task in an intense six weeks, and Eine kurze Weltgeschichte für junge Leser was published in Vienna to immediate success, and is now available in twenty-five...Hardback$4099Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 3-4 weeks -
A Little History of Music
A superbly engaging guide to music around the world, from prehistory to the present Music excites and moves us perhaps more than any other art form. From a Neanderthal's bone flute to the festivals of Glastonbury and Coachella, human beings have always made and enjoyed music. Covering a remarkable range, including Indian raga, Javanese gamelan, medieval chant, jazz and K-pop,...Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$2599Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 3-4 weeks -
A Little History of Literature
A vibrant guide to the world of literature, from dramatic plays to engrossing novels. Literature has inspired every civilisation, from Greek myth to today's graphic novels. John Sutherland, who has researched, taught, and written on the entire glorious span of human literary activity, guides readers on a journey 'through the looking glass' to show how literature from across the world...Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$2599Unit price /UnavailableBackorderShips mid November -
A Little History of Science
A lively and engaging introduction to the progress of science over the ages "In Mr. Bynum's telling, a little history goes a long way."—Alan Hirshfeld, Wall Street Journal Science is key to understanding the infinite distances of space, the tiniest living organisms in the body, and the history of our planet. From Hippocrates and Aristotle to Isaac Newton and Stephen...Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$2599Unit price /UnavailableBackorderShips mid November -
A Little Book of Language
A lively journey through the story of language, from an infant's first word to the languages of the internet. Language never leaves you alone. It's there in your head, helping you think. It's there to help you make relationships – and to break them. It's there to remind you who you are and where you come from. From the first...Paperback$2599Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 3-4 weeks -
A Little History of the World
The internationally bestselling guide to the extraordinary human story, for the curious of all ages. The world has existed for over 4 billion years, but humanity arrived much more recently. Here, E. H. Gombrich brings to life the full story of human experience on Earth. He paints a colourful picture of remarkable people and events, from Confucius to Catherine the...Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$2599Unit price /UnavailableBackorderShips mid November -
A Little History of Psychology
A rich and engaging guide to psychology, the science devoted to understanding human nature Psychology is the science devoted to understanding human nature. Its practitioners have long sought to understand behaviour, feelings, and thoughts. In her fascinating history, Nicky Hayes tells the story of psychology from its origins to the present day. She introduces key thinkers, including Carl Jung, Anna...Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$2599Unit price /UnavailableBackorderShips mid November -
A Little History of Religion
A rich and inclusive history of belief, from humanity's earliest days to our own times Religion is distinctly human. We can't help wondering about where we come from and why we are here. Did some all-powerful being make the universe? When we die, is there anything else to come? And what will it be like? Questions like these have occupied...Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$2599Unit price /UnavailableBackorderShips mid November -
A Little History of Poetry
A vital guide to poetry from ancient times to the present "[A] fizzing, exhilarating book."—Sebastian Faulks, Sunday Times, London "Delightful.'"—New York Times Book Review Poetry is language made special, so that it will be remembered and valued. It does not always work – over the centuries countless thousands of poems have been forgotten. This Little History is about some that...Paperback$2200Elsewhere:$2599Unit price /UnavailableBackorderShips mid November -
A Little History of Economics
An accessible account of the history of economics through the ideas of great thinkers. "A whistle-stop introduction to the great works and thinkers of each age, this is a clear and accessible primer."—Laura Garmeson, Financial Times Economics explains the world. For example, the fact that you're holding this book in your hands puts you in a special position. To many...Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$2599Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 3-4 weeks -
A Little History of Art
A thrilling journey through 100,000 years of art, from the first artworks ever made to art's central role in culture today. "This lively volume is ideal for the precocious high-schooler, the lazy collegian . . . and any adult who wishes for greater mastery of the subject. . . . Mullins leav[es] readers with an expansive, no-regrets appreciation of art...Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$2599Unit price /UnavailableBackorderShips mid November -
A Little History of Archaeology
The thrilling story of archaeological adventure, and astonishing discoveries around the globe Archaeology tells the story of our ancestors: how they lived, what they believed in and how their cultures developed over millennia. Brian Fagan introduces us to pharaohs' tombs, Mayan ruins, the first colonial settlements at Jamestown, mysterious Stonehenge, and Pompeii – the city buried by volcanic ash in...Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$2599Unit price /UnavailableBackorderShips mid November
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780300283433
Publisher: Yale University Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 08 April 2025
Country: United States
Imprint: Yale University Press
Illustration: 40 b-w illus.
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 30.0mm
Width: 127.0mm
Height: 197.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 352
About the Author
James West Davidson, a widely respected historian, has written on American history and the detective work that goes into it, as well as books about the outdoors. He lives in Rhinebeck, NY.
Also by James West Davidson
View all-
A Little History of the United States
"This is a little history with a big heart, meant to be savoured more than studied, read out loud like poetry, or perhaps sung like a hymn."—Joseph J. Ellis, author of Founding Brothers "Davidson has written a work that should lead readers to reflect anew on America’s past and present. . . . We can all use not just a...PaperbackSold Out
More from History & Military
View all-
New ReleaseBehind Enemy Lines
Archie Gibson's initiation into desert warfare almost proved to be his last. Barrelling through the sand dunes at the wheel of his truck, Gibson spied a searing flash of light up ahead, the signature of a feared German 88mm gun firing ... right at him. He leapt from his speeding vehicle just before it was torn apart and turned into...Paperback$3299Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
New ReleaseThe Cauldron
How did an elderly cleric overthrow the Shah of Iran and change the world?Why did Bin Laden attack the USA - and why did the USA destroy Saddam?How did Britain and France carve up the Middle East - and why did the Kurds never get their own state? THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO THE MAKING OF TODAY'S MIDDLE EAST: A SPELLBINDING...Hardback$4999Elsewhere:$6000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Saving Elli
One child. Two years in hiding. Three lives in mortal danger. In Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, near Anne Frank's house, another Jewish girl is hidden. Her name is Elli. Her father has been executed at Mauthausen concentration camp. Her mother is fleeing for her life. Elli is next. To save her, resistance couple Frits and Jo Hakkens must risk everything, concealing her...Paperback$3299Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Spy and the Traitor
The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre is a spellbinding Cold War thriller that unravels the true story of Oleg Gordievsky, a KGB double agent who risked everything to aid the British in the battle against Soviet oppression. In meticulously researched detail, Macintyre paints a vivid portrait of espionage, double-crossing, and unparalleled bravery, giving readers a riveting glimpse into...Paperback$2100Elsewhere:$2600Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Suicidal Empathy
The bestselling author of The Parasitic Mind shows why empathy in politics leads to civilizational collapse. What happens when a society elevates victimhood to a virtue and decides that punishment is cruel? You get the disease Dr. Gad Saad calls suicidal empathy. And the West may be terminally infected. In his new book, Suicidal Empathy, Saad unleashes a blistering critique...Paperback$3099Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Man's Search For Meaning
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl is a profound, thought-provoking memoir and psychological exploration that delves into the harrowing experiences of life in Nazi concentration camps, intertwined with the author’s groundbreaking theories on existential psychology. The book is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, offering a beacon of hope and a roadmap for finding purpose...Paperback$1800Elsewhere:$2100Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
12% offThe Wager
THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER LONGLISTED FOR THE 2023 BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 'The beauty of The Wager unfurls like a great sail... one of the finest nonfiction books I've ever read' Guardian 'The greatest sea story ever told' Spectator 'I cannot think of anyone who would not love this book... It is an extraordinary true story, beautifully...Paperback$2100Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Salt
Homer called it a divine substance. Plato described it as especially dear to the gods. As Mark Kurlansky so brilliantly relates here, salt has shaped civilisation from the beginning, and its story is a glittering, often surprising part of the history of mankind. Wars have been fought over salt and, while salt taxes secured empires across Europe and Asia, they...Paperback$3500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Discipline
Silence is complicity, but how do we confront the cost of speaking up? Sydney, May 2021. Ashraf is an academic whose career and personal life are in freefall. Hannah is a young journalist struggling to honour the voices of her community. When a Year 12 Al-Bayinnah College student is arrested for protesting a university's ties to an Israeli weapons manufacturer,...Paperback$4000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Golden Menhir
Assurancetourix is entering the legendary Gallic bards' competition to win the golden menhir. But with the Romans keeping a close watch, Asterix and Obelix must protect him at all costs. Their mission? Keep him safe-no matter what... even if it means risking their own ears! First released as a book-disc in 1967, this adventure soon became a rare treasure, long...Hardback$2999Elsewhere:$3499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
New Release
Biological War
There is an invisible weapon among us. By the time you know you are a victim, it has turned you into a killer. A blistering new non-fiction thriller from the Baillie Gifford shortlisted author of Nuclear War (200,000 copies sold). A lab accident, a bio-attack, a global pandemic, and the collapse of human society. In this essential new book, based...Paperback$3299Elsewhere:$4000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
New Release
Plunder
The last weeks of World War II on the Western Front in Europe witnessed extraordinary scenes of heroism, horror, melodrama, and pathos. In Plunder, Max Hastings presents a cast of fascinating people—British, American, and German—in a series of great events in which some distinguished themselves through wonderful deeds, others through the basest crimes. The book takes its title from Montgomery’s...Paperback$3699Elsewhere:$4500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
History & Military lists from the team
Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!
