Joshua Freeman's book provides a comprehensive overview of American history since World War II. He organizes his narrative around three themes: the postwar growth enjoyed by the American economy, the transformation of democracy within the United States, and the expanded relationship between the United States and the rest of the world. Through them, he examines the impact of events over the course of the latter half of the 20th century. His coverage is surprisingly thorough, extending over the political, economic, and social events and trends the nation experienced. Nor does he confine his account to a purely national history, as he also touches on the regional developments taking place that all too many national histories address only in passing. All of this makes Freeman's book the best single-volume survey of the United States in the second half of the 20th century, one that will likely serve as the standard by which future such treatments are measured. ( )

history of US from end of WWII with look at the rise and fall of social programs, unionism and worker prosperity, civil rights movements and the Cold War, conversion of Cold War into War on Terror, etc. Didn't tell me much that I didn't already know, but might be instructive for younger readers. Mentions peak oil but doesn't really examine role of resource depletion in decline of economy. ( )