The Shortest History of the United States of America by Don Watson
The Shortest History of the United States of America is the last review of a Don Watson book about the USA that I am going to post.
There is nothing much else to do now except to wait for some more history to occur. This book is part of a series where different writers literally write as the title indicates – a short say 200 plus page history of a country or a thing. Other titles include Greece, Australia, China, Economics, English Monarchy etc. No doubt Don was selected for the USA version because of his previous highly readable, intelligent and thought-provoking titles about our greatest ally. I have reviewed these previously so please go to previous blogs for further enlightenment.
As it is a history book, albeit one not too heavy and written with dry humour and a nod to entertainment, Don keeps his personal observations out and presents just the facts, although of course even they are up for dispute these days, of the history of white civilisation in the USA. I believe he does a great job with what is obviously a difficult task. Almost three hundred years of history in 200 odd pages. What to put in and what to leave out, how deep, how much do you weigh up each major event, each century. This is tricky stuff but I am perfectly satisfied that if you know nothing about the history of the United States then this book will fix you up as it entertains. He finishes the history in 2025 so he does give you as up to the moment account as publishing can allow.
If nothing else the book illustrates yet again the incredible diversity of culture, thought and behaviour of the American people. A people becoming more diverse all the time but still, if more tenuously, linked by the constant American ideals of religion, commerce and self-belief. All demonstrated through incredible inventiveness and can do plus of course rampant greed, wilful ignorance and violence, always violence. We humans have always been violent and I think we always will be but sometimes it seems nothing has ever happened in the USA without persecution, corruption and out and out war.
It is just there in their culture, in their mindset, they are like the wasp in the frog and the wasp story (look it up if I have lost you). They just can’t help it.
That said they are also responsible for many of the amazing mankind changing achievements in science and politics, sport, arts and entertainment. As someone has said, the USA is a country of multitudes, generating multiple emotions and situations, simultaneously fascinating, seductive, boring, predatory, united and repulsive.
I have read enough about the USA for the moment. News from and about the United States is impossible to avoid anyway, they run the world. But maybe that is coming to an end and that end might be ugly and if so it is best to be prepared.
It is an extraordinary account, if you only buy one book about the history of the USA buy this one.
The Shortest History of the United States of America
Don Watson
Blackinc Books 2025
284PP including index
