Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
History comes alive, November 23, 2007
As he did with High Steel, Mr Rasenberger weaves history, personal stories and factual details seamlessly together to make an engaging narrative. With America 1908 he explores a cross section of seismic events that conspired to form our modern society.He has also included images from this time period that further illuminate the text.As he makes clear, Americans in 1908 thought a great deal about their future and all the possibilities of the world they would shape over the next hundred years.Masterfully researched and written, this book examines the America that was, and may help cast light on the America that has yet to unfold.
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15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Bit of a Stretch, March 25, 2008
This is a very readable history about a significant time in our history. However, 1908 was not the year the author would make it out to be. He squeezed and finessed to make 1908 a big year. Some of the subjects highlighted did occur in that year, others not so much and others were really not that significant.
First, the insignificant, those that are not that special to 1908. Yes, there was a great pennant race in the National League - there have been lots of them. Although 1908's was fluky, there have been many races that have come down to the last day. So also, TR was a popular president who did not run for re-election. That has also happened in other years. Scores of pages were devoted to both.
Then there are the things for which 1908 was just a step. Back to TR. There are pages about the last days in the White House for TR and his family and how depressing the last days of 1908 were for the family as they planned to leave. I think the author thought inauguration was in January. It was not back then. Taft was not inaugurated until March. The author also made a big deal about Peary going to the North Pole - he left in '08 but didn't claim to make it until the next year (his claim was later debunked but that is not in the book). Ford developed the Model T, but it didn't really take off in sales until mass production started in 1910 - a far more significant development than the car itself. Lastly, the Wright brothers first flew in 1905, although they made flight truly viable in 1908.
A last criticism before moving on to the plusses. THe book reminded me of the New Yorker magazine map of the US with Manhattan far larger than the rest of the country. The author must be a NYC-phile. The pennant race seemed to be significant because it was the Giants. Most of the newspaper quotes came from the "NY Times" or the "NY Herald". This was odd. Why quote the Herald when describing an event that took place in San Francisco or the Night Riders creating mayhem in Kentucky?
The good parts still are many. The auto race around the world was extremely interesting. The Wright brothers' tale was great. The descriptions of the people and the times (even if almost all were New Yorkers) were interesting, informative and captured the time. Cook's tale of trying for the North Pole was also good and captured the yen for exploration of the time. Roosevelt's sending the white fleet around the world was well-presented - was it bellicose, public relations, bravado or notice to the world? No one seemed then to have an answer.
In sum, the book was very good and informative. It just seemed the author wanted to cram a lot more significance into one year than was justified. He made valuable theses about how the technological and exploration advances were turning points that drove America into its modern day. Thus the sub-title "the Making of a Modern Nation". I think it could have been more effective if he had abandoned the one year approach and took the significant events - Wrights truly conquering, Ford mass-producing, the auto race "around the world" and the white fleet and used them to make the broader point. The last years of the first decade of the 20th century were turning points - all those points just didn't fit into the 366 days of this particular leap year.
Still recommended for all its good points and information interestingly presented.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A good read..., January 25, 2008
Jim Rasenberger's "America, 1908" is a good read. Rasenberger skillfully blends narratives and details from an impressive list of other more comprehensive books about this important period in American history. While I have read several of the books Rasenberger cites in his source list, the idea of synthesizing all of these events into one book was a great idea.That's what caught my attention The only drawback of the book is Rasenberger's continual liberal comments sprinkled throughout. It's almost as if he didn't have the confidence that his creative idea was good enough. The comments are out of place and interrupt the flow of a otherwise very good story. I wish he had given the reader enough credit to realize that Teddy Roosevelt was a little odd or that Henry Ford was a little politically incorrect. The book could have stood on its own without the constant preaching and lamenting. Otherwise a good read...
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Great story !
Superb. I really enjoyed the story and history of the year as it unfolded, from the drop of the ball at Times Square to the final flight of the Wright Bros.
Published 17 days ago by Howard Feldman
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting look at history of the United States through the lens of one year
America 1908 is a wonderful look at a year that shaped the course of the 20th century for America and defined a generation leapfrogging technology in a way that would not be seen...
Published 9 months ago by Lehigh History Student
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5.0 out of 5 stars
America surges to the top
Jim Rasenberger does a superior job of showing how the United States in the period of one, identifiable year, surged to the front of the pack among the nations of the world...
Published 9 months ago by Wayne Engle
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4.0 out of 5 stars
The strong points are very strong but there are flaws
"America, 1908" covers some of the key cultural, political, manufacturing and just plain odd events that happened in 1908 in the United States in an easy-to-read, often fun...
Published 10 months ago by DWD
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Good book except for small print
This is an interesting book for older people. Unfortunately, most of us cannot read the fine print. Why would a publisher produce such a book in extra small print?
Published 12 months ago by L. Brindle
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4.0 out of 5 stars
It was a Good Year
Some years are special and some years are not. 1908 was a great year for the USA. As a country that was starting to feel its oats and garner international attention, it was a...
Published 12 months ago by J. head
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5.0 out of 5 stars
America 1908. A great read
If you are curious about the world of a century ago, this is a delightful introduction. It is a great book to pack for a weekend away or a long airplane trip.
Published 13 months ago by F. Stephen Masri
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5.0 out of 5 stars
America 1908
Wonderful book, hard to believe that all this took place only 100 years ago.
Great read!
Published 13 months ago by Mary Williams
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Obvious Erroe Raises Questions
I was really enjoying the book until an obvious error jumped out at me. I then wondered about some of the author's other statements. Do I believe everything he said?
Published 13 months ago by Mark H. Jones
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Easy read, 3 1/2 stars
My advice to anyone planning to read "America 1908" is this: Read it for the information and the entertainment, but draw your own conclusions.
Published 14 months ago by Chris
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