American Colonies: The Settling of North America (The Penguin History of the United States, Volume1) (Hist of the USA) | 
 enlarge | Author: Alan Taylor
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Category: Book
List Price: $18.00
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Rating:  46 reviews
Sales Rank: 2971
Media: Paperback
Pages: 544
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.2
ISBN: 0142002100
Dewey Decimal Number: 970
EAN: 9780142002100
ASIN: 0142002100
Publication Date: July 30, 2002
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Product Description
With this volume, Alan Taylor challenges the traditional story of colonial history by examining the many cultures that helped make America. Transcending the usual Anglocentric version of our colonial past, he recovers the importance of Native American tribes, African slaves, and the rival empires of France, Spain, the Netherlands, and even Russia in the colonization of North America. Moving beyond the Atlantic seaboard to examine the entire continent, American Colonies reveals a pivotal period in the global interaction of peoples, cultures, plants, animals, and microbes. In a vivid narrative, Taylor draws upon cutting-edge scholarship to create a timely picture of the colonial world characterized by an interplay of freedom and slavery, opportunity and loss.
"Compelling, readable, and fresh, American Colonies is perhaps the most brilliant piece of synthesis in recent American historical writing." (Phillip J. Deloria, associate professor of history and American culture, University of Michigan)
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 46
 Good history, but EXTREMELY biased. July 18, 2010
Julia
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is a good history of the American Colonies, but it's so biased I want to tear my hair out when I'm reading it! He passes off his biased opinions against Christianity as fact, which, as a Christian, annoys me to death!!! He'll just classify Christians as being stupid imbeciles who wanted to kill everyone. Does he give a source for his "facts" about such things? No. Last time I heard, there weren't any historians who could read the minds of people who lived 350 years ago. THIS IS THE MOST LEFTIST AND LIBERAL HISTORY I HAVE EVER READ. Histories especially should be NON BIASED and written in a dispassionate tone, which American Colonies by Alan Taylor is quite passionate about trash talking Christians. Perhaps Alan Taylor should ask Jackson J. Spielvogel for advice on writing historical works.
 Why wasn't History like this in High School? January 21, 2010
R. Ritter
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
If history had been presented like this in High School I would have loved it! The information was presented in such an interesting and cohesive fashion it was a pleasure to read. It introduced history from different points of view instead of the traditional one we were taught in the 60's which focused primarily on the English. I learned so much about how Spain, the Dutch, and the French impacted Colonial America. Insights into Native American Indians, Slavery and even religion were compelling and certainly broadened my understanding of Early America as well as America now.
Challenge to the Conventional Story January 18, 2010
Miguel B. Llora (Bay Point, California USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
In American Colonies, Alan Taylor challenges the conventional story of colonial history by looking the many cultures (or colonies) that contributed to the making contemporary America. Taylor challenges traditional "Anglocentric" renditions of colonial history by spotlighting North America's development. In American Colonies, Taylor transcends a conventional version of our colonial past (Taylor, American Colonies x-xi). Moreover, to his credit, Taylor does recover several subaltern voices: Native American, African slaves, and the rivaling imperialistic powers of France, Spain, the Netherlands, and Russia in the colonization of North America. This book offers a balanced understanding of the diverse peoples and forces that converged on this continent early on and influenced the course of American history.
However, I would argue that the book did not really escape its Anglocentric roots (see Taylor, American Colonies x-xvii). Nevertheless, I would still argue for the inclusion of this book in any curriculum that involves the examination of America in the World as Taylor does bring in a fresh transnational, even global perspective to the study of the development of the America. Moreover, by moving beyond the limits of the Atlantic seaboard Taylor comprehensively examines the entire continent (Taylor, American Colonies 275-478). American Colonies intervention and strength is really in its examination of the crucial period in the global (as opposed to conventionally local which he also covers in American Colonies 117-274) interaction of peoples, cultures, plants, animals, and microbes (Taylor, American Colonies 275-478). In a clear and understandable way, Taylor brings together upon contemporary scholarship to create a timely picture of the colonial world as interplay of freedom and slavery, opportunity and loss.
American Colonies October 10, 2009
Joe L. Carter (Hoover, AL USA)
This book was recommended to me by a colleague and after reading it I would say that every US History teacher should have a copy in their classroom. The author takes the reader from the early arrivals of the Asians following the wolly mammoths to the the mid 1700's. A great book and great job by Amazon again.
Sweeping overview of American colonization August 24, 2009
E. James Morrissey Jr. (Reading, PA)
This extensive history of the colonization of the North American continent paints with a broad sweeping brush clearly delineating the major influences while bringing meaningful detail. The effects of the political events in Europe and their consequences on the NA continent are woven to make the unfolding of history exciting and cogent.
The prose is a beautiful weaving of precision and colorful wording. An excellent presentation of a complex period of our history that is usually neglected.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 46
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