The "progressive historians" of America—for the purposes of this book, are Frederick Jackson Turner, Charles A. Beard, and V. L. Parrington. Quintessentially, they believed in "progress" as the elan vital of history in general and of America in particular. Turner's logical, if somewhat novel, thesis, for example, was that the key to an understanding of American history is analysis of the nation's progress from the Atlantic to the Pacific seaboard, particularly in its social, economic, cultural and political implications. It is this aspect of Turner's thought that Professor Hofstadter analyzes here in three essays. Beard is studied principally as he appears in his work on the Constitution—with a fascinating digression on "The Devil Theory of Franklin D. Roosevelt." Parrington, of course, is viewed as a historian of American literature seen against its social background. For depth, subtlety, style, and definitiveness, this book is on a par with Hofstadter's The American Political Tradition and Anti-Intellectualism in American Life. His scholarship and literary style are in evidence on every page. The book is, however, historiography rather than history in the usual sense, a limiting audience factor.
Pub Date: Oct. 18, 1968
ISBN: 0394705912
Page Count: -
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Oct. 13, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1968
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
