The Limits of Liberty: American History 1607-1980

This is the best one volume history of the United States I have read. The other two I have read are those by Hugh Brogan and Howard Zinn. Whilst Brogan's book was good, I found his style a bit meandering and old fashioned. Zinn's was a good read but it is very biased and therefore not suitable as an introduction to this subject. Maldwyn Jones' `The Limits of Liberty' on the other hand, features both enjoyable, highly readable prose and balanced information on every topic it covers. I have used this throughout my American history degree course and whenever there is something I have needed to look up; sure enough the information has been in here. Another advantage is the extensive bibliography at the end. If there is anything in this edition that you come across and would like read more about, then Jones' bibliography will almost certain lead you in the right direction, offering a good selection. The only minor (and these are very minor) complaints I can think of are that Jones sometimes goes overboard with the amount of facts and figures he uses, to the extent that I often wondered whether this should have been titled `A statistical History of the USA'. As with other single volume histories of the US, Jones also dedicates a disproportionate amount of the book to the twentieth century. The colonial period, which is of particular interest to me, is given only scant coverage here. However, such things are bound to happen in a book that aims to pack so much information in a limited space. I would certainly recommend this as an introduction to the subject it covers.

Maldwyn Jones' book manages to pack almost 400 years of American history in to just over 600 pages. His account is concisely written and provides for an easy read, encompassing a sweeping range of topics - politics, economics, social conditions, religion, and culture. Beginning from the earliest settlements from the Old World and tracing the evolution of a unique and diversified nation, Jones' organization is infallible, his attention to detail superb, and his conclusions sound. It is a very fair representation of American History, presenting all the relevant arguments to any issue and is a book where one can open to any page and become instantly enveloped. It is simply one of the best books on the topic I have ever read.