Publisher's Synopsis
This book is a collection of specially commissioned essays, each jointly written by two specialists in history and literature. Each essay taken individually explores a central theme or preoccupation of American life, experience or identity; taken together, they present an integrated picture of the culture and society of American in its historical and literary context, beginning with Columbus' first voyage to the New World and concluding with the 1980s and including the immigrant and black experiences and the Cold War.
