Five Books that Demonstrate Why America is Exceptional (Vanity)

Self | 2.11.16 | Self

[Dr. Zzyzx]

Five Books that illustrate why America is Exceptional

I just watched -In the Heart of the Sea- based on the book of the same name, and it started me thinking about just what kind of men it took to make America the greatest nation on earth.

Here is my list of five non-fiction books that I have greatly enjoyed that tell of a time when men were MEN.

I have placed them in chronological order of when the event began.

1799: In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex By Nathaniel Philbrick. The Essex, stove by a whale, was the inspiration for Melvilles Moby Dick.

1804: Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West By Stephen Ambrose. These guys were the real deal.

1810: Astoria Astor and Jeffersons Lost Pacific Empire: A Tale of Ambition and Survival on the Early American Frontier. By Peter Stark John Jacob Astor sent an expedition overland, and an expedition by sea to establish a fur-trading enterprise at the mouth of the Columbia River. I read this book last week. Knocked it off in less than 24 hours despite the fact that there were times it got so gut-wrenching I could hardly bear to turn the page because it just kept getting worse and worse and worse for these men. (And woman. And baby. And fetus.)

1834: Two Years Before the Mast By Richard Henry Dana. This is Danas account aboard a Boston ship collecting cattle hides off the California coast. It takes place at a time when Los Angeles San Pedro Harbor infrastructure consisted of a shack with two guys living in it. Before the mast means sleeping in the lowest-status area of the ship. When they go around the Horn in a blizzard and have to crawl to the top of the mast and untie frozen ropes in the dark, you just have to say that you have probably never had it that bad.

1863: Nothing Like it in the World: The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad 1863-1869 By Stephen Ambrose

It was shocking when I realized that every pick, shovel, spike, wheelbarrow and rail that was used by the Central Pacific Railroad building eastward, had to be carried by ship around the Horn of South America to California before it was available for their use in construction.

[Dr. Zzyzx]

Pardon the lack of apostrophes. I think it is easier to read without them than to have the Euro sign (or whatever that is) scattered about.

I would be interested in any titles of the same theme that you have read and enjoyed.

[DIRTYSECRET]

I would only waste my time with the best.

[PGR88]

Yes, America has exceptional levels of debt, an exceptionally bankrupt government and exceptional progressive-left rulers who are intent on cramming their social-engineering schemes down the throats of ordinary Americans.

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

Bookmark

[Wissa]

Among the couple dozen nonfiction historical books I've read:

Empire Express: Building the First Transcontinental Railroad

Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927

Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water

All very eye-opening. The people in our government at all levels have always been corrupt.

[driftless2]

1863: Nothing Like it in the World: The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad 1863-1869 By Stephen Ambrose

Thanks for the tip about the book. The wife and I visited the monument last summer. We liked it quite a bit. The rangers were great with info about it as well.

[Jacquerie]

Riley's Narrative of 1815.

An account of the sufferings of the surviving officers and crew of the American Brig Commerce, who were enslaved by wandering Arabs on the African Desert.

[Billthedrill]

Strongly concur on Dana's Two Years Before The Mast. If possible, find a version with his postscript And Twenty-four Years After. I think the Harvard Classics version has it. He wrote the postscript essay after he'd returned to Massachusetts and become a famous attorney, specializing in, appropriately, maritime law. He journeyed back to San Diego and met some of the folks he'd made famous when Two Years Before The Mast was published. It had already changed beyond recognition and California was on its way.

[iowamark]

Best book on 20th Century America:

Witness by Whittaker Chambers

Best biography of Chambers:

Whittaker Chambers: A Biography by Sam Tanenhaus

[mjp]

1799: In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex By Nathaniel Philbrick. The Essex, stove by a whale, was the inspiration for Melvilles Moby Dick.

Oil & Ice: by Peter Nichols.It is the story of whaling ships and the tough men who sailed them. In 1871,an entire fleet of whaling ships was caught in an arctic ice storm and destroyed. It describes the rise and fall of America's first oil industry.

[fella]

“Debates on the Constitution”

A 2 volume set containing the Federist and Antifederalist speechs, articles and letters during the struggle over ratification.

Gives us a good idea of what the Founders were thinking.

[Prospero]

Two Years Before the Mast By Richard Henry Dana, at least, is readily available for reading for free, in several editions produced over the centuries at archive.org

I've just downloaded an illustrated edition (in pdf) published in Boston in 1911. Looks great! Thanks for the tip!

HERE.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

“The Businness of May Next: James Madison and the Founding”
“Miracle at Philadelphia”
“Freedom’s Forge: How American Business Produced Victory in World War II”
“Empire Express” (already mentioned)
All of Kenneth Roberts novels.

All must reads.