The Men Who United the States

I love all of Simon Winchester's books. It amazes me how much this man knows! "The Men who United the States" is no exception. Although it started out slow and somewhat rambling, Winchester's book eventually picks up and is just full of fascinating tidbits of American history. The book is based around the five elements, and with each element (wood, earth, water, fire, metal) he connects it to some physical aspect of how the states of America were united. So, for example, the section on water discusses how the building of canals allowed the states to feel more connected once people and goods could travel more easily and quickly from one part of the country to the next. The sense of nation and union began to develop. I particularly found the chapter on roads and highways to be especially interesting. The quirky story of how Route 66 got its name was just one of the little gems Winchester has throughout his book. I would highly recommend it. It is just an enjoyable read and quite relaxing. I don't like fiction, but a book like Winchester's is far better than fiction. It is amusing, and fascinating, and the perfect book to go to sleep with.

Another superb book from Simon Winchester. Simon cleverly and uniquely draws together the development of the USA through the lives and achievements of explorers, thinkers, and innovators. He charts and deals with fascinating pioneers who developed communications together with the spread of industry, in particular water, metal and electricity. It is a vast coverage of every aspect of the development of the USA as we know it today and an extremely clever concept as well. Few books become "unputdownable" but this is certainly one of them and the reader is drawn into the unique world of how the USA and the states in particular became integrated almost as one as modern development spread across state boundaries. Characters like the explorers Lewis and Clark and other familiar names are included as well as many now forgotten who had the original involvement with the development of this huge and powerful nation. Very well written and easy to read, highly recommended.

A really well told series of accounts showing how the United Statesgrew out of its historical past, and using major themes such as metal, waterto tell the story. Full of details linking inventors, politicians and frontiersmento provide some coherence to the way the west was won, but well away from the conventional cowboys and Indians.This is a must for anyone who wants to know what made the world's most powerful country-and gives a fresh perspective on the spanning of the giant continent.This is not a text book in any way, and yet it provides serious scholarship alongsidesome enjoyable anecdotal insights into early America.

I find Winchester's writing addictive, so that even if the subject matter was less interesting to me than his geological work, I was still hooked.

Excellent book. On time, good condition.