UKC

Hi, I wondered if someone could could recommend non fiction history books which arent too heavy but comprehensive, covering the original migration and population of the USA, including the original indigenous groups. I'm particularly interested in why migration began en mass, which groups went in the first place, why they settled in certain locations, (e.g the Irish in NY and Boston etc), how this attracted other groups through religion/ industry, how they interacted with the native pop, also basics of the civil war, the start of slavery and how all this has influenced the development of the US as a country, it's ideals, culture etc up to early 20th C.
Ray Mears ' how the West was won'or similar was repeated the other night which covers a tiny bit of the topic I'm particularly interested in.

Thanks Julia, (have stolen blokes login)

In reply to dave o:


I enjoyed The First Family by Mike Dash some years ago, and it seems to fit the bill. Quirky, readable, a minor but not insignificant chapter in the history of US immigration comprehensively mapped out.
Reviewed here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/14/AR200908140...

Weightier by far, and by one of my favourite authors, is Samuel Morison's The European Discovery of America; Vol 1: The Northern Voyages A.D. 500-1600. This was written years back, and I imagine things have moved on, but what a read from the Rear Admiral!

In reply to dave o:

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is a comprehensive account of Native American history, it's not particularly light reading and does leave you pretty shellvshocked by the end but it certainly puts a lot in to perspective. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bury_My_Heart_at_Wounded_Knee

In reply to dave o:

Cheers folks, will have a look

In reply to dave o:

Is this information required in order to win an argument you're having on the internet?

In reply to Dell:

Ha, no! Purely for self interest/ development...

In reply to dave o:

Boston: A topgraphical history is a very thorough examination of the settlement and evolution of a place through time. Although it is about the city itself, you can try and read through the eye of an immigrant, if that make sense. It starts with quite a detailed topographical (surprise) description which kind of encourages you to imagine what the sight must've looked like to the first Europeans.

The Earth Shall Weep: A History of Native America is a good, if occasionally uncomfortable, overview of the topic

Coming to America by Roger Daniels is a good, accessible introduction - given the scope of the topic (all immigration to America, ever) it can feel a bit too braodbrush at times and leave you wanting a bit more detail.

In reply to dave o:

'A Dance Called America - The Scottish Highlands, The United States and Canada' by James Hunter is worth a read.