of American life from the start of the Great Depression to the final days of World War Two has a terrible task in front of it: to survey American life from the start of the Great Depression to the final days of World War Two. Economic crisis, dramatic shifts in the social and political order of the country, not to mention the country's understanding of itself in the world, and a fantastically complicated, global conflict that re-shaped the world as its contemporaries knew it do ...more Kennedy's survey of American life from the start of the Great Depression to the final days of World War Two has a terrible task in front of it: to survey American life from the start of the Great Depression to the final days of World War Two. Economic crisis, dramatic shifts in the social and political order of the country, not to mention the country's understanding of itself in the world, and a fantastically complicated, global conflict that re-shaped the world as its contemporaries knew it do not make for easy exposition. While Kennedy's work is exemplary, the scope of the effort introduces problems with continuity, focus, and clarity. You can almost hear him saying, "Meanwhile, in the Pacific... wait, let's go back six years." It's a worthwhile piece, but perhaps a topic better addressed in more focused volumes. (less) Solid book. A wealth of information concerning the New Deal programs and the depths of the Depression. Kennedy seems to go out of his