The Contours of American History
“One of the most original home-grown minds in American history. The welcome republication ofThe Contours of American Historyshould make William Appleman Williams’ stature and foresight as an analyst of the basic patter of US history transparently evident.”—Eric Hobsbawm“There is still—fifty years after its publication—no better critique of America liberalism and the contradictions of the ideology of individualism, no clearer analysis of the specificities of American empire. Greg Grandin’s preface is a terrific introduction to Williams’ thinking.”—Joan Wallach Scott“It is hard to capture the impact ofThe Contours of American Historyon a generation of young historians in the 1960s, offering a model of history writing that took account of class forces, state power, and the role of ideas. In a way, the study of history has come full circle, back to examining the interconnections between domestic and international history. Back to Williams, in other words.”—Eric Foner“A very good book indeed ... It is quietly reasoned, beautifully ordered, and spirited as hell ... [It] is not a book for children, nostalgic or otherwise.”—Loren Baritz,The Nation--This text refers to an alternatePaperbackedition.