A Traveller's History of the USA
This is the 19th title in the "Traveller's History" series, joining such volumes as A Traveller's History of Scotland (LJ 6/15/00) and A Traveller's History of North Africa (LJ 10/15/98). McInerney (history, Utah State Univ.; Fortunate Heirs of Freedom: Abolition & Republican Thought), takes on the monumental task of writing a history of the United States, covering five centuries in fewer than 400 pages. Using an informal writing style and relying on a variety of histories covering different periods, he does an adequate job. In addition to the narrative, the title includes a chronology, a list of Internet resources, and a historical gazetteer. First published in Great Britain in 2000, the book may appeal most to foreigners planning a trip here. Libraries looking for a one-volume history may wish to consider Paul Johnson's A History of the American People (LJ 2/15/98) or Douglas Brinkley's American Heritage History of the United States (1998) or rely on that standby, Samuel Eliot Morrison's A Concise History of the American Republic (1983). Recommended for libraries needing a brief, inexpensive history of the United States. John McCormick, New Hampshire State Lib., ConcordCopyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.