New Spirits: Americans in the Gilded Age: 1865-1905
"New Spirits is sophisticated, insightful, and (as my students said) 'full of facts.' Yet each sentence is readable, clear, and devoid of jargon. There is no other book like this one.  I had been searching for an up-to-date Gilded Age text, and this is it."--Jeanette Keith, Bloomsburg University"A masterful overview of the Gilded Age. . . . The idea to start with Reconstruction and make it part of the larger story of the late nineteenth century is genius. The book's ability to offer broad but incisive thematic ideas is extremely useful for teaching."--Michael J. Kramer, George Mason University"The great strength of this book is its coherent and wonderfully creative narrative, which is beautifully written and alive with ordinary Americans in extraordinary times. Dr. Edwards is a master synthesizer who brings history to life for her readers. This is the best book on the market for teaching this period."--Katherine Osburn, Tennessee Technological University