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These Truths
These Truths: A History of the United States | Jill Lepore
Written in elegiac prose, Lepore's groundbreaking investigation places truth itself--a devotion to facts, proof, and evidence--at the center of the nation's history. The American experiment rests on three ideas--"these truths," Jefferson called them--political equality, natural rights, and the sovereignty of the people. And it rests, too, on a fearless dedication to inquiry, Lepore argues, because self-government depends on it. But has the nation, and democracy itself, delivered on that promise?These Truths tells this uniquely American story, beginning in 1492, asking whether the course of events over more than five centuries has proven the nation's truths, or belied them. To answer that question, Lepore traces the intertwined histories of American politics, law, journalism, and technology, from the colonial town meeting to the nineteenth-century party machine, from talk radio to twenty-first-century Internet polls, from Magna Carta to the Patriot Act, from the printing press to Facebook News.Along the way, Lepore's sovereign chronicle is filled with arresting sketches of both well-known and lesser-known Americans, from a parade of presidents and a rogues' gallery of political mischief makers to the intrepid leaders of protest movements, including Frederick Douglass, the famed abolitionist orator; William Jennings Bryan, the three-time presidential candidate and ultimately tragic populist; Pauli Murray, the visionary civil rights strategist; and Phyllis Schlafly, the uncredited architect of modern conservatism.Americans are descended from slaves and slave owners, from conquerors and the conquered, from immigrants and from people who have fought to end immigration. "A nation born in contradiction will fight forever over the meaning of its history," Lepore writes, but engaging in that struggle by studying the past is part of the work of citizenship. "The past is an inheritance, a gift and a burden," These Truths observes. "It can't be shirked. There's nothing for it but to get to know it."
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iread2much
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Pickpick

This is a really well written history of the USA and I learned a lot. A main theme I picked up was that Polling ruined much of modern politics and something I personally found coldly comforting is that history does seem to be repeating itself, even if in new and more drastic ways - except for climate change. I am way less depressed after reading this than I was the Zinn book and I highly recommend it as a USA historical overview.
4/5 stars

mrsmarch I have a signed copy of this. Maybe I‘ll prioritize it once the girls go back to school. 7mo
iread2much @mrsmarch that‘s very cool! I think it‘s an excellent book and would be a good read 7mo
22 likes2 comments
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Susanita
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Only if I‘m reading nonfiction, so I can know where the footnotes start. #sundayfunday

RaeLovesToRead The amount of times I've got to the end and found a glossary explaining all the words I didn't understand 🤣🤣 THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL EARLIER, BOOK!!! 13mo
Billypar Never ever. If I like the book, I don't want to spoil it. If I'm not liking it and pressing on, it's because I hope it will improve and don't want to spoil it if it does. If I'm going to bail, then I've stopped caring altogether. And if I'm wrongly bailing (i.e. it would have gotten better), then how terrible would it be to know the mistake I made and have now spoiled it? 🙃 13mo
BookmarkTavern Ahahaha! I never thought about footnotes! Thanks for sharing! 13mo
34 likes4 comments
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QBub
Pickpick

An insightful book covering over 500 years of history. Told with wit, These Truths follows US history by following ideas and themes, and how they intertwined rather than chronicling a list of dates, places, battles and generals. Despite it length it is an easy and compelling read.

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keithlafo
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Pickpick

A surprisingly potent and robust piece of historical writing. Lepore covers everything from Columbus‘s initial voyage to Trump‘s shocking victory in 2016, and she does so while weaving in discussions about racism, sexism, and classism. I would have preferred a series of books by Lepore on this subject, but “These Truths” works as an in-depth, sobering look at American history.

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KimM
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Pickpick

Read by the author. Raw and uncensored look at who the United States really is, where they started and what the goal really was. It will open your eyes. 5 ⭐s

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ValerieAndBooks
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Pickpick

Starts with Columbus‘s arrival and ends with Trump being elected. A good big picture overview of US History with attempts of inclusiveness of histories ignored in past (I.e., women, POC). A single volume project this ambitious does leave out, or not cover as deeply, some incidents or ideology. This is a paperback, which is a revised edition to correct errors in the HB, & according to LePore, add/delete some info. I read this over several months.

Leftcoastzen I want to get to this one too! 3y
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ValerieAndBooks
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Working my way through this informative US history, and here we are at the March on Washington. 1963. I always appreciate seeing Bayard Rustin mentioned. Our local HS where two of my kids graduated from is named after him (he hailed from here) in spite of protestations b/c he was gay. And he was kind of pushed out of this movement because of that also. And our recently departed John Lewis was only 23. Their accomplishments are remarkable.

Reggie Good for Rustin! 3y
ValerieAndBooks @Reggie Yes. Rustin was/is very much overlooked when it comes to this history. I personally had not known about him until we moved here. Maybe if he had lived longer (he died in 1987; in his early 70s) he‘d be more known/recognized today. It‘s amazing that he organized this March before the internet/emails/texts. 3y
Suet624 That‘s great they named the school after him. 3y
54 likes1 stack add3 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
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Haven‘t been on Litsy much lately— this spring weather brings more outdoor activities 🌱☀️🥾🌳 and not as much time for reading. Plus, I‘ve been working my way through this chunkster! I‘m now at the 1930s and the last third of this book.

Almost time for a coffee refill! #starbucksmugtours

LeslieO Love the mug! 3y
ValerieAndBooks @LeslieO Boston and NYC are the only Starbucks mugs we have with that B&W 3D effect 😊☕️ ! 3y
66 likes2 comments
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Susanita
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Last year I bought two new bookcases and reorganized my shelves. One of my #personalreadinggoals2021 is to create a dedicated reading space. It might take me all year!

Another goal is to read the tagged book. In light of today‘s events, I thought about starting it tonight. I changed my mind! Instead I made myself a cocktail, and I‘m watching the Highway Thru Hell marathon.

#jumpintojanuary

Eggs Somebody loves baseball ⚾️! Nicely done ✅ 3y
Susanita @Eggs I do! 😀 3y
Eggs @Susanita I love baseball F and NF! 3y
46 likes3 comments
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Susanita
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Last post of the day! January #bfc21 goals.
-read 7 books
-read 1-2 chapters of These Truths
-walk 40K steps per week
-do 1-2 state park hikes
-clear off at least one movie from the DVR (because I have half watched movies there just like I have half read books languishing on my list)

I appreciate the structure of this challenge, that it‘s not expected to do everything every day. Easy to stay #motivated and not overwhelmed. #inspirednewyear

TheKidUpstairs Best of luck! It's nice to have a group to motivate you to keep going 👍💛💛💛 3y
wanderinglynn Great goals! 🎉 And Team BFC21 will be here to cheer you on. 3y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Awesome goals!!! 🙌🏻 3y
30 likes3 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
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Hubby and I had a gift card for B&N and this was our haul. These Truths obviously more mine, but the two others we will both get to enjoy 😋 !

LeahBergen Perfect! 3y
Reggie That hot sauce book looks great! 3y
60 likes2 comments
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Redwritinghood
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Pickpick

This is a good survey of US history from the time of Columbus to Trump. This is written in a narrative style and never gets dry or boring while still hitting the key events. 4⭐️

katy4peas I want to read this one of hers! 3y
Redwritinghood @katy4peas I have read that one as well. It is also good. I hope you get to read it soon. 3y
SamAnne I‘ve been loving her history essays in the New Yorker these past few years. Assume versions of some of them are in this book. 3y
Redwritinghood @SamAnne I can‘t say as I haven‘t read her essays in The New Yorker, but this didn‘t feel like individual essays. It was very cohesive. 3y
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KatieB
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It‘s the first day of a brand new month...and nonfiction November! I have so many great choices and don‘t know where to start. Any recommendations?

17 likes2 comments
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Gogobooks
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Pickpick

Recommend to American history fans. A different approach to our history highlighting issues and personalities often left in the shadows. I m halfway through. #americanhistory #womenssuffrage #constitution #frederickdouglass #walterlippman

Nute Welcome to Litsy! It‘s a warm and friendly community. I know that you will enjoy yourself here. I‘m looking forward to getting to know you!🙂 3y
Gogobooks Thank you 3y
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CallMeIshmael
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Pickpick

This book is a must read for anyone. It changed my thinking on so many topics, the civil war, FDR, Nixon etc. it is a great comprehensive history of our nation. For those of you (like myself) worried about the current administration fear not for we have faced fake news, propaganda, corruption, before and we found a way to right the ship. I love this book

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Hoopiefoot
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So happy it‘s Sunday morning porch reading season again.

Slajaunie Looks relaxing! 4y
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Hoopiefoot
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Thunderstorms knocked out our power about 6 hours ago. What‘s a gal to do but read a somewhat-work-related-book by headlamp?

DaveGreen7777 Hope you get your electricity back soon! 4y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa Sounds like a great reading day...thank goodness it‘s daylight and not to hot/or cold. We had a bunch of trees down here overnight too, so I‘m considering myself lucky. 4y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa Spoke too soon... my power went out at about 7 last night and just now came back on (hopefully it stays on). I hope yours is back on now too. (edited) 4y
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa Plus, I think I need to invest in a headlamp now.... 4y
Hoopiefoot @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Oh no! I‘m glad you have power again & hope you didn‘t lose much food in the fridge/freezer! We were out for about 8 hours yesterday. 4y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Hoopiefoot We kept them closed to keep the cold air in, and so far, I think everything eeked through....we were lucky in that regard that it was a cold and overcast day today...so cold in the house too. We ordered out and picked up warm food for lunch and otherwise snuggled under the covers, went to bed early last night and read/napped today. 4y
Hoopiefoot @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Inconveniences aside, that sounds like a pretty nice evening 🙂 4y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Hoopiefoot Funny, that‘s what I thought when you posted your post...quiet reading, at least it‘s spring and not freezing winter or humid summer. I think I was too cavalier and jinxed myself. It was definitely cold in my house today, hence the snuggling in the beds to read. 😂. But yes, over all I was fine and enjoyed my reading time.... my mom missed her TV though, and my nephew with no games...you‘d have thought it was a historic tragedy.😂 4y
65 likes8 comments
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Pedrocamacho
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Pickpick

This is a good book and a fascinating read. I love how Lepore accentuates voices normally silenced, like Jane Franklin (Ben Franklin‘s sister).

My complaints: The book failed to find those unusual voices that I enjoyed the closer it got to today. Lepore also has a tendency towards false symmetries, e.g. Fox News vs MSNBC or alt-right vs antifa. Say what you will about MSNBC, but no Maddow viewers are under the impression that COVID-19 is a hoax.

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Nebklvr
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Pickpick

If I could recommend only one U.S. history book, it would be this one. Engagingly written and surprisingly balanced, it is a work of art. The only weakness is the lack of Native Americans after the AIM movement which could have been included in the healthcare and crime segments. Definitely recommend to those who want to meet the unsung heroes of our history!

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KimHM
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Lepore‘s piece in the New Yorker this week is both terrifying and inspiring. 📚💙📚❤️

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Nebklvr
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Learning so much!!

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CallMeIshmael
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Snow day

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CallMeIshmael
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Late Christmas present from the mother in law

BookishMarginalia I enjoy Jill Lepore‘s work! 4y
27 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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Hoopiefoot
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Working from home today. I usually don‘t have any trouble staying focused working in my office (the kitchen) but today might be hard. So many new books are calling to me!!

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iread2much
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Thank you so much @Karkar for the book, for my favorite chocolates, and for the very kind doggy treats from your doggies. This is a wonderful #jolabokaflodswap and I am so grateful! These treats are perfect, my older dog, Kiyo, has been having some health issues and these will be good for her. Thank you @MaleficentBookDragon for hosting!

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Nice gifts!! 4y
Karkar So glad you like them! 4y
MaleficentBookDragon Puppies deserve the love too. Happy #Jolakabodflod! 4y
iread2much @Karkar really do! Thank you soooo much! 4y
iread2much @MaleficentBookDragon thank you! You too! 😄 4y
29 likes5 comments
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AnotherAngstyTeen
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This book is beyond brilliant. The astounding historical accuracy and brazing political opinions really complete the work. A true must-read!

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charl08
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Some books I'd really like to finish before the end of the year...

Theaelizabet Loved These Truths. 4y
37 likes1 comment
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Librarybelle
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I love big, chunky #history books. This one is over 900 pages. No, haven‘t had a chance to read it yet. But, her book Book of Ages is amazing...tagged in comments! #RedRoseSeptember

Cinfhen I‘m pretty sure this book was on lots of Best lists last year 🤩 5y
arlenefinnigan I really enjoyed her book about Wonder Woman. 5y
akaGingerK I somehow hadn‘t connected the author of this book back to Book of Ages! That bumps this book higher on the TBRs 5y
86 likes4 comments
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Tove_Reads
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Word!

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PickingBooks
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Does anyone else read every part of a book without fail—Introduction, prologue, afterword, acknowledgements etc?

Aims42 I do! And then when I'm in the middle of the 'acknowledgments', I'm always like, “why am I reading this? I don't know any of these people“ - every. single. time LOL 5y
wanderinglynn For me, it depends on the book. If it‘s a book I loved, I‘ll often go back and read those items. But I normally don‘t read them upfront. 5y
LapReader Sure do. Before I start. 5y
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PickingBooks @wanderinglynn That makes sense. 😁 5y
PickingBooks @Aims42 😂 I know!! 5y
rwmg Of course. But if the acknowledgements is just a list of names without any comments, I will skip them. 5y
PickingBooks @rwmg makes sense! 5y
61 likes8 comments
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PickingBooks
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“The past is an inheritance, a gift and a burden. It can‘t be shirked. You carry it everywhere. There‘s nothing for it but to get to know it.”
-Jill Lepore, These Truths: A History of the United States

#historybuff #history #historybooks #historynerd #igreads #bookworm #books #bookstagram #bookish #summerreading #summerreads #beachreads #bookstgrammer #bookspine #bookspines #compassion #understanding

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Truth... and beautiful photo 💙 5y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @PickingBooks you‘re welcome 💗 5y
49 likes3 comments
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Theaelizabet
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Pickpick

Lepore‘s history book isn‘t comprehensive (no Lewis and Clark), but what‘s not there, you won‘t miss. What IS there (a history of polling, for example) will force a long reading list of future follow-ups. Thankfully, it‘s well-annotated. Haven‘t had a history course since college or high school? Boy, are you going to be surprised by what you think you remember and by what you were never taught. Stirringly written. Highly recommended.

Leftcoastzen It looks good to me , I‘m so booked up😂 5y
Theaelizabet @Leftcoastzen Oh gosh, me, too!🙄 5y
LyndseyReads I added this to my list after I heard an interview with Lepore. I love her perspective. 5y
Theaelizabet @LyndseyReads I do, too. I also really liked her Book of Ages, which is about what we do know about colonial women from what we don‘t know about Ben Franklin‘s favorite sister. 5y
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KimHM
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We cannot cure our current ailments until we understand their causes. Jill Lepore is a great place to begin.

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CaitlinR
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Pickpick

Whether you‘re a history buff or not, make sure you read this book; a wonderful, unique and valuable view of US history. Jill Lepore is brilliant. She tells us “where the dead go”

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charl08
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Newspapers in the early republic weren't incidentally or inadvertently partisan...

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charl08
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Lepore on the contradictory impact of US territories calling for independence from British authorities: Caribbean islands' planters didn't oppose the stamp tax, as they were reliant on British troops. Despite being a slaveholder could still use slavery as a metaphor. Weird.

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Merrellm
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Pickpick

Self -evident that this book is pretty well written!

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suvata
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Pickpick

It took me almost 40 hours to read this book in which I learned more American history than I had in 40 years. LePore covered so much territory that I can‘t remember if I never learned it or if I‘ve just forgotten it. In any event, this is an excellent book for anyone who wants to get a better grasp of what America stands for and what it took to get to where we are today. America is made of people and people are not perfect.

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Waynegjr
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Pickpick

Top 10 books of 2018

#4

I don‘t read much history but Lepore is a storyteller. Fascinating look at American history and how we‘ve ended up where we are. Thought-provoking, absorbing, and not dry for a minute.

cmiller0 She's so great 5y
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charl08
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Ouch.

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suvata
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Heard about on the Fully Booked Podcast at https://www.podcastone.com/episode/Jill-Lepore also it was the highest rated book on my TBR. It might take me a while to finish since it‘s close to 1,000 pages.

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cmiller0
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The year? 1934. 🤔

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AlexGeorge
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Have been holding on to this for a while, and am finally getting stuck in. Can‘t wait!

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charl08
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Reading this great tome as a group read on LT. I love this description of the historian's job: not sure it would fit on a CV or badge though...

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RebeccaH
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Pickpick

Finally finished with this! It‘s a great book, putting women, African Americans, Native Americans, immigrants, and other marginalized groups in the spotlight, where they should be. There was a lot of false equivalency in her discussion of modern times, but otherwise, I loved it. Readable and engaging, a great history review.

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GerardtheBookworm
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Pickpick

The history of the U S as told through the perspective of the Constitution. A great gift for history bluffs and academics.

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RebeccaH
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Currently Reading: THESE TRUTHS by Jill Lepore, BEST AMERICAN ESSAYS 2017 edited by Leslie Jamison, AFTER THE WINTER by Guadalupe Nettel, and BIRD BY BIRD by Anne Lamott (on audio).

Suet624 Love. Bird by Bird. 5y
RebeccaH @Suet624 I‘m listening to it on audio and really liking it that way. 5y
21 likes2 comments
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BookishMarginalia
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Some of my current library borrows 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

LauraBeth I wasn‘t aware that David Quammen has a new book! 5y
165 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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BethwithBooks
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Not to brag but....

CouronneDhiver Brag away 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 5y
36 likes1 comment