Review

General Books

American History from a Global Perspective is an insightful survey of American history from political, social, geographic, economic, and most importantly, cultural angles. It is an interpretive text that analyzes life throughout the history of the United States by looking at it as other nations and cultures have seen us, far beyond just the Anglo-Saxon or English-speaking world. The chapters are extremely topical and short, providing the reader (whether that be instructor or student) an excellent resource to view the issues easily. Russo's goal is to provide the reader with the knowledge of how American History fits into the history of all nations and cultures—how it is not unique but is integrated into and related to the histories, beliefs, and traditions of other Western civilizations. It is divided into six principal parts: 1) a prologue on the indigenous peoples and early colonization of the Americas; 2) American politics and its development; 3) American geography and economy, and how it has developed according to what is happening globally; 4) American society and its structure, development, and change as it has undergone constant impact from world events; 5) American culture and how it is interrelated closely in scientific as well as social arenas with developments in Europe; and 6) American communities and what Americans see as their unique identity and spirit of nationalism. Perhaps the most profound impact of the book is its ability to integrate what has traditionally been thought of as American history as seen by United States historians writing about their own history and culture, with the perspective of other nationalities and their view of the history of the United States.	1
The book is easy reading and would be a valuable resource for teaching a survey course in American history at the undergraduate level or for an Advanced Placement course in high school. The cost is far less than many comparable survey texts. It provides the reader with a global perspective that would be especially useful for cultural diversity and the current emphasis on social history. It has no pictures or supplementary materials, but for that reason is especially adaptable for classroom use because of the short length of most of the topics. Students could read and discuss a theme easily in one class meeting. One of the most unique aspects of Professor Russo's work is his distinguishing throughout the book between the United States and the Americas. When he refers to America, he is referring to the continent as a whole, and the European similarities and differences in the overall continent. When he refers to the United States, his points refer to the specific government and culture of this country. Furthermore, in so doing, he is able to discuss critical omissions and weaknesses of the United States on specific issues. The League of Nations and the treatment of minorities are only two such points. This is an extremely profound and thought-provoking work from many aspects. Professor Russo has made a valuable contribution to the scholarship available for a survey course by placing the history of the United States in a global society.	2
Elizabeth Bailey Austin Community College, Austin, Texas

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