Honestly, when I opened up this book with its tiny font and massive 768 pages I thought there's no way I'm going to read this. My store carries a small history section and this book would take up so much real estate. Which is a cynical way of looking at it. But I'd been drawn to the title, and so I decided to start reading and see what I thought.

I'm glad I did. I think this is an extremely timely work, and while it may not be for everyone, diving in is worth the initial skepticism. The narrative unfolds in a compelling manner and doesn't really let up, educating the reader but also drawing them in. History becomes more personal, the best sort of history book.

And, most importantly, the good, the bad, and the ugly is in here. I'm really glad I didn't dismiss the book based on length alone.

Greg Grandin's contribution to readers is to help them understand places, so often linked to their identity, in a new way. His new book, in some ways, is an amalgamation of larger themes from earlier books on Latin America and the idea of the frontier. Here, the United States' conception of America is juxtaposed with Latin America's view of America. It is a history that is wide in scope, but not one that is stretched too thin. What one will come away with is a larger sense of identity; how at times America fits into a larger western hemisphere narrative, and at times tries to stand apart from it.
The book begins with a dive into the social relationships between European immigrants and native tribes. This usually isn't a new story for many, but again, Grandin "zooms out" to look at the larger impact and connections of colonizers both in present-day U.S. and other places. I was left wanting some deeper social history about what linked these groups together (what food did they eat? What interactions did they have?), what the impact of the Columbian exchange was on their livelihood, and how the Puritans viewed the Spanish. Parts 3 through 5 are much stronger, detailing the revolution and early republic years. There's some interesting discussion of the Treaty of Paris and Spain's decision making and consideration of their interests in helping colonists. The subject of manifest destiny and exceptionalism in the US is linked to Bolivar in a fascinating way. Similarly, Grandin links the Monroe Doctrine to independence movements within the hemisphere as a whole. Topics like the American Party and the Texas issue, along with the Panama Conference, are placed in context to show larger trends in the hemisphere. I kept thinking about just how much we try to separate ourselves, but an honest history may show we are more similar than we thought. The highlight of Pt. 5 was the discussion over Wilson sending troops to Mexico. Looked at from an America standpoint, it's often seen as a liberating, peace-keeping mission. Grandin makes the case that there's a deeper story here about identity and belonging that may be the true foundation.

This book challenges typical historiography. Readers may think of it in this sense: European history, Asian history, African history are all typical historiographical schools of study. Less popular is the idea of American history at large. Grandin's book is a narrative that does not overturn all that we have come to understand, but instead adds to our understanding by providing a new, more nuanced perspective. It links ideas that will be familiar to American historians and readers, with those that certainly would not.

I would have loved to have continued to read this narrative past the point at which Grandin ends. Little mention of Reagan and the Cold War, and although it is recent history, the story is being written more now. I would like to read some history about globalization and the impact of NAFTA and free trade has had on the hemisphere and views of America. For that, I'll wait for the updated edition.