Description
We tend to think of history as settled, set in stone, but American History Revised reveals a past that is filled with ironies, surprises, and misconceptions. Living abroad for twelve years gave author Seymour Morris Jr. the opportunity to view his country as an outsider and compelled him to examine American history from a fresh perspective. As Morris colorfully illustrates through the 200 historical vignettes that make up this book, much of our nation’s past is quite different—and far more remarkable—than we thought.
We discover that:
• In the 1950s Ford was approached by two Japanese companies begging for a joint venture. Ford declined their offers, calling them makers of “tin cars.” The two companies were Toyota and Nissan.
• Eleanor Roosevelt and most women’s groups opposed the Equal Rights Amendment forbidding gender discrimination.
• The two generals who ended the Civil War weren’t Grant and Lee.
• The #1 bestselling American book of all time was written in one day.
• The Dutch made a bad investment buying Manhattan for $24.
• Two young girls aimed someday to become First Lady—and succeeded.
• Three times, a private financier saved the United States from bankruptcy.
Organized into ten thematic chapters, American History Revised plumbs American history’s numerous inconsistencies, twists, and turns to make it come alive again.
Softcover, 432 pages
About the Author:
Seymour Morris Jr. is an international business entrepreneur and former head of corporate communications for the world’s largest management consulting firm. His articles on management and leadership have appeared in numerous magazines and books.
His first book, American History Revised, was published by Random House in 2010. Now a full-time historian, he has written his second book about one of the greatest acts of American leadership. Supreme Commander: MacArthur’s Triumph in Japan was published by HarperCollins in April 2014.
He holds an A.B. in American History from Harvard College and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He lives in New York City.
