As a fan of William Bennett, I was eager to receive and read his 3rd and final volume in America: The Last Best Hope Series. Once again Bennett delivers American History, (the last 20 years in this volume) in a manner that is articulate, honest and fair. Bennett himself is an amazing historian and a pretty good storyteller, which makes history interesting, alive and easy to read. Even people who may not normally be History buffs are easily drawn in by his ability to relay the why of historical events, as much as what they were and when they occurred.
Many of us will remember the events of the last 20 years well. Bennett discusses the fall of Communism; the presidencies of George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush, along with the election of Barack Obama; the first and second Gulf Wars; the first bombing of the World Trade Center; the Oklahoma City bombing; the attacks on 9/11; and even Princess Diana and Pope John Paul II and their influence on America. He tackles political and social topics in way that is seemingly effortless. This book, and the whole series, would be good for someone who is even mildly interested in American History. I highly recommend it!
This book was provided to me for review by Thomas Nelson Publishers.
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America: The Last Best Hope (Vol III)
From the Fall of Communism to the Rise of Radical Islam
by William Bennett
Author, historian, and educator William J. Bennett examines America’s last two decades.
Twenty years ago, John McCain was serving his second year in the Senate, and Colin Powell had just been promoted to chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. There was no Fox News Channel, no American Idol. Saddam Hussein and the Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeni ruled Iraq and Iran, respectively. George W. Bush was the fairly unnoticeable son of the then-president. If you asked someone to “email me,” you would have received a blank stare, and “Amazon” was a forest in South America. Finally, 20 years ago a young man named Barack Obama was elected the first black president of the Harvard Law Review. The two decades from 1988 to 2008 have proved to be some of the most pivotal in America’s history. Based on a lifetime of experience in government and education, William J. Bennett defines the events that shaped American history during the final years of the century.
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