A new introduction to American studies

Synopsis

A NEW INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN STUDIES conveys, through 16 broad-ranging and superbly written essays, the continuing importance of American Studies and the excitement to be gained from its study. Replacing the classic AN INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN STUDIES, this new book provides a comprehensive and clear-sighted re-evaluation of America's place in the world and the often tangled paths that led her there. All the essays have been newly commissioned for this edition and draw on the expertise of younger scholars, whose ideas reflect the changes that have transformed the discipline in the last 25 years. A NEW INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN STUDIES thus provides a wholly contemporary view of the central themes and pre-occupations of American life. Ideals such as the commitment to liberty, equality and material progress are fully examined and new light is shed on the sometimes contradictory ways in which these ideals have informed the nation's history and culture. Vital, engaged and thoroughly engaging, A NEW INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN STUDIES is essential reading for all students of America, it's history, literature and politics. The general reader, too, will find much of interest in this sophisticated and subtle exploration of the diverse factors that have shaped - and continue to shape - the America we think we know today.Howard Temperley is Emeritus Professor of American History at the University of East Anglia. Christopher Bigsby is Professor of American Studies and Director of the Arthur Miller Centre at the University of East Anglia.