America: The Last Best Hope, Vol. II

Bill Bennett

Picking up where he left on in America: The Last Best Hope, Vol. I, Bill Bennett gives a wonderful, engaging narrative of twentieth-century America. Chances are, your highschool and college American History courses didn't cover the material from Vol. II. This is likely for one of two reasons: either you spent weeks and weeks on the American Revolution and the Civil war leaving just 6 days to cover Woodrow Wilson to the present, or your teacher/professor had an agenda and skipped out on all of the lessons of the 1900's teaching us that appeasement doesn't work.

As historian George Santayana has said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Bill Bennett does his darndest to make sure that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past. What was most fascinating for this reviewer was to see the parallels between our leaders and politicians of the past and those that we have today. There is nothing new under the sun and we could certainly stand to learn from our own history, both good and bad.

Just like the first volume, Bennett sprinkles anecdotal treasures throughout giving you many "Did You Knows" to share at your next cocktail party. America: The Last Best Hope, Vol. II is more than worth your time and you will be thankful that you devoted a few days to taking in our most recent history.