Thomas Kidd has succeeded well in providing a high quality American history text that integrates the usual political and social history with its religious dimensions. Kidd writes in a clear, accessible manner and is always well informed. He is judiciously balanced in his evaluations.

Thomas Kidd, who has written excellent books on historical individuals like Benjamin Franklin and Patrick Henry, now explores the entirety of American history in this carefully researched and clearly written text. It is an ideal book for students new to American history as well as for older readers who would like a sprightly, objective, and discerning refresher.

There has long been a need for a survey textbook that gives balanced attention to the important role of Christianity in American history. Thomas Kidd’s American History admirably meets that need and much more. Well written, accessible, interesting, beautifully illustrated, and academically sound, this usable and one-of-a-kind resource deserves a wide audience in both the secular and Christian college classrooms.

Thomas Kidd is a talented historian with a unique gift for in-depth research and engaging writing. This work is no exception. In this two-volume set, Dr. Kidd applies his skills to an area where they are desperately needed in America today–civics education. Smart and fair, nuanced and balanced, Kidd takes us from the American Founding to the Civil War, from populism to progressivism, from World War I to the Cold War, from the Roaring Twenties to the Great Society, from Andrew Jackson to FDR, from Reagan to Clinton, from 1492 to September 11. Elegantly and attractively written and illustrated, this text is not to be missed for your student.

Kudos to Thomas Kidd for returning Christianity to the narrative of American history. At the same time, he has conveyed in his measured, balanced, and accessible style, the multiethnic and multicultural tapestry that American history is, and always has been.

Every teacher knows the frustration of trying to find a good textbook. The annual ritual makes them doubt any textbook exists that engages students, balances coverage with detail, and avoids the dreariness of ideological fashions. American history textbooks are among the worst offenders. Thomas Kidd has taken on the challenge and has written a survey of American history that goes beyond solving the problem. He highlights the experiences of ordinary people whose lives intersected with great events, brings religion back in from the margins of national life, and equips students to understand the often confusing world into which they were born.