Taking as his guideline G. M. Trevelyan's definition of social history - "history with the politics left out - J. C. Furnas has created a monumental work that brilliantly recounts America's past and its bearing on how and why we live and think as we do today. More than 400,000 words in length, the book investigates American traits for more than three centuries, charting the evolution of national attitudes and practices from pre-Colonial times to World War I. Its encyclopedic scope reflects not only its author's detailed knowledge of American history but also his deep love for his country despite all the crotchets, warts and foibles of which he is well aware.