THE AMERICANS AT HOME

by David Macrae ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 18, 1951

A period place, and as contemporary source material, revealing and entertaining reading. Here in the report on ""Americans at home"" given by a Scotchman, a sort of Brogan of his day, and destined to offset erroneous impressions of the crudities and short-comings of the American barbarians left by Mrs. Trollope and Mr. Dickens. He traveled- for his times- very extensively. He met all the key figures in the limelight of the day,- the intellectuals of Emerson's circle in the Boston area, Mrs. Stowe in Hartford, Henry Ward Beacher in Brooklyn, Anna Dickinson, top brass among Civil War veterans (on both sides), and many interesting pernonnages whose names are today forgotten. He discusses the social mores, the political aspects, the intellectual, educational, religious phases of American life, from New England to New Orleans and key points in between. Often he accepts at face value, statements and explanations that history and research have disproved. Often a slight bias in favor of the South is evident, though he has little to say in condoning the of the slavery system. In the main, however, this is extraordinarily perceptive, informative and colorful for a traveler in the post Civil War days to have recorded.

Pub Date: Feb. 18, 1951

ISBN: 1142124924

Page Count: -

Publisher: Dutton

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1951

Categories: NONFICTION