America 250

Books celebrating the tapestry of American experiences for the Semiquincentennial

Updated May 28, 2026
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African American poetry : 250 years of struggle & song
Young, Kevin
Paper Book
Taking the measure of the tradition in a single indispensable volume, African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle and Song sets a new standard for a genuinely deep engagement with Black poetry and its essential expression of American genius.
The American Revolution : an intimate history
Ward, Geoffrey C.
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * From the award-winning historian and filmmakers of The Civil War, Baseball, Jazz, The Roosevelts, and others: a richly illustrated, human-centered history of America's founding struggle--expanding on the landmark, six-part PBS series ...
American Struggle: Democracy, Dissent, and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union: An Anthology
Meacham, Jon
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER . The author of The Soul of America unites centuries of essential American voices to understand our national debates and divisions from 1619 to the present, with his signature commentary on the consequential speeches, letters, and essays that led us...
And there was light : Abraham Lincoln and the American struggle
Meacham, Jon
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Jon Meacham chronicles the life of Abraham Lincoln, charting how--and why--he confronted secession, threats to democracy, and the tragedy of slavery to expand the possibilities of America. "Meacham has...
Cuba : an American history
Ferrer, Ada
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE IN HISTORY WINNER OF THE LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE IN HISTORY "Full of...lively insights and lucid prose" (The Wall Street Journal) an epic, sweeping history of Cuba and its complex ties to the United States--from before the...
History matters
McCullough, David G.
Paper Book
In this posthumous collection of thought-provoking essays--many never published before--Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and bestselling author David McCullough affirms the value of history, how we can be guided by its lessons, and the enduring legacy of American ideals. ...
In the arena : Theodore Roosevelt in war, peace, and revolution
Brown, David S.
Paper Book
From the acclaimed historian and author of The Last American Aristocrat--hailed as "marvelous" by The New York Times Book Review--comes an "elegant and immersive" (Publishers Weekly) new biography of Theodore Roosevelt, exploring the life of America's twenty-sixth president...
An indigenous peoples' history of the United States
Dunbar-Ortiz, Roxanne
Audiobook
New York Times Bestseller This American Book Award winning title about Native American struggle and resistance radically reframes more than 400 years of US history   A New York Times Bestseller and the basis for the HBO docu-series Exterminate All the...
Mailman : my wild ride delivering the mail in Appalachia and finally finding home
Grant, Stephen Starring
Paper Book
An exuberant, hilarious, and profound memoir by a mailman in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, who found that working for the post office saved his life, taught him who he was, gave him purpose, and educated him deeply about a country he loves but had lost touch with. ...
The movement : the African American struggle for civil rights
Holt, Thomas C.
Paper Book
The civil rights movement was among the most important historical developments of the twentieth century and one of the most remarkable mass movements in American history. Not only did it decisively change the legal and political status of African Americans, but it prefigured as well the moral...
The New York game : baseball and the rise of a new city
Baker, Kevin
Paper Book
A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK * Sports Illustrated #1 Book of 2024 * A hugely entertaining history of baseball and New York City, bursting with larger-than-life figures and fascinating stories from the game's beginnings to the end of World War II. "You're going to...
The Promise of a Nation: Commemorating 250 Years of Patriotism, Resilience, and Aspirations from the National Collection
Smithsonian Institution
Celebrate 250 years of American history--and witness the nation's decade-by-decade evolution--in this gorgeously illustrated volume featuring more than 600 Smithsonian objects. The 250th anniversary of the United States marks a major milestone, representing two-and-a-half...
Rush : revolution, madness, and the visionary doctor who became a founding father
Fried, Stephen
Ebook
The monumental life of Benjamin Rush, medical pioneer and one of our most provocative and unsung Founding Fathers   FINALIST FOR THE GEORGE WASHINGTON BOOK PRIZE * AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR   By the time he was thirty, Dr....
This Vast Enterprise: A New History of Lewis & Clark
Fehrman, Craig
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A major revisionist history of the Lewis and Clark expedition: For the first time in a generation, This Vast Enterprise offers a fresh and more accurate account of one of the most important episodes in American history, humanizing forgotten figures and...
The War Within a War: The Black Struggle in Vietnam and at Home
Haygood, Wil
A NEW YORK TIMES BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR SO FAR * Award-winning author and journalist Wil Haygood explores how the Vietnam War became a mirror for the struggle of Black Americans--fighting for freedom abroad while demanding equality at home--and a powerful lens through which to...
We the Women: The Hidden Heroes Who Shaped America
O'Donnell, Norah
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A vivid portrait of the unsung American women from 1776 to today who changed the course of history in their fight for freedom and helped shape a more perfect union "This terrific book reveals the central, though often hidden role that women...

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