Please, suggest me some good books that explain U.S history?

Question

I don't want any expensive social studies book.
But i have no idea about history of the U.S.
please suggest me a book or two so that i can have some knowledges about U.S. History through that book and prepare for highschool.
Thanks!

Answer 1

I wouldn't take on the whole task whole. U.S. History is still a required course for high school, I believe, so you'll be getting exposure to the material anyway. And these courses assume no previous knowledge, for the most part, so you won't be behind the rest of the students if you just do your homework.
So if you want to do some extra reading, read some biographies of Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, Adams, Hamilton, etc. Biographies have a coherency to their narratives that makes them easier to absorb. Also Grant, the Roosevelts (Theodore and Franklin), Eisenhower, Nixon and Johnson. Or some special histories about events like the transcontinental railroad, Lewis and Clark's expedition, or one of the wars. There are a zillion of these, and you can pick one to suit your mood, as to length, ease of reading, etc.
Beware the ones written by high-strung, cynical, neurotic little revisionist historians. You can usually spot these by the sensationalist, critical tone of the blurbs or in the preface. These are tiresome and tendentious, and focus so much on details other than the main story that they don't give a decent overview of the material. You can read them afterwards, if you want to explore alternative interpretations. Mainstream historians didn't get to the forefront by being dummies who lack critical thinking skills, so they're a good place to start.

Answer 2

There's a fun book called "Don't Know Much About History" that's a great approach to American history and should give you a pretty good overview.

You might also want to try Sarah Vowell's "Assassination Vacation" which will give you American history in a whole new light!

Answer 3

Try looking for information over the internet, that way you can get different views on what happened in History. I also recommend the History Channel.