100 Turning Points in American History [Paperback]

Arnold J. Toynbee, the most famous professional historian of the twentieth century, is widely quoted as having declared that “History is just one damn thing after another.” This book argues that history is not about “things” at all but is all aboutturning points—the decisions, acts, innovations, errors, ideas, successes, and failures on which the shape of a nation’s life—ourlives—depends. It presents the 100 points at which America’s path decisively turned on its way to where we find ourselves today.

● Columbus arrives in the New World

● The first slaves arrive in America

● Independence is declared

● Female suffragists meet in Seneca Falls

● Fort Sumter falls

● A transcontinental railroad is completed

● Edison lights his first electric lamp

● FDR offers a “New Deal”

● The B-29Enola Gaydrops an atomic bomb on Hiroshima

● Neil Armstrong sets foot on the moon

● President Nixon creates the EPA

● 9/11 … Obama … Sandy Hook … Russian election “meddling” … the Age of Trump …

These and many more are the crucial “plot points” in our grand national story, and best-selling historian Alan Axelrod presents them here.Alan Axelrodis the author of more than 100 books on history, military history, leadership, management, corporate history, career, general business, and other nonfiction. After receiving his Ph.D. in English (specializing in early American literature and culture) from the University of Iowa in 1979, Axelrod taught early American literature and culture at Lake Forest College (Lake Forest, Illinois) and at Furman University (Greenville, South Carolina).

He has been a creative consultant (and on-camera personality) for The Wild West television documentary seril[