First published 2026
Eddie S. Glaude Jr. takes America's major birthday celebrations as his starting point for examining the nation's true character. The author of Begin Again structures his analysis around pivotal anniversaries across two and a half centuries of history. Glaude argues that these commemorative moments consistently push the country back toward comfortable myths rather than honest reckoning. He challenges readers to abandon illusions about American innocence and freedom. The book traces ongoing battles over who belongs in the national story and who gets excluded. Glaude combines multiple perspectives and historical voices to create a comprehensive picture of American contradictions. He calls for direct confrontation with the country's refusal to acknowledge its real nature. The work connects past and present through this pattern of mythmaking during moments of national reflection. Glaude offers this unflinching examination as a path toward genuine progress rather than continued self-deception.
Genres: american, non-fiction, 21st-century, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: unflinching-examination
Period: Two And A Half Centuries
288 pages · Hardcover · Crown