First published 2026
Jon Meacham examines America's national debates by collecting primary documents from 1619 to the present day. The bestselling author rejects both views of America as perfect and America as fundamentally broken. He argues the truth sits between these positions. Meacham gathers speeches, letters, and essays from figures including Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., JFK, LBJ, Shirley Chisholm, Walter Cronkite, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama. His commentary frames these voices to show how debates over liberty and slavery, inclusion and exclusion have shaped the nation. The collection demonstrates that conflict has always been part of American character. Meacham shows how understanding past disputes can guard against despair about current divisions. The book offers readers historical perspective on today's polarized moment by revealing patterns in America's long struggle toward the more perfect union that Frederick Douglass called a glorious liberty document.
Genres: history, political-science, non-fiction, 21st-century, academic, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, historical-perspective
Period: 1619, Present Day
848 pages · Paperback · Random House Large Print