Reviews
"As one of the most imaginative historians in contemporay America, David Hackett Fischer has produced a work that may put his fellow scholars' teeth on edge....Yet Fischer's latest book, Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America, will fascinate them as well as the general reading public. Lucid, dramatic, always entertaining, the thick, handsomely illustrated volume may safely be called a modern classic, and comparisons to Tocqueville are inevitable....It inaugurates an ambitious design to reinterprert, rather than merely retell, the whole of American history." --AmericanHeritage, "As one of the most imaginative historians in contemporay America, DavidHackett Fischer has produced a work that may put his fellow scholars' teeth onedge....Yet Fischer's latest book, Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways inAmerica, will fascinate them as well as the general reading public. Lucid,dramatic, always entertaining, the thick, handsomely illustrated volume maysafely be called a modern classic, and comparisons to Tocqueville areinevitable....It inaugurates an ambitious design to reinterprert, rather thanmerely retell, the whole of American history." --American Heritage, "As one of the most imaginative historians in contemporay America, David Hackett Fischer has produced a work that may put his fellow scholars' teeth on edge....Yet Fischer's latest book,Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America, will fascinate them as well as the general reading public. Lucid, dramatic, always entertaining, the thick, handsomely illustrated volume may safely be called a modern classic, and comparisons to Tocqueville are inevitable....It inaugurates an ambitious design to reinterpret, rather than merely retell, the whole of American history." --American Heritage "The finest work of synthesis in early American history in more than fifty years."--Michael Kammen,New York Newsday "One of the most thought-provoking works of American history to appear in recent years.... What is remarkable is how successful Fischer is in casting colonial America in a new light."--Eric Foner, "As one of the most imaginative historians in contemporay America, David Hackett Fischer has produced a work that may put his fellow scholars' teeth on edge....Yet Fischer's latest book, Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America, will fascinate them as well as the general reading public. Lucid, dramatic, always entertaining, the thick, handsomely illustrated volume may safely be called a modern classic, and comparisons to Tocqueville are inevitable....It inaugurates an ambitious design to reinterpret, rather than merely retell, the whole of American history." --AmericanHeritage, "As one of the most imaginative historians in contemporay America, David Hackett Fischer has produced a work that may put his fellow scholars' teeth on edge....Yet Fischer's latest book, Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America , will fascinate them as well as the general reading public. Lucid, dramatic, always entertaining, the thick, handsomely illustrated volume may safely be called a modern classic, and comparisons to Tocqueville are inevitable....It inaugurates an ambitious design to reinterpret, rather than merely retell, the whole of American history." -- American Heritage "The finest work of synthesis in early American history in more than fifty years."--Michael Kammen, New York Newsday "One of the most thought-provoking works of American history to appear in recent years.... What is remarkable is how successful Fischer is in casting colonial America in a new light."--Eric Foner, "Professor Fischer's careful research and analysis opens a much needed discussion of cultural character and origins in North America. The variety and complexity of historical sources will inform the work of other cultural historians and analysts."--Nadesan Permaul, UC Berkeley "This is history at a lively pace, peppered with curious details about the origins of families....The author makes a convincing case."--Dolores and Roger Flaherty, Chicago Sun-Times "A pleasure to read, for it is written with Fischer's characteristic perspicuity. Moreover, the numerous drawings by Jennifer Brody and maps by Andrew Mudryk are a visual treat."--Raymond A. Mohl, Review Essay "The kind of book one can open to almost any page and immediately become engrossed....readers will enjoy and benefit from this book....We eagerly await volume two."--Neil R. Stout, Vermont History "Holds up to readers a mirror in which they can discover in themselves and in their own world the persistence of their heritage....An engrossing work that will whet the appetite for more."--The National Genealogical Society Quarterly "Ingenious and provocative....Raises matters of cardinal interest."--IThe Times Literary Supplement "A splendid work of historical scholarship. . . . based on an original conception of cultural history which I find extremely usable. Eminently readable."--Omer Hadziselimovic, Earlham College [SEE REVIEW CARD FOR ACCENTS ON LAST NAME] "[A] sprightly analysis....This is history at a lively pace, peppered with curious details about the origins of familiar words and practices....The author makes a convincing case for his claim that 'in a cultural sense most Americans are Albion's seed."--Chicago Sun-Times "One of the most interesting, important, and ambitious books about American cultural and social origins ever written....A richly rewarding book, and one of great significance....It blends the best of new and old scholarship in lucid language designed to attract laymen and students alike. Very simply, Albion's Seed is a splendid achievement."--Michael Kammen, New York Newsday "David Hackett Fischer's book could not be much bigger or more ambitious. It is the first in a series of volumes that he hopes will eventually constitute a cultural history of the United States....This book starts his series with a bang--a big bang....Remarkable....A revisionist blockbuster."--Gordon Wood, The New Republic "Beautifully produced, this work should popularize the discoveries of a generation of scholars in the new social history. Anyone interested in these four cultures of the Anglo-American colonists will find here population data, family life, community mores, and achetypical individuals, portrayed in a clear and often lively text, thoughtfully analyzed illustrations, and wonderful maps."--Stephen Saunders Webb, Washington Post Book World, "Professor Fischer's careful research and analysis opens a much needed discussion of cultural character and origins in North America. The variety and complexity of historical sources will inform the work of other cultural historians and analysts."--Nadesan Permaul, UC Berkeley "This is history at a lively pace, peppered with curious details about the origins of families...The author makes a convincing case."--Dolores and Roger Flaherty, Chicago Sun-Times "A pleasure to read, for it is written with Fischer's characteristic perspicuity. Moreover, the numerous drawings by Jennifer Brody and maps by Andrew Mudryk are a visual treat."--Raymond A. Mohl, Review Essay "The kind of book one can open to almost any page and immediately become engrossed...[R]eaders will enjoy and benefit from this book...We eagerly await volume two."--Neil R. Stout, Vermont History "Holds up to readers a mirror in which they can discover in themselves and in their own world the persistence of their heritage...An engrossing work that will whet the appetite for more."--The National Genealogical Society Quarterly "Ingenious and provocative...Raises matters of cardinal interest."--The Times Literary Supplement "A splendid work of historical scholarship. . . . based on an original conception of cultural history which I find extremely usable. Eminently readable."--Omer Hadziselimovic, Earlham College [SEE REVIEW CARD FOR ACCENTS ON LAST NAME] "[A] sprightly analysis....This is history at a lively pace, peppered with curious details about the origins of familiar words and practices....The author makes a convincing case for his claim that 'in a cultural sense most Americans are Albion's seed."--Chicago Sun-Times "One of the most interesting, important, and ambitious books about American cultural and social origins ever written....A richly rewarding book, and one of great significance....It blends the best of new and old scholarship in lucid language designed to attract laymen and students alike. Very simply, Albion's Seed is a splendid achievement."--Michael Kammen, New York Newsday "David Hackett Fischer's book could not be much bigger or more ambitious. It is the first in a series of volumes that he hopes will eventually constitute a cultural history of the United States....This book starts his series with a bang--a big bang....Remarkable....A revisionist blockbuster."--Gordon Wood, The New Republic "Beautifully produced, this work should popularize the discoveries of a generation of scholars in the new social history. Anyone interested in these four cultures of the Anglo-American colonists will find here population data, family life, community mores, and achetypical individuals, portrayed in a clear and often lively text, thoughtfully analyzed illustrations, and wonderful maps."--Stephen Saunders Webb, Washington Post Book World, "Professor Fischer's careful research and analysis opens a much needed discussion of cultural character and origins in North America. The variety and complexity of historical sources will inform the work of other cultural historians and analysts."--Nadesan Permaul, UC Berkeley "This is history at a lively pace, peppered with curious details about the origins of families....The author makes a convincing case."--Dolores and Roger Flaherty,Chicago Sun-Times "A pleasure to read, for it is written with Fischer's characteristic perspicuity. Moreover, the numerous drawings by Jennifer Brody and maps by Andrew Mudryk are a visual treat."--Raymond A. Mohl,Review Essay "The kind of book one can open to almost any page and immediately become engrossed....readers will enjoy and benefit from this book....We eagerly await volume two."--Neil R. Stout,Vermont History "Holds up to readers a mirror in which they can discover in themselves and in their own world the persistence of their heritage....An engrossing work that will whet the appetite for more."--The National Genealogical Society Quarterly "Ingenious and provocative....Raises matters of cardinal interest."--IThe Times Literary Supplement "A splendid work of historical scholarship. . . . based on an original conception of cultural history which I find extremely usable. Eminently readable."--Omer Hadziselimovic,Earlham College[SEE REVIEW CARD FOR ACCENTS ON LAST NAME] "[A] sprightly analysis....This is history at a lively pace, peppered with curious details about the origins of familiar words and practices....The author makes a convincing case for his claim that 'in a cultural sense most Americans are Albion's seed."--Chicago Sun-Times "One of the most interesting, important, and ambitious books about American cultural and social origins ever written....A richly rewarding book, and one of great significance....It blends the best of new and old scholarship in lucid language designed to attract laymen and students alike. Very simply,Albion's Seedis a splendid achievement."--Michael Kammen,New York Newsday "David Hackett Fischer's book could not be much bigger or more ambitious. It is the first in a series of volumes that he hopes will eventually constitute a cultural history of the United States....This book starts his series with a bang--a big bang....Remarkable....A revisionist blockbuster."--Gordon Wood,The New Republic "Beautifully produced, this work should popularize the discoveries of a generation of scholars in the new social history. Anyone interested in these four cultures of the Anglo-American colonists will find here population data, family life, community mores, and achetypical individuals, portrayed in a clear and often lively text, thoughtfully analyzed illustrations, and wonderful maps."--Stephen Saunders Webb,Washington Post Book World, "As one of the most imaginative historians in contemporay America, David Hackett Fischer has produced a work that may put his fellow scholars' teeth on edge....Yet Fischer's latest book, Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America, will fascinate them as well as the general reading public. Lucid, dramatic, always entertaining, the thick, handsomely illustrated volume may safely be called a modern classic, and comparisons to Tocqueville are inevitable....It inaugurates an ambitious design to reinterpret, rather than merely retell, the whole of American history." --American Heritage "The finest work of synthesis in early American history in more than fifty years."--Michael Kammen, New York Newsday "One of the most thought-provoking works of American history to appear in recent years.... What is remarkable is how successful Fischer is in casting colonial America in a new light."--Eric Foner, "Professor Fischer's careful research and analysis opens a much needed discussion of cultural character and origins in North America. The variety and complexity of historical sources will inform the work of other cultural historians and analysts."--Nadesan Permaul, UC Berkeley"This is history at a lively pace, peppered with curious details about the origins of families...The author makes a convincing case."--Dolores and Roger Flaherty, Chicago Sun-Times"A pleasure to read, for it is written with Fischer's characteristic perspicuity. Moreover, the numerous drawings by Jennifer Brody and maps by Andrew Mudryk are a visual treat."--Raymond A. Mohl, Review Essay"The kind of book one can open to almost any page and immediately become engrossed...[R]eaders will enjoy and benefit from this book...We eagerly await volume two."--Neil R. Stout, Vermont History"Holds up to readers a mirror in which they can discover in themselves and in their own world the persistence of their heritage...An engrossing work that will whet the appetite for more."--The National Genealogical Society Quarterly"Ingenious and provocative...Raises matters of cardinal interest."--The Times Literary Supplement"One of the most interesting, important, and ambitious books about American cultural and social origins ever written....A richly rewarding book, and one of great significance....It blends the best of new and old scholarship in lucid language designed to attract laymen and students alike. Very simply, Albion's Seed is a splendid achievement."--Michael Kammen, New York Newsday"David Hackett Fischer's book could not be much bigger or more ambitious. It is the first in a series of volumes that he hopes will eventually constitute a cultural history of the United States....This book starts his series with a bang--a big bang....Remarkable....A revisionist blockbuster."--Gordon Wood, The New Republic"Beautifully produced, this work should popularize the discoveries of a generation of scholars in the new social history. Anyone interested in these four cultures of the Anglo-American colonists will find here population data, family life, community mores, and achetypical individuals, portrayed in a clear and often lively text, thoughtfully analyzed illustrations, and wonderful maps."--Stephen Saunders Webb, Washington Post Book World
Synopsis
From 1629 to 1775, argues David Hackett Fischer, North America was settled by four great waves of English-speaking immigrants. The first was an exodus of Puritans from the east of England to Massachusetts (1629-1640). The second was the movement of a Royalist elite and indentured servants from the south of England to Virginia (ca. 1649-75). The third was the "Friends' migration,"--the Quakers--from the North Midlands and Wales to the Delaware Valley (ca. 1675-1725). The fourth was a great flight from the borderlands of North Britain and northern Ireland to the American backcountry (ca. 1717-75). Fischer argues that these folkways have dominated national politics from 1789 to the present, and that they still control attitudes towards education, government, gender, violence, and much more., This fascinating book is the first volume in a projected cultural history of the United States, from the earliest English settlements to our own time. It is a history of American folkways as they have changed through time, and it argues a thesis about the importance for the United States of having been British in its cultural origins. While most people in the United States today have no British ancestors, they have assimilated regional cultures which were created by British colonists, even while preserving ethnic identities at the same time. In this sense, nearly all Americans are "Albion's Seed," no matter what their ethnicity may be. The concluding section of this remarkable book explores the ways that regional cultures have continued to dominate national politics from 1789 to 1988, and still help to shape attitudes toward education, government, gender, and violence, on which differences between American regions are greater than between European nations., The initial volume of what will become a multi-volume social history of the United States, this book treats the transmission of English culture to America. Fischer argues that during the period 1629 to 1775 the United States was settled by four large waves of English-speaking immigrants from different parts of Britain. These groups had many qualities in common; but what Fischer is more concerned with is how they differed from each other in 'their unique folkways' and how these folkways were transferred to America and became the basis for regional differences that have persisted to some degree down to the present. Among these were: different dialects of English; different ways of building houses, naming children, and doing much of the ordinary business of life; different customs of courtship and marriage, ways of rearing children, and customs of inheritance; different forms of music and religion; different styles of food, dress, sports, work, and wealth; and four distinct and even contradictory conceptions of liberty., This fascinating book is the first volume in a projected cultural history of the United States, from the earliest English settlements to our own time. It is a history of American folkways as they have changed through time, and it argues a thesis about the importance for the United States of having been British in its cultural origins. While most people in the United States today have no British ancestors, they have assimilated regional cultures which were created by British colonists, even while preserving ethnic identities at the same time. In this sense, nearly all Americans are Albion's Seed, no matter what their ethnicity may be. The concluding section of this remarkable book explores the ways that regional cultures have continued to dominate national politics from 1789 to 1988, and still help to shape attitudes toward education, government, gender, and violence, on which differences between American regions are greater than between European nations.
