It’s hard to characterize such an epic and sweeping work of American history.This book is huge, but it’s not a textbook. I quickly flipped through the pages. David Kennedy sets intimate details of the dramatic period from the Great Depression to the shocking end of World War II. A bewildering variety of New Deal institutions, the gold standard and the rise of America’s industrial power is not just a fact on the page. Each event has a well-researched political background. In addition to bringing me knowledge of events I had never experienced, the dramatic progression of this story unexpectedly stirred my emotions.