Richard White

An "account of the Gilded Age's real legacy that lies buried beneath its capitalists of legend and its corrupt politicians"--Provided by publisher.

The United States During Reconstruction and the Gilded Age, 1865-1896

The Republic for which it Stands

E J Doble

4.5/5⭐

"We intend the good of all; that is what we understand America to mean" - William Dean Howells, 1897, at the end of the Gilded Age

A massive, sweeping, highly-detailed book on the history of America during one of its most corrupt and volatile periods, I was thoroughly impressed by what I read. Standing at just over 900 pages, the book is a beast to behold: it did manage to hold both my interest and my attention without fault, however, and I can only credit White's engaging prose for that.

You get a real sense of just how much was at stake after the Civil War, and how close everything came to collapse numerous times (the 1876 election, for example). The book covers Reconstruction, monopolies, expansive government, elections, racial inequalities and Manifest Destiny in well-formulated, detailed chapters - but something I do give credit to as well is, despite the breadth of the book, we still get insights into the characters behind everything. We learn about Carnegie Steel, but also about the man Carnegie was. And this is prevalent throughout the entire book, be it about politicians, writers, lobbyists or strike workers, this book had it all.

My only critique is for how repetitive and overdone some elements felt, where I felt I was reading the same point for three pages in a row. This was minimal, however, and does not detract from the fact that this is a fantastic book, and a thorough study into Gilded Age America in all its rough-shod colours.

The Republic for which it Stands The United States During Reconstruction and the Gilded Age, 1865-1896

Reviews