American Nations

A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America

By: Colin Woodard

Narrated by: Walter Dixon

Length: 12 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

An illuminating history of North America's 11 rival cultural regions that explodes the red state/blue state myth.

North America was settled by people with distinct religious, political, and ethnographic characteristics, creating regional cultures that have been at odds with one another ever since. Subsequent immigrants didn't confront or assimilate into an "American" or "Canadian" culture, but rather into one of the 11 distinct regional ones that spread over the continent, each staking out mutually exclusive territory.

In American Nations, Colin Woodard leads us on a journey through the history of our fractured continent and the rivalries and alliances between its component nations, which conform to neither state nor international boundaries. He illustrates and explains why "American" values vary sharply from one region to another.

Woodard reveals how intranational differences have played a pivotal role at every point in the continent's history, from the American Revolution and the Civil War to the tumultuous sixties and the "blue county/red county" maps of recent presidential elections. American Nations is a revolutionary and revelatory take on America's myriad identities and how the conflicts between them have shaped our past and are molding our future.

©2011 Colin Woodward (P)2011 Gildan Media Corp

Critic reviews

"Woodard offers a fascinating way to parse American (writ large) politics and history in this excellent book." ( Kirkus)

"Woodard explains away partisanship in American Nations... which makes the provocative claim that our culture wars are inevitable. North America was settled by groups with distinct political and religious value - and we haven't had a moment's peace since." ( Publishers Weekly)

The most important work of US history available

What made the experience of listening to American Nations the most enjoyable?

This book is simply outstanding from cover to cover. As someone is a rabid consumer of US history I'm left feeling like a sports fan who just realized he has been watching a game playing out his entire life and only now is recognizing who is on what team. This book is incredibly well researched and provides a deeply contextualized history of the US's many regional states and cultural paradigms. I really cannot recommend this book highly enough for anyone interested in politics or American history.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

The well researched and written histories of the states and their ethnic origins creates a much more interesting narrative than the generic right/left debate we all believe we live in.

If you could give American Nations a new subtitle, what would it be?

A political primer that isnt 20th century revisionist nonsense

Any additional comments?

Buy this book

Fascinating!

This has more sense about American heritage and politics in it than anything else I've ever read. Past really is prelude, and where we come from really does resonate through time.
If nothing else, it clarifies how different areas make their decisions and what they perceive as democracy. Get ready for the fact that it's not homogenous or the same.

The Best

Would you listen to American Nations again? Why?

Had to listen twice back to back, more information than I ever knew.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

How it meshed the entire cont.

What about Walter Dixon’s performance did you like?

The voice

If you could give American Nations a new subtitle, what would it be?

Where we came from and how we got here.

A re-framing of North American history.

Any additional comments?

Sociology, history, demography, psychology. It is frustratingly difficult to decipher the fact from the interpretation. There is a lot I liked here. Some very thoughtful analysis. Some interesting assertions and added color to historical cannon. This made of lot of sense to me, it backstopped some long held beliefs, it made me feel good about my heritage and my place sociological makeup of the continent. But I fear that is because I have affiliated heritage to the author and he is projecting the same bias I grew up with. I liked this book, and it earns its stars by at least attempting to explain and perhaps unencumber us from our political trenches. To see the cultures that shaped (and divided) us, accept them and move forward rather than dig in. I don't know if Colin Woodard is correct in his analysis, but I think if read with the knowledge of the authorial bias in mind it is still valuable.

Great History/Terrible Politics

I conceptualize this book as having two parts. The first part is a very interesting historical reckoning of the “nations” that the author claims make up the US. This first part is well done and the author has found primary resources to support his thesis. The second part of this book is interpolation of political events and extrapolation of potential political trajectories of the nations. This was nearly intolerable. Unless you worship at the Church of Woke this should bother you. The author lets a good/bad framework takeover his political analysis. In short the author spends some time demonizing the “nations” that have conservative leanings. He does highlight some latent mendacity in the politics of these nations, but he actively avoids pointing out mendacity (that is plentiful) in the politics of the “northern nations” and any minority controlled “nations.” For instance my home “nation” of El Norte (in the author’s parlance) is guilty of substantial mendacious transgressions, however presumably to avoid criticizing Hispanics, like me, the author chooses to ONLY address political missteps of the conservative “nations.” There’s no mention for example of the problems that ensue from the liberal programs (such as fraud, waste, abuse, public grift etc.). While much criticism is aimed at conservative “nations” the closest the author gets to criticizing a minority controlled nation is by pointing out that Greenland seeks independence but is financially dependent on the European country of Denmark. That seems like a ripe area for exploring mendacious politics, but the author leaves it alone. I would have preferred a truncated book that simply left modern politics out of it.

I loved this book

Would you listen to American Nations again? Why?

Yes I did listen to most of twice.

Any additional comments?

It seemed to me a great examination of the cultures of America.

Holistic and longitudinal history of US cultures

This book was mind-blowing for me. Modern media outlets rely heavily on a over-dramatized, dualism to box all Americans into: North vs. South, Conservative vs. Liberal. These inaccurate portrayals sell headlines and feed clickbait, but they are not authentic or generally positive. This book follows the original cultures from first-contact to our shores through to modern times. The reality is a much more complex quilt pattern. I often found myself reflecting on my own family members, their backgrounds, and their views and coming to empathize much better after reading this book.

Brilliant history, shaky future

American Nations is a fascinating look at the history of the United States and why different regions have so often been at odds with each other. The first half is one of the best books I've read all year. However, problems emerge when the author tries to explain the present and future of the "federation." Woodard is a much better historian than futurist and repeatedly loses sight of his main point as he gets sidetracked in the last several chapters.

Listen & get a better understanding of America

If you could sum up American Nations in three words, what would they be?

Yankee vs South

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

I grew up a Southern and did not understand the whys behind the Civil War. I love history and American Nations gave me a viewpoint of why we act the way we do.

Explains so much!

What made the experience of listening to American Nations the most enjoyable?

With all the polarity in USA, listening to American Nations is a must hear to anyone hoping for national unity.

What did you like best about this story?

Logical simplicity

Have you listened to any of Walter Dixon’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Can't remember

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Terrific