I am thinking
of developing a senior-level history course introducing students
to the "great books" of America's past. My plan -- please
understand this is only in the conceptual stage, not at all a
done deal -- is to have a book list of, say, 15-30 books, of
which each student would read about half or a third and report on
same. All of the books would be read by class members, and
students would be responsible for all of them. In this way I
could limit the number of books each read but provide them with
the benefit of the entire list. The books I am thinking of are
the ones "you should read" but frequently never have the
opportunity to do in college. I am also entertaining the idea of
pairing books -- as indicated in the examples below -- or
developing themes.
I would much appreciate any suggestions you might have to augment
the list I've provided below. I am leaning, of course, to books
which remain in print so students could buy (and, I hope, keep)
them.
Bernal Diaz on the Conquest
Broken Spears (Leon-Portilla)
Smith's History of Virginia/N.E.
Bradford's On Plymouth Plantation
Franklin's Autobiography
Crevecoeur's Letters
Paine's Common Sense
The Federalist Papers
The Antifederalist Papers
Parkman's Oregon Trail
Women's Diaries of the Westward Journey (Schlissel)
The World Rushed In (Holliday)
Lewis and Clark's journals
De Tocqueville's Democracy in America
Trollope's Domestic Manners
Mary Chestnut's diary
Alcott, Uncle Tom's Cabin
Wartime Washington (Elizabeth Blair Lee's letters, Laas)
Plunkitt of Tammany Hall
Jacob Riis
Veblen's Theory of the Leisure Class
Edward Bellamy, Looking Backward
Jane Addams, Hull House
Twain's Gilded Age
Frederick L Allen, Only Yesterday
" " , Since Yesterday
Sinclair Lewis, Babbitt
"", Main Street
Autobiography of Malcolm X
Alex Haley, Roots
Claude Brown, Manchild in the Promised Land
Ralph Ellison, The Invisible Man
Michael Shaara, Killer Angels
Stephen Crane, Red Badge of Courage
There's a lot left out, I know. I am including novels here, but
might decide later to drop them. I'd welcome suggestions
regarding that decision as well. My list is particularly weak on
the 20th century, but there are likely holes everywhere.
Whatever you can do will be appreciated. And if you think this
is a rotten idea, I'd like to know your thinking on that as well.
As I said above, this is only in the "what about a . . . course?"
stage and the reading list the work of a few moments of
cogitation. If you believe I should include some of the
"classics" of history writing (Beard, Turner, for example) and
"modern classics" (Bailyn's Ideological Origins, Wiebe's Search
for Order, etc.), I'd appreciate suggestions on that as well. In
other words, what belongs on a too-brief list of must-reads? I
look forward to your comments.
Thanks. - Jim -- Dr. James B. M. Schick - History Computer
Review Pittsburg State University - Pittsburg, Kansas 66762
jschick@pittstate.edu - fax: 316-232-7515 - phone: 316-235-4317