Don't Know Much About® History [30th Anniversary Edition]: Everything You Need to Know About American History but Never Learned

A New York Times bestseller  ·  More than 1.7 Million Copies Sold!

“Reading Davis is like returning to the classroom of the best teacher you ever had!” —People magazine

From the arrival of Columbus through the historic election of Barack Obama and beyond, Kenneth C. Davis carries readers on a rollicking ride through more than five hundred years of American history. In this 30th anniversary edition of the classic anti-textbook—which includes a new preface by Davis—he debunks, recounts, and serves up the real story behind the most persistent historical myths and fallacies of American history. 

What if the history you were taught in school left out all the best parts?

• Founding Fathers: Discover the real, earthy nature of George Washington, the surprising details left out of the Declaration of Independence, and why Jefferson and Hamilton couldn’t stand each other.
• The American Revolution: Uncover the truth behind Betsy Ross’s flag, find out why there’s a statue of Benedict Arnold’s boot, and learn how the colonies really won the war.
• The Civil War: Explore the real reasons the Southern states seceded from the United States, the true costs of the conflict, and whether Honest Abe was as honest as his legend suggests.
• Modern American History: From Prohibition and the Great Depression to the Cold War, Watergate, and the historic election of Barack Obama, get the complete, unvarnished story of the events that shaped our world.

“Quirky, sardonic, accurate, rudimentary, and often amusing…. A breezy question-and-answer approach that is far removed from the massive textbooks all of us once lugged around.” - Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“If you’ve always wondered exactly what Boss Tweed bossed and what Tammany Hall was, Davis is your man.” - Washington Post Book World

“Unquestionably a handy reference book. It’s just the thing when your pesky school-age kids try to show you up at homework time.” - Dallas News

“Fun, engrossing, and significant…. History in Davis’s hands is loud, coarse, painful, funny, irreverent--and memorable.” - San Francisco Chronicle

Praise for the fully updated and revised edition of Don’t Know Much About History “Davis covers U.S. history with a balanced and contemporary voice, shedding light on many legends, myths, and inaccuracies (e.g., Pocahontas did not save Capt. John Smith’s life; the first President of the United States was John Hanson of Maryland, elected President under the Articles of Confederation). The book makes for fun reading for history buffs.” - Library Journal

“here is considerable merit in this book.... It is replete with interesting tidbits of information that can enrich one’s general historical knowledge and stoke interest in further reading.” - Booklist

— Critical praise for the book that has sold more than 1.3 million copies: “A book that not only fills in gaps in historical knowledge, but is genuinely entertaining…wonderful!” - Orlando Sentinel

“Davis writes with humor, he can turn a fine phrase…. If history were usually taught this way, we wouldn’t have to worry about the closing of the American mind.” - Booklist