The Writers' America

Every nation is the invention of its writers. America is no exception. The United States is a state of mind and spirit created, in part, by the books that have emerged from the American experience - as truly as its politics have been shaped by history. We are all, in some fashion, the spiritual heirs of Poor Richard, Father Knickerbocker, Huckleberry Finn, and other cherished figures from our literary past. Writers have created our national image, not only in our eyes but in the eyes of the world. This book from American Heritage offers a panoramic view of the American scene and the American people by its own writers - from colonial days until modern times.