Respected scholar William Bennett reacquaints America with its heritage in the second volume of America: The Last Best Hope (Volume II). This engaging narrative slices through the cobwebs of time, memory, and prevailing cynicism to reinvigorate America with an informed patriotism.

As a junior undergraduate student majoring in History, I fell in love with Bennett's second volume. As done previously, Dr. Bennett makes history enjoyable and addicting which is very difficult to do. I believe this volume was a lot better in content than the previous one due to historical events and relevance. I do wish he would have explored the Clinton administration, but it some respects, that may have not been a good idea due to the impeachment scandal. Whatever anyone's opinion is, Dr. Bennett's ending with Reagan truly makes you appreciate the former President and all of American history and politics. Bennett also lays out each President's pro's and con's such as Kennedy's charisma but the Cuban Missle Crisis, Johnson's egoism but Senate guru, Nixon's immense foreign policy achievements but Watergate scandal, Ford's do-nothing years, Carter's well intended "Sunday-school" morale but a stagflated economy, and Reagan's charismatic rise of Federalism but the Iran-Contra affair. Granted, Dr. Bennett, a former Secretary of Education under the Reagan administration, holds some bias to Reagan as can be seen with various quotes from Reagan in the first volume as well as this one. I found that after I finished this book the second time (as I did with Volume 1), I wanted to reread all again due to it's pure enjoyability and immense historical facts. This is a must read for all Historians or history fans.

Bennett continues to translate the complications associated with the development of our country during the 20th century into an easy to read and comprehend book. The seemless continuation from the first volume makes reading both an extreme delight.

I have read both volumes of Bill Bennett's history of the U.S. America, The Last Best Hope is filled with celebration of the greatness that is America. Please read this book and learn what has made America the last best hope, the dreams of all those who have sought America as their refuge, who have come here not to denigrate or change America but to revel in our greatness. I am so thankful that Dr. Bennett put forth the effort to teach history as it should be taught, not as so many social historians want to teach it, i.e. all is wrong with America and that we are a failed experiment. Highest recommendation.

Bill Bennet writes well and presents an informative history that does not "read" like a history text. I have both volumes, and though I considered myself well-versed on American history, he pointed out aspects of our nation's history that had been left out of my education.

Reading this book brought back memories of studying US History the first time as a child. Now as an adult I am much more prepared to put things in perspective and realize how often in our history we have dealt with many of the same issues. Goes to show you that we haven't always learned from our mistakes.