William J. Bennett reacquaints America with its heritage in two volumes of America: The Last Best Hope.

While national test scores reveal that American students know startlingly little about their history, former U.S. Education Secretary William J. Bennett offers one of the most gripping and memorable versions of the American story in print. The two volumes of Bennett's New York Times bestselling epic, America: The Last Best Hope, cover Columbus's discovery of the New World in the fifteenth century to the fall of world communism in the twentieth. Now both volumes are available in a convenient and attractive slip case-complete with a bonus audio CD, "Remembering Ronald Reagan," featuring recollections and commentary by Jeane Kirkpatrick, Edwin Meese, and others.

Bill Bennett brings American history to life with stories such as:

• the coup d'etat quelled by a pair of reading glasses
• the U.S. senator nearly caned to death on the Senate floor
• the presidential pardon for hundreds of Sioux warriors
• one ex-president's race to finish his memoirs and the famous humorist who helped him
• when Time magazine named Hitler man of the year
• Eisenhower's bold actions documenting the horrors of the Holocaust
• Nixon's comic opera uniforms for White House guards
• Reagan's most famous example of just saying "No"

From heroism of the Revolution to the dire hours of the Civil War, from the progressive reforms of the early 1900s to the civil rights reforms of the 1960s, from the high drama of the Space Race to the gut-wrenching tension of the Cold War, Bennett slices through the cobwebs of time, memory, and prevailing cynicism to reinvigorate America with an informed patriotism.

Praise for America: The Last Best Hope

"This is the American history that Abraham Lincoln has long awaited."
-Harry V. Jaffa, Crisis of the House Divided

"Bennett has a gift for choosing the pithy, revealing anecdote and for providing fresh character sketches and critical analyses of the leading figures. This is an American history that adults will find refreshing and enlightening and that younger readers will find a darn good read."
-Michael Barone, US News & World Report

"A worthy and necessary book for our time."
-Michael J. Lewis, Commentary

"Bennett ... has a strong sense of narrative, a flair for anecdote and a lively style. And the American story really is a remarkable one, filled with its share of brilliant leaders and tragic mistakes. Bennett brings that story to life."
-Alan Wolfe, The Washington Post

"The role of history is to inform, inspire, and sometimes provoke us, which is why Bill Bennett's wonderfully readable book is so important. He puts our nation's triumphs, along with its lapses, into the context of a narrative about the progress of freedom. Every now and then it's useful to be reminded that we are a fortunate people, blessed with generations of leaders who repeatedly renewed the meaning of America."
-Walter Isaacson, Benjamin Franklin: An American Life

"The importance of America: The Last Best Hope probably exceeds anything Dr. Bennett has ever written, and it is more elegantly crafted and eminently readable than any comprehensive work of history I've read in a very long time. It's silly to compare great works of history to great novels, but this book truly is a page-turner."
-Brad Miner, American Compass

"This lively book acknowledges mistakes and shortcomings, yet patriotically asserts that the American experiment in democracy is still a success story."
-School Library Journal

"Bill Bennett's book will stand as perhaps the most important addition to American scholarship at this, the start of the new century.... With this book Bennett offers to Americans young and old an exciting and enjoyable history of what makes America the greatest nation on earth.
-Brian Kennedy, president, The Claremont Institute

Dr. Bennett shares American history like no one else. He presents the good, the bad and the ugly of this wonderful tale of building the worlds first free democratic society. He makes you proud to be an American while recognizing that it comes at a very high cost. It is a wonderful review of how our culture developed and from whom it was developed. Soon these brilliantly written books will become High School History Books and that is a very welcoming idea!

These 2 volumes manage to capture the drama and magic of "boring" history as few have. It has a very engaging and page-turning style that will promise to bring to life the American story for those who have become frustrated with all the names and dates that is the usual fare in history classes. It will fascinate all who will read it with fascinating sidelights, accomplished writing, and appreciated anecdotes. If one has been away from history for a spell, and feels that it would be drudgery getting back into it, you will treat yourself by engaging in these volumes. Bennett has given careful attention to historical accuracy and a short glance at the collected footnotes (Vol. 1 35 pages; Vol. 2 41 pages) will demonstrate that he has followed broad research. And I might add that it brings a refreshing antidote to many textbooks available in schools in this day. Every reader should thrill about this factual, readable, interesting, and emotive tribute to America as "The Last Best Hope."

A very concise outline of American History - much of which too many seem to have forgotten or never learned. She has made mistakes but has always tried to do right and has succeeded far more than any other country ever.

I read these books and decided to donate this set to each of the four high schools in our area from our Federated Republican Women's Club Literacy Program. This is a set I suggest you buy for your family library. Written by William Bennett, former Secretary of Education and author of The Book of Virtues, it is our country's history in a brief and non boring form. It is a great starting point for anyone wanting to familiarize himself with events from our country's past. It's readable history written by a patriot.

Mr. Bennett has a gift for making history come alive. It is very interesting and enjoyable to read.