A critical study of the cultural significance of the life, words, and music of Bruce Springsteen argues that the singer represents the traditional values of hard work, family, and compassion for the less fortunate

Born in the U.S.A: Bruce Springsteen and the American Tradition

Politics & Social Sciences

Cullen, Jim

Social Sciences

Harpercollins

A noted history scholar and author explores the cultural significance of a music legend's life, lyrics, and music in this close-up look at both Bruce Springsteen, his music, and his often intimate relationship with modern America. Reprint.

Born in the U.S.A.: Bruce Springsteen and the American Tradition

Arts & Photography

Music

Perennial

"The American Dream" is one of the most familiar and resonant phrases in our national lexicon, so familiar that we seldom pause to ask its origin, its history, or what it actually means. In this fascinating short history, Jim Cullen explores the meaning of the American Dream, or rather the several American Dreams that have both reflected and shaped American identity from the Pilgrims to the present. Cullen notes that the United States, unlike most other nations, defines itself not on the facts of blood, religion, language, geography, or shared history, but on a set of ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence and consolidated in the Constitution. At the core of these ideals lies the ambiguous concept of the American Dream, a concept that for better and worse has proven to be amazingly elastic and durable for hundreds of years and across racial, class, and other demographic lines. The version of the American Dream that dominates our own time--what Cullen calls "the Dream of the Coast"--is one of personal fulfillment, of fame and fortune all the more alluring if achieved without obvious effort, which finds its most insidious expression in the culture of Hollywood.

The American Dream: A Short History of an Idea that Shaped a Nation

History

Americas

Oxford University Press

Sensing the Past: Hollywood Stars and Historical Visions

How do perceptions of the past--not just of particular events, but of the trajectory of history as a whole--shape our experience of the world? Sensing the Past tackles this question with an unlikely source of historical insight--the work of six major Hollywood stars: Clint Eastwood, Daniel Day-Lewis, Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, and Jodie Foster. By focusing on the career choices made by these iconic actors, Cullen uncovers a discrete set of historical narratives, revealing the surprising ways historical forces shape our understanding of the world.

Humor & Entertainment

Movies

How do perceptions of the past--not just of particular events, but of the trajectory of history as a whole--shape our experience of the world? Sensing the Past tackles this question with an unlikely source of historical insight--the work of six major Hollywood stars: Clint Eastwood, Daniel Day-Lewis, Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, and Jodie Foster. By focusing on the career choices made by these iconic actors, Cullen uncovers a discrete set of historical narratives, revealing the surprising ways historical forces shape our understanding of the world.

Imperfect Presidents: Tales of Presidential Misadventure and Triumph

In this clever portrait of the American presidency, Jim Cullen takes ten presidents down from their pedestals by examining key missteps in their careers--and how they transcended them. Examples include Abraham Lincoln smearing a preacher and rediscovering his religious vision in emancipating slaves; Lyndon Johnson's electoral fraud in his 1948 Senate race and his role in the signing of the Voting Rights Act; and Ronald Reagan's subversion of the Constitution in the Iran-Contra affair and affirmation of world peace in helping bring about the end of the Cold War. Targeting Republicans and Democrats alike, Cullen's insights are surprisingly timely and hugely entertaining.

Biographies & Memoirs

Historical

St. Martin's: Griffin

The Low Voltage, Direct Current, Power Generating System. Written for the layman and filled with easy to read diagrams, this book details every phase of installation in simple, familiar terms. Covered: 12 volt appliances and accessories, batteries and charging systems, necessary tools and materials, emergency back up systems, plus more.

How to be your own power company

Van Nostrand Reinhold Company

Van Nostrand-Reinhold

The second edition of Popular Culture in American History updates the text for a contemporary readership and explores academic developments in this area of study over the last decade. <ul>
<li>Fully revised second edition with over 50 percent new material</li> <li>Compact and classroom-friendly format</li> <li>Includes the best writing on popular culture from the 1970s onwards</li> <li>Essays examine pivotal moments, issues, and genres in American popular culture, from the ‘penny press’ to the Internet</li> </ul>

Popular Culture in American History

Wiley/Blackwell

Are You a Cynical Beginner? You may not have a Ph.D. in history, but you already know -- or can readily believe -- that Columbus didn't exactly "discover" America. Or that the man who wrote the Declaration of Independence was a slaveholder. Or that our leaders may not be entirely committed to the effort to make sure that in fact no child is left behind. But the truth of individual lives can be more compelling than they initially appear: surprising, informative, and maybe even inspiring. This book explores a few such lives, and the lessons they offer in ways that might actually mean something outside a classroom. These biographical case studies -- which include General George Washington, who was once invited to lead a military coup against the new American government; Ida Wells, who responded to lynchings by publicly mocking the manhood of those who murdered African Americans; and Eugene Debs, who chose to go to jail to protect free speech -- explore a series of questions. How does one keep true to one's principles in the face of social pressure? What strategies work best in addressing your opponents? Can public acts atone for private flaws? In different ways, the profiles in courage here provide answers to these questions -- not definitive answers, but real ones. You can weigh them, accept them, reject them, or -- who knows? -- maybe even apply them. You may not end up any less cynical after leafing through this book. But you will be less of a beginner.

The Fieldston Guide to American History for Cynical Beginners: Impractical Lessons for Everyday Life

Children's Books

Biographies

iUniverse

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Cullen, Jim. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Cullen, Jim

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Cullen, Jim. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Born in the U.S.A: Bruce Springsteen and the American Tradition

Born in the U.S.A.: Bruce Springsteen and the American Tradition

The American Dream: A Short History of an Idea that Shaped a Nation

Sensing the Past: Hollywood Stars and Historical Visions

Sensing the Past: Hollywood Stars and Historical Visions

Imperfect Presidents: Tales of Presidential Misadventure and Triumph

How to be your own power company

How to be your own power company

Popular Culture in American History

The Fieldston Guide to American History for Cynical Beginners: Impractical Lessons for Everyday Life