<i>Restless Giant: The United States from Watergate to</i> Bush v. Gore (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Restless Giant: The United States from Watergate to Bush v. Gore Kent Blaser RESTLESS GIANT: The United States from Watergate to Bush v. Gore. By James T. Patterson. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2005. Restless Giant, a comprehensive treatment of U.S. history from 1975 to 2000, is the fifth volume to appear in Oxford University Press's much acclaimed but also troubled History of the United States series. The first four volumes set an impressive standard—two Pulitzer Prize winners, a third Pulitzer nomination, and a 1997 Bancroft Prize for Patterson's own Grand Expectations: The United States, 1945–74 (Patterson is the only author with two volumes in the series). [End Page 100] For the most part this book measures up well with its illustrious predecessors. Like the other books in the series, Restless Giant aims at a broad, non-specialist audience and is wide-ranging, comprehensive, well written, accessible, and admirably balanced and judicious in its conclusions. More than half the book focuses on domestic political issues, but there is significant coverage of international, economic, social, cultural, and popular culture material. Not surprisingly, given Patterson's background and interests, treatment of racial and ethnic issues is especially strong. It is easy in a work of this sort to lose the forest for the trees, and the period under consideration here is a difficult one, lacking obvious big dramatic themes. In Grand Expectations the overall story was one of a gradual downward trajectory from the optimism, even euphoria, of the end of World War II to the doldrums of the early 1970s, with Vietnam, Watergate, the demise of the civil rights movement and increasing divisions over social and cultural issues. Here the story is more positive, and to some degree highlights resilience, recovery, perhaps even national rejuvenation and regeneration. More consistently, though, Patterson takes a "best of times, worst of times" approach. Positives are balanced with negatives, and despite many tangible signs of progress and accomplishment, Americans often remained troubled, pessimistic, and ideologically divided. Perhaps the single most important specific development in the book involves the emergence of Reagan and the conservative political and religious right, with a corresponding collapse of nearly a half century of liberal hegemony. Even this is muted, however, by Patterson's sense of the limitations of Reagan's and conservatism's achievements. At best conservatives attained a kind of rough parity with still strong liberal inclinations and tendencies. If Reagan is the more important President in many ways, Clinton is perhaps a better representative of American society during this time. What does all of this have to do with American Studies? That's not an easy question to answer. History is a capacious discipline, and Patterson is a capacious historian. Still, Restless Giant, and the Oxford series generally, represent a very traditional kind of history. Despite the inclusion of gender, ethnic, and popular culture materials, the main focus is political and the tenor emphasizes breadth, balance, objectivity, and readability for a general audience rather than depth and analysis for professional academics. For many well informed readers there will not be a lot new here, and the limitations of the time period may make this a bit less satisfying than several of its predecessors, including Patterson's own Grand Expectations. Nonetheless, within the confines of the assigned genre this is another outstanding book from the Oxford series. Kent Blaser Wayne State College, Wayne, Nebraska Copyright © 2008 Mid-America American Studies Association