A Life in the Twentieth Century: Innocent Beginnings, 1917 - 1950

For aging baby bombers like myself, Arthur M. Schiesinger's A LIFE IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY is a trip down memory lane. When I got the recorded version out of the library and realized it was 20 tapes, I figured that I would never finish it, barring a drive across country. However, the melodious voice of Nelson Runger, with whom I have traveled many miles with other recorded books, makes Schiesinger's story not only interesting but memorable. The book relates much of Schiesinger's life and the hundreds of people that he had close contact with. Many of the people that he mentions are familiar. His war time experiences brought back memories of stories from my parents. There are hundreds of bits of Americana along with Scheisinger's insights into many famous incidents of the 20th century. There are early glimpses of people who went on to be major figures in American politics and history. I certainly don't know that I could have read all 680 plus pages of this work, but the 20 tapes passed very quickly and I really enjoyed it.

As a Schesinger fan, I found this book a delightful insight into the life of the best living historian. The book was very well written, and as a current college student, I found his account of his college years particularly interesting.I would especially recommend this book to anyone interested in either twentieth century history or twentienth century American culture.

I was really cought up by this book, as the eminent historian (his The Age of Jackson was the best book I read in 1987)tells of his ancestors and his early liefe. I found his account of his growing up, the books he read, the things he did, the world he lived in vividly described and I could not put the book down. His account of his trip around the world at age 16-17 was very well told, and I thought it could have been expanded with benefit. His account of his years as a student also held high interest, and his time in World War II, like most accounts of "my war" are high in attention-holding. The book begins to pall a little in the account of the time from 1945 to 1950, maybe because it is better known to those of us who lived thru the time and knew of the author's activities during those years--tho his political views and mine I must admit coincided then and still do. So that helps. It is true that he name-drops but I was fascinated by the people he knew and by how many "dear friends" he has. If he knew me I would be glad to read about what he thought of me--and most of what he has to say is not bad. I think this is a great book, and his next volume, which will include his years with Kennedy, will also be great reading, provided they tell us something not told in A Thousand Days--tho, since I read that book in October of 1966, he can no doubt depend on my not remembering too much of what I read then, and so some repetition is in order.

Arthur Schlesing is one of the great thinkers of the 20th century -- a skillful historian, an energetic intellectual, an accomplished writer. He's a man who could have coined the phrase "been there, done that." If you want to see America's century through enlightened eyes, you'll want to read this book . . and share it with a friend!

Professor Schlesinger's memoir is truly splendid, a well-rounded account of intellectual life in the first half of the 20th century. The New York Review of Books compared it to The Education of Henry Adams, which may be going a little too far. But it is a delightful book recalling a time when public intellectuals had a great impact on national life. I am by no means an unqualified fan of Professor Schlesinger. I agree with Judge Posner's harsh assessment of Professor Schlesinger's defense of President Clinton in "An Affair of State." But I found this book delightful. As with all of Professor Schlesinger's work, the style is engaging, and it is fascinating to see the great debates of the 1940's from the viewpoint of someone who was so passionately involved.