"The role of history is to inform, inspire, and sometimes provoke us, which is why Bill Bennett's wonderfully readable book is so important." --Walter Isaacson

A decade ago, William J. Bennett published a magisterial three-volume account of our nation's history. Now, Bennett returns to that bestselling trilogy, revising and condensing his epic tale into one volume, a page-turning narrative of our exceptional nation. In Bennett's signature gripping prose, Washington, Franklin, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Reagan, and others reemerge not as marble icons or dust-dry names in a textbook, but as full-blooded, heroic pioneers whose far-reaching vision forged a nation that attracted and still attracts millions yearning to breathe free.

In this riveting volume, Bennett covers America’s greatest moments in breath-taking detail:

• From the 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,
• From the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of global Communism to the attacks of 9-11 and the war on terror.

William J. Bennett captures the players, personalities, and pivotal moments of American history with piercing insight and unrelenting optimism. In this gripping tale of a nation, the story of what Lincoln referred to as "the last best hope of earth" comes alive in all its drama and personality.