There is a huge historical literature on the history of the United States in the "long nineteenth century". The reading list for each seminar highlights some of the most important material. You should have no trouble in finding books either in the excellent collection at UCL or in the American Studies section of the Senate House Library. If you can't find any of the books on the reading list BROWSE FOR ALTERNATIVES--just looking along the shelves of the relvant section of the library is often the best way but you can also use the on-line library catalogues or published bibliographies.

Key books

In addition to the specific reading listed for each lecture, the following books cover all or part of the course and are highly recommended. Many are available in Waterstones.

• Hugh Brogan, The Penguin History of the United States of America (1990)
• Eric Foner, The Story of American Freedom (2003)
• Thomas Bender, A Nation Among Nations (2006)
• Daniel Walker Howe, What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848 (2007)
• James M. McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom: The American Civil War Era (1987)
• Sean Wilentz, The Rise of American Democracy (2006)
• Adam I. P. Smith, The American Civil War (2007)
• Eric Foner, Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution (1987)
• Heather Cox Richardson, West from Appomattox: The Reconstruction of America after the Civil War (2007)
• Matthew Frye Jacobson, Whiteness of a Different Color (1998)

Websites and reference sources

• Best of history websites
• Library of Congress
• Digital History
• American Political History Online
• The American National Biography Access is available from a UCL computer.
• The Reader's Guide to American History, edited by Peter J. Parish. [The best ethically acceptable short-cut to essay writing and exam preparation you will ever find.]

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