Really good Steinbeck journalism.....no kidding!

The title of this book kept me from reading it for many years even though I love Steinbeck. The title suggested that the book was a vapid piece of bragging about what a wonderful place America is....well, I do not disagree that America is wonderful and great, but I did not want to hear my beloved Steinbeck doing some kind of Readers Digest puff piece on America. Wow! Was I wrong! This book is great Steinbeck writing....nothing short of his usual perceptive and feeling prose. It reminds me a bit of Travels with Charley in that this book is non-fiction and a report on the state of American and Americans during the fifties and sixties mostly, with some World War II stuff added. One or two pieces are among the last of Steinbeck's last writings....the essays on Vietnam deal with his trip to that county during the war in 1967, and Steinbeck died less than two years later. His mature, late-life writing is simply great, as indeed most of his work was from at least 1939 forward. Thank God I took a chance on this book....good Steinbeck prose is as good as any prose ever written, and there is very good stuff here. Finally, much of what he includes here is humorous, very reminiscent of some of Twain's journalism with tongue in cheek, such as his Innocents Abroad or Roughing It. Listen and enjoy! (PS...the narrator is excellent, the sound quality excellent also)

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America read America and Americans

No collection of non-fiction is more important and necessary than America and Americans. This book should be required reading for every high school student. As important as Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, so too is Steinbeck's collection of essays, advice to writers, letters to friends, and war correspondence.

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A valuable tour of Steinbeck's best non-fiction

America and Americans is a still-relevant discussion of some of our culture's most important topics, and some just for fun. All of the skills of the literary master are on display here as he paints a scathing view of 20th Century America while still retaining a hopeful tone and an unrelenting faith in humanity. The Penguin collection of the works does an excellent job of contextualizing the pieces without providing too much interpretation. Henry Strozier's baritone voice lends the weight to the text that it deserves.

Highly recommended for fans of Steinbeck or thought-provoking journalism.

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Uneven

Uneven

Although I love almost every Steinbeck novel I am not a great fan of most of his essays and journalism. His humorous essays are funny but not that funny, and are derivative of Twain (but not as good). Many of his analytical essays are weak, generally having a strong pre-existing opinion allowing him to ignore the obvious.

His few obituaries are the best items in the book. In an obituary Steinbeck's style can really shine, balancing humor, observations, and emotions.

I was particularly unimpressed by the war essays and America and American's.

The main reason to read this is to gain perspective about Steinbeck the man.

The narration is very good.

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History repeats itself

A must read for all Americans! The true history how we got here and were we’re going as the citizens of this great nation. It is sad to see it crumbling

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A must read for any Steinbeck fan.

listen & revel in Steinbeck's inciteful majesty!
Well written, well read. Steinbeck's musings on all manner of topics rings as true today as when it was written!

Some of the best of Steinbeck

I started reading and rereading Steinbeck a few years ago. His grounded presentations of Americans provides great comfort and pride for me in this extraordinary nation.

not the greatest but interesting historically

while America and the Americans was terrific, the selected non fiction seemed slapped together in parts and might have benefited from being presented in a chronological fashion.

Perfect book as usual by the pen of John Steinbeck

Steinbeck's writing has never disappointed me. The ideas and expression of American life style is as if it is coming from one's own mind. Narration is also of high quality.

Great novelist, average essayist.

I love Steinbeck as a novelist, but his non-fiction does not quite reach the very high bar set by his fiction.