Thanksgiving: The Biography of an American Holiday (Revisiting New England)

Your typical Thanksgiving book for adults is a cookbook, whether of traditional foods or new twists, like using other ethnic foods for "spice." The book may also have tips on decorating: "tablescaping" and other ideas of how to set a pretty table. Let's say I hate cookbooks, unless they have something historical to offer, like THE LITTLE HOUSE COOKBOOK. Very few adult books ever talk about the holiday itself or its history. Those are mostly reserved for children, and run the gamut from the old "Pilgrims and the Indians" story—even though we have known for years now that most of our stories about "the first Thanksgiving" are myths created after the fact, many people still think that Pilgrims wore black and had hats and boots with buckles, that the feast they celebrated in 1621 was a "Thanksgiving," etc.—to stories about being generous and giving thanks. Baker's BIOGRAPHY is a very readable companion piece to Diana Appelbaum's THANKSGIVING, but is an easier read without being simplistic. It also touches more on things like images, writings, and films about Thanksgiving, changes in menus in the intervening years, and parades and football games. The one thing that this book makes very clear is that the now "iconic" AUTUMN Thanksgiving imagery of Pilgrims and Indians only became emphasized at the very end of the 19th century and during the early decades of the 20th, back when the United States became flooded with non-English speaking immigrants whom the schools wished to impress upon some idea of the country's heritage. Previous to that it was simply a WINTER New England holiday which spread as New England residents moved westward, and involved reunions with family and friends. Even fictional short stories about Thanksgiving mostly emphasized reunions between estranged or long-parted relatives; Pilgrims and Indians were rarely to never mentioned.I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to read more about the history of the Thanksgiving holiday and its changing face over four centuries.

book ok but their's words outlined and cycled and markings on the pages as well...i'll keep it any way ..but thanks......

I bought the book to give to a friend when I visit her on Thanksgiving; that is her favorite holiday, and I thought that she would like to know more about it. I knew that the book existed, but never got around to buying it until now. I have begun it and plan to finish it before I have to turn it over. So far, it has quite exceeded my expectations and makes me want to learn even more about colonial and 19th-century American history.

Book wasn't new as described. Do not purchase from Bliss Trading.

I haven't yet finished this book, but so far I really like it. The use of primary sources is excellent. The frustrating part is that the endnotes aren't hyperlinked within the Kindle text, and no true index is given to find the endnotes.