A Century Turns – by William J. Bennett

This is a good follow-on to the previous two historical references by William J. Bennett, America: The Last Best Hope, volumes 1 and 2. I only say good because I feel we are still too close to the things outlined in this book, historically speaking. However, the topics are quite relevant and still fresh in my personal memory. It was a great refresher to fill in the fuzzy areas. Regardless of what Michael states as a disclaimer in the book (based on his notes and recollections), I find them to be quite accurate and very enlightening. He has perspective I did not consider, both at the time of occurrence and now.

I would recommend this book to anyone who would like a fair look at the happenings of the 1980’s, 1990’s, and 2000’s (up to 2008). I particularly enjoyed the recitation of George H.W. Bush’s and Bill Clinton’s presidencies. The 2000’s is a little weak, again because we are just too close to that period historically.

Overall a wonderful book that is well prepared, and very easy to read. Just like his previous two volumes, this one reads more like a story (and an amazing one at that!) and is somewhat hard to put down. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a relatively unbiased review of these eras.