Almost America: From the Colonists to Clinton: A "What If" History of the U.S. Book

American history is full of difficult choices that could have gone the other way. Now Steve Tally sends you back to the most important moments in our nation's history — and takes the other fork in the road.

• What if the President Nixon had refused to resign and instead faced impeachment.
• What if George Bush had dropped Dan Quale from the 1992 Republican ticket?
• What if Teddy Roosevelt had outlawed the new American sport of football as he threatened to do in 1906.
• What if IBM hadn't asked Bill Gates and Microsoft to write computer code for its first personal computer?

Decisions were made. The rules were set. The battles were won. But there was always the possibility of another outcome. Almost America unravels the threads of our nations history — from the Puritan preachers of the 1970's to the impeachment trial of Bill Clinton — and takes you to America ( or Americas) that might have been.

Library Journal

Academic historians pride themselves on their ability to recount historic events accurately and explain their significance. Popular authors such as Tally, a science writer and media relations specialist at Purdue University and the author of Bland Ambition, an irreverent but entertaining look at those who have held the office of vice-president, are freer to speculate on what might have happened had historic circumstances been different. Such counterfactual musings, though outside the realm of traditional historical scholarship, are fascinating for casual readers. This volume spans the nation's history, from its Colonial roots to the end of the 20th century, posing such questions as "What if Washington had not crossed the Delaware?" It should intrigue many readers and can be recommended for larger public libraries. Academic libraries might also choose What If: The World's Foremost Military Historians Imagine What Might Have Been (Putnam, 1999), a similar volume by Robert Cowley.--Theresa McDevitt, Indiana Univ., PA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.