A Student Workbook for Land of Hope - by Wilfred M McClay & John McBride (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

When we published Land of Hope in May of 2019, we had an immediate response from teachers and students that (1) they loved the book, and (2) they would need ancillary materials to aid them in the use of the book for classroom instruction. We jumped right on that, and produced a Teacher's Guide, which appeared in spring of 2020, and we're now following up with a Student Workbook, which is completely coordinated with the Teacher's Guide, featuring study questions (which can also be used for testing by teachers), objective exercises (matching, identification, temporal ordering), primary-source documents and accompanying study questions, a section of map exercises which include in-text outline maps for student use, as well as back-of-the-book resources such as reference tables for the British monarchy, the American presidency, and a list of suggestive questions that are suitable for extended essays or term papers. It is the perfect resource for both classroom teaching, home education, and hybrid versions of both.

Review Quotes

Praise for Land of Hope:

"At a time of severe partisanship that has infected many accounts of our nation's past, this brilliant new history, Land of Hope, written in lucid and often lyrical prose, is much needed. It is accurate, honest, and free of the unhistorical condescension so often paid to the people of America's past. This generous but not uncritical story of our nation's history ought to be read by every American. It explains and justifies the right kind of patriotism."
-- Gordon S. Wood, author of Friends Divided: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson

"Those who are acquainted with Wilfred McClay's writing will not be surprised that Land of Hope, his latest book, is a lucid and engaging account of the 'great American story.' McClay is a charming storyteller--and a first-rate scholar and appreciator of America's political and cultural development."
-- Michael Barone, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, senior political analyst at the Washington Examiner, and coauthor of The Almanac of American Politics

"We've long needed a readable text that truly tells the American story, neither hiding the serious injustices in our history nor soft-pedaling our nation's extraordinary achievements. Such a text cannot be a mere compilation of facts, and it certainly could not be written by someone lacking a deep understanding and appreciation of America's constitutional ideals and institutions. Bringing his impressive skills as a political theorist, historian, and writer to bear, Wilfred McClay has supplied the need."
-- Robert P. George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence, Princeton University

"In a time when America seems pulled in opposite directions, Wilfred McClay has written a necessary book--the most balanced, nuanced history of the United States I have read in the past fifty years."
-- Daniel Henninger, deputy editor, editorial page, The Wall Street Journal

"Too many recent historians have tried to rewrite America's history as a tale of squalor and exploitation. Wilfred McClay tells it like it is: as a story of hope."
-- Glenn Harlan Reynolds, Beauchamp Brogan Distinguished Professor of Law, University of Tennessee

"No one has told the story of America with greater balance or better prose than Wilfred McClay. Land of Hope is a history book that you will not be able to put down. From the moment that 'natives' first crossed here over the Bering Strait, to the founding of America's great experiment in republican government, to the horror and triumph of the Civil War, and to the stirring election of Barack Obama, McClay's account will capture your attention while offering an unforgettable education."
-- James W. Ceaser, Professor of Politics, University of Virginia

"I wish Land of Hope had been there when I was teaching U.S. history. It is history as literature--broad, detailed, compassionate--and it can help anyone who wants to know where we came from and how we got here. Professor McClay has made a welcome gift to the history of our country."
-- Will Fitzhugh, Founder, The Concord Review

"This is the most cheerful and inspiring history of America written so far this century. Where most historians emphasize fragmentation and oppression, McClay makes the case for a unified national story characterized by optimism and achievement. Without downplaying dismaying episodes, past and present, he shows how they have been offset by the American pursuit of reform, revival, and improvement. Old heroes like George Washington are restored to their rightful place. America is far from perfect, McClay admits, but it is genuinely dedicated to the ideals of equality and democracy, and there is much to be proud of. I can imagine schools and colleges assigning this book with a sense of gratitude and

About the Author

Wilfred M. McClay is the G. T. and Libby Blankenship Chair in the History of Liberty at the University of Oklahoma. He served from 2002 to 2013 on the National Council on the Humanities, the advisory board for the National Endowment for the Humanities, and is currently serving on the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, which is planning for the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026. Among his books is The Masterless: Self and Society in Modern America, which won the 1995 Merle Curti Award of the Organization of American Historians for the best book in American intellectual history. He was educated at St. John's College (Annapolis) and received his Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins University.

John McBride was educated at Rice University (BA 1968, MA 1971) and the University of Virginia (PhD 1977). He taught high school (mostly US History AP) in Chattanooga TN from 1974 to 2010, at the Baylor School and David Brainerd Christian School. He has also taught as an adjunct for the past 25 years at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, in political science and in history. For the past six years he has taught (as a volunteer and most recently as an adjunct for Georgia State University) at Walker State Prison, which is Georgia's character-and-faith-based prison. He enjoys employing a wide variety of teaching methods, including games, trivium-style debates, and group projects.