Finding a New Midwestern History - by Jon K Lauck & Gleaves Whitney & Joseph Hogan (Paperback)

About the Book

This collection of essays revives and identifies anew the neglected study of the U.S. Midwest by promoting a diversity of viewpoints on midwestern history and culture.

Book Synopsis

In comparison to such regions as the South, the far West, and New England, the Midwest and its culture have been neglected both by scholars and by the popular press. Historians as well as literary and art critics tend not to examine the Midwest in depth in their academic work. And in the popular imagination, the Midwest has never ascended to the level of the proud, literary South; the cultured, democratic Northeast; or the hip, innovative West Coast.

Finding a New Midwestern History revives and identifies anew the Midwest as a field of study by promoting a diversity of viewpoints and lending legitimacy to a more in-depth, rigorous scholarly assessment of a large region of the United States that has largely been overlooked by scholars. The essays discuss facets of midwestern life worth examining more deeply, including history, religion, geography, art, race, culture, and politics, and are written by well-known scholars in the field such as Michael Allen, Jon Butler, and Nicole Etcheson.

Review Quotes

"Finding a New American History [is] a valiant effort . . . like the area it treats, it's unexpected, intensely satisfying, and full of riches."--Steve Donoghue, Open Letters Review-- (11/6/2018 12:00:00 AM)

"Finding a New Midwestern History aims to invigorate the field of midwestern history, and its collection of essays succeeds at providing an expansive overview of potential areas of study."--Rachel Boyle, Nebraska History

"Collectively, the book's contributors illuminate the richness and complexity of the field, and they articulate why the Midwest deserves consideration anew in both scholarly research and the popular imagination."--Elizabeth Grennan Browning, Michigan Historical Review-- (4/10/2019 12:00:00 AM)

"Engaging, provocative, and cogently argued. . . . This collection provides an insightful, perceptive, smart regional consciousness. This book will make its mark as an important contribution to the intellectual history of the Midwest as well as to the historiography of the region."--R. Douglas Hurt, professor of history at Purdue University and author of The Big Empty: The Great Plains in the Twentieth Century-- (3/5/2018 12:00:00 AM)

"In 2015, a group of historians met in Michigan to reinvigorate the study of midwestern history. The result of the meeting was a series of essays published in this engaging volume. Individual essays cover virtually every imaginable topic of the history of the American Midwest. . . . This book could be assigned in advanced undergraduate courses, and any faculty or academic staff whose teaching even remotely deals with the Midwest should read this book."--J. Shelton, Choice

"The result isn't comprehensive (even ten such volumes couldn't claim to be), but the menu is richly varied. . . There is no single 'Midwest, ' of course, but projects such as this . . . offer a much-needed alternative to disdain and cheerleading alike."--John Wilson, First Things
-- (2/25/2020 12:00:00 AM)

"This engaging collection of essays examines midwestern history from a wide variety of perspectives, offering valuable insights into the region."--William C. Barnett, Annals of Iowa

"This is a valuable contribution to a reenergized field of study. Students of midwestern history will need to be familiar with it, and the region's academic and public libraries will want to add it to their collections."--Robert G. Barrows, Indiana Magazine of History

"This new book reflects the laudable strengthening of Midwestern academic studies in recent years and is another important contribution to Midwestern studies by the University of Nebraska Press."--Omaha World-Herald-- (1/19/2019 12:00:00 AM)

"Together the essays offer multiple ways of defining, identifying, understanding, and grappling with the Midwest and its history. They pose crucial questions and suggest some important conversations for the field."--Annette Atkins, Missouri Historical Review

About the Author

Jon K. Lauck is an adjunct professor of history and political science at the University of South Dakota and the author of numerous books, including The Lost Region: Toward a Revival of Midwestern History. Gleaves Whitney is director of the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies at Grand Valley State University near Grand Rapids in Michigan. He is the author or editor of sixteen books, including Colorado Front Range: A Landscape Divided. Joseph Hogan is the director of fact-checking at Retro Report, and has written for the New York Times, the Nation, and the Middle West Review.