American Thunderbolts – Books That Changed History
These books by American authors have electrified readers for years…and in some cases have changed the course of history.
Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret by Judy Blume (J/BLUME)
If you’re an adult woman under 50 in the U.S., chances are decent that you’ve either read this novel about 12-year-old Margaret and her journey into puberty, or know someone who has. Girls everywhere can relate with Margaret’s anxieties about cute boys, friendships and her changing body. Its depiction of puberty from Margaret’s perspective has been controversial in some circles, causing it to come under fire in several school libraries since its release in 1970.
Our Bodies, Ourselves by Boston Women’s Health Collective (613.04244/OUR)
This book first published in the early 1970s has been the go-to guide for generations of women regarding their health and sexuality. Plain-speaking, written from a female perspective and avoiding the condescending tone of many books of the genre at the time, Our Bodies, Ourselves has helped countless women make more informed medical decisions.
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson (632.9/CAR)
The unanticipated environmental consequences of using chemical pesticides are highlighted in this seminal 1962 work which ultimately led to the banning of DDT in the United States. In addition, many Americans were inspired to join in the budding environmental movement.
The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan (396/FRI)
This 1963 book theorized that societal pressure for American women to fill traditional roles like homemaker and mother led to unhappiness, as careers and educational opportunities were sacrificed. This book influenced many to join the new women’s movement and led to soul searching among countless others as they took stock of the direction of their lives.
Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin (301.451/GRI)
Griffin, a middle-aged white journalist, experiences life as a black man in 1959 after dying his skin and travelling through the Deep South. His account of racism galvanized previously unaware citizens into joining the burgeoning civil rights movement.
Roots by Alex Haley (929.2/HAL)
Before the blockbuster television miniseries hit the airwaves, Haley’s book, which traced his ancestry back to Africa, caused quite a stir. Though his research methods have since come into question, there’s no denying the cultural impact of Roots, which ignited interest in amateur genealogy in the American public.
The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay (342.73/FED)
Written by three of our founding fathers to convince the State of New York to ratify the constitution, this set of essays effectively laid out the case for a stronger federal government. Aside from serving their stated purpose, The Federalist Papers give us valuable insight into why our government has its current form.
On the Road by Jack Kerouac (F/KEROUAC, J.)
Ever thought of hopping into a car for a wild and crazy road adventure? It might not have occurred to you if Kerouac hadn’t penned his classic mostly-autobiographical 1950s novel of the road which has since become a part of American popular culture.
Sexual Behavior in the Human Male by Alfred Kinsey (392.6/KIN)
This eyebrow-raising 1948 book represents the culmination of an extensive survey project of sexuality in American men. The results regarding the frequency of sex outside of marriage and homosexual behavior were considered scandalous for the time. This book sparked a lot of conversation about a formerly taboo subject in the general public.
On Death and Dying by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross (155.937/KUB)
This influential book describing how people cope with the passing of terminally ill loved ones has enlightened counselors and doctors, comforted the grieving and dying and became part of our culture in the process.
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand (F/RAND, A)
Despite its daunting length (1,000+ pages), this novel has attracted legions of new readers each year since its original release in 1957. Rand skewers big government and espouses the virtues of capitalism through her heroic businessman character John Galt. The views of many conservatives and libertarians in America have been shaped by Atlas Shrugged and its advocacy of laissez-faire government policy regarding business.
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser (394.1097/SCH)
The seamy underbelly of America’s enormous fast food industry is revealed in this book. Schlosser leaves us with disturbing indelible mental images of how cattle are processed into hamburgers. The attitudes, if not eating habits of millions have been influenced by this book.
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair (F/SINCLAIR, U)
This muckraking novel depicts the life of a hardworking immigrant meatpacker in Chicago. The abysmal factory conditions and management’s callous indifference to food contamination in the book caused a public sensation which ultimately led to government regulation of food safety.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (F/STOWE)
Perhaps more than any other American book, this 1852 novel changed the course of our history. It called attention to the plight of southern black slaves and propelled the country inexorably toward the Civil War by inflaming and mobilizing abolitionists. Abraham Lincoln reportedly said, “So this is the little lady who made this big war? ” to Stowe upon meeting her at the White House.
Walden by Henry David Thoreau (818.3/THO)
Thoreau’s two-year sojourn in a self-made cabin at Walden Pond near Concord, Massachusetts is chronicled in this work, which also serves to illustrate his philosophical views. Even though it was first published in 1854, readers of every era since have been moved by its advocacy for living simply and its respect for the beauty of nature.
Some selections in American Thunderbolts are inspired by 20 Books that Changed America, Book Magazine July/August 2003, pp. 59-62. Their list, which includes books by non-American authors, is presented in chronological order below:
- Common Sense by Thomas Paine, 1776
- A Vindication of the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft, 1792
- The Book of Mormon, 1830
- The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass, 1845
- The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, 1848
- Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, 1852
- Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman, 1855
- The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund
Freud, 1900 - The Clansman by Thomas Dixon Jr., 1905
- The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, 1906
- The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money by John Maynard Keynes, 1936
- The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, 1939
- Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, 1952
- Howl by Allen Ginsberg, 1956
- Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, 1957
- Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, 1962
- The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan, 1963
- The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X, as told to Alex Haley, 1965
- On Death and Dying by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, 1969
- All the President’s Men by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, 1974
