About the Author

Jay Winik is the author of the New York Times bestseller April 1865. He is a senior scholar at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Affairs and a regular contributor to the Wall Street Journal. He lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Reviews

"In this masterful book, Jay Winik sheds new light on a tumultuous decade rife with lessons for today." -- Walter Isaacson"A cinematic reconstruction of the birth of the modern world. No one interested in history will want to miss it." -- Robert Dallek"A historical work of rare drama and audacity, told with the tireless verve of a gifted storyteller." -- Ron Chernow"The Great Upheaval is great history, vividly told." -- Jon Meacham"Jay Winik's The Great Upheaval is a terrific work that will endure for years to come." -- Doris Kearns Goodwin"Ambitious. . . An authoritative study. . . . Intriguing." -- The Boston Globe

The years 1788 to 1800 must be numbered among the most tumultuous in history, as bestselling author Winik (April 1865) magnificently demonstrates in this aptly titled book. The nascent United States, tormented by three rebellions of its own, tottered as France descended into bloody terror and imperial Russia fought the Ottomans. Republicanism, liberalism, democracy, nationalism, as well as authoritarianism: all these potent ideologies, whose effects remain with us, sprouted from this fertile soil. The emphasis on Russian and French affairs marks Winik as being in the forefront of a growing campaign to globalize America's national history: to view "the larger age" and frame the story as "one continuous, interlocking narrative" rather than to focus myopically on events in the United States. "The world then was far more interconnected than we realize," Winik writes. "[G]reat nations and leaders were acutely conscious of one another." In this version, Washington, Jefferson and Adams no longer receive exclusive star billing, but instead share the stage with such greats as the Empress Catherine, the doomed Louis XVI, Robespierre, Napoleon and Kosciuszko. If there is a criticism to be made of this approach, it is that Winik has greatly underplayed the importance of Britain in the struggle for global mastery and the quest for international order. Buttressed by impeccable research, vividly narrated and deftly organized, this is popular history of the highest order and is sure to create a stir in the fall market. 16 pages of b&w photos, 3 maps. (Sept. 11) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

"In this masterful book, Jay Winik sheds new light on a tumultuous decade rife with lessons for today." -- Walter Isaacson"A cinematic reconstruction of the birth of the modern world. No one interested in history will want to miss it." -- Robert Dallek"A historical work of rare drama and audacity, told with the tireless verve of a gifted storyteller." -- Ron Chernow"The Great Upheaval is great history, vividly told." -- Jon Meacham"Jay Winik's The Great Upheaval is a terrific work that will endure for years to come." -- Doris Kearns Goodwin"Ambitious. . . An authoritative study. . . . Intriguing." -- The Boston Globe