The complete idiot's guide to American history

America's Past and Its Relevance Today At times America's historical events can seem like a random collection of names, dates, and events, with no coherent storyline to pull them together. Understood as our collective biography, however, and free of the cheerleading found in many textbooks, The Complete Idiot's Guide to American History, Fourth Edition, enriches our understanding of who we are and gives us an understanding of where we are going.