''The Glory and the Dream: A Narrative History of America, 1932–1972'' is a 1,400-page social history by

William Manchester William Raymond Manchester (April 1, 1922 – June 1, 2004) was an American author, biographer, and historian. He was the author of 18 books which have been translated into over 20 languages. He was awarded the National Humanities Medal and the ...

, first published in 1974. Sometimes sold as two volumes, it describes the history of the United States between 1932 and 1972. ''The Glory and the Dream'' was listed as a ''New York Times'' bestseller in 1975. It details both social history and political machinations in the period with a focus on how the New Deal, the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

and the Cold War influenced American culture. Special attention is paid to

Roosevelt Roosevelt may refer to: *Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), 26th U.S. president * Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945), 32nd U.S. president Businesses and organisations * Roosevelt Hotel (disambiguation) * Roosevelt & Son, a merchant bank * Rooseve ...

's New Deal and the lasting effect it had on the U.S. government. Manchester simplifies the complex political maneuvers and opaque terminology that pervaded Cold War politics to more accessible language. The book's title is taken from

William Wordsworth William Wordsworth (7 April 177023 April 1850) was an English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their joint publication '' Lyrical Ballads'' (1798). Wordsworth's ' ...

's poem " Ode: Intimations of Immortality": "Whither is fled the visionary gleam? / Where is it now, the glory and the dream?" It was translated into Chinese by Dong Leshan.

References

1975 non-fiction books History books about the United States Little, Brown and Company books {{US-hist-book-stub