The Greatest of All Time

A History of an American Obsession
Erscheinungsjahr 2025
ISBN: 978-1-009-57273-6
Verlag: Cambridge University Pr.

Buch, Englisch, 238 Seiten, Format (B × H): 155 mm x 231 mm, Gewicht: 502 g

Americans love to talk about 'greatness.' In this book, Zev Eleff explores the phenomenon of 'greatness' culture and what Americans really mean when they talk about greatness. Greatness discourse provides a uniquely American language for participants to discuss their 'ideal' aspirational values and make meaning of their personal lives. The many incarnations and insinuations of 'greatness' suggest more about those carrying on the conversation than they do about those being discussed. An argument for Abraham Lincoln or Franklin D. Roosevelt over George Washington as America's greatest statesman says as much about the speaker as it does about the legacies of former US presidents. Making a case for the Beatles, Michael Jordan, or Mickey Mouse involves the prioritization of politics and perspectives. The persistence of Henry Ford as a great American despite his toxic antisemitism offers another layer to this historical phenomenon. Using a variety of compelling examples, Eleff sheds new new light on “greatness” and its place in American culture.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Eleff, Zev

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Introduction; 1. The economics of American greatness; 2. The problem of the great all-knowing answer man; 3. The rise and fall of the great changemakers; 4. How the Babe became the greatest (and the Roosevelts, too); 5. The great counterculture conundrum; Conclusion: Michael Jordan in the 'age of lists'; Index.

Über Autor(innen)

Eleff, Zev
Zev Eleff is President and Professor of American Jewish History at Gratz College. He is the author, most recently, of Dyed in Crimson: Football, Faith, and Remaking Harvard's America.