Take these conundrums for starters:
How could a man who openly lied, insulted his opponents, and
ignored shocking revelations about his personal life, be elected President of
The United States? How could a country in which 65% of the adults identify as
Christian not change its gun laws after the killing of 20 children at Sandy Hook?
How could a country that is a bastion of democracy see a violent mob try and
overturn by force the result of a democratic election.
This book by the BBC’s North American editor goes a long way
to explaining the enigma that is the United States. Bill Bryson says of the
book: "Jon Sopel may be the sanest man in America. He is certainly one
of the most insightful. . .".
In the introduction Jon Sopel says: “Through music,
literature, film and TV and even through the food we eat and the clothes we
wear, we have all a highly developed sense of what America is; ….but America in
the election year of 2016 and its extraordinary aftermath felt about as foreign
a country as you could imagine.”
The book is divided into ten chapters, beginning with “Anger”
and ending with “Chaos”, neat bookends to all that lies between, God,
Patriotism, Race, Truth, etc. As you might expect from an experienced
journalist the book is highly readable with anecdotes, humour and telling
phrases to whisk you along. “Donald J Trump played by the Queensbury Rules
in reverse. There was no belt below which he would not punch, no line he would
not cross.” But, he also finds a lot to admire in America: “ ….. the
odds are much higher [than being shot] that you are going to be blown
away by civility, decency and courtesy.”, and “the work ethic of young
people is off the charts”
So, if you want to get under the skin of the foreign country
that is the United States then this is the book for you.
