Beyond a takedown of the traditional narrative of US history, this sharp and accessible book teaches listeners how to read history with a critical eye.

According to textbooks, the media, and politicians of all stripes, the story of the United States is one of steady progress toward a "more perfect union." In this narrative, ideals of liberty and freedom explain the Revolution and the Civil War and drove racial progress. Similarly, foreign policy, if marked by stumbles, has been largely well-intentioned.

In seven pithy and provocative essays, historian Marc Egnal challenges this account. He argues that wealthy individuals who were set on economic and territorial expansion shaped the American narrative. The seven essays look at progress in the writing of history, the Revolution, the Civil War, violence, Vietnam, the women's movement, and the rise of Donald Trump. Egnal does not ignore protests and lofty ideals. Instead, he shows they were subordinate to the plans of the expansionists and to the racism that so often accompanied their designs. Accessible and engaging, Challenging the Myths of US History urges listeners to question long-held assumptions and to look at the American past from a very different perspective.

The book is published by University of California Press. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.

"Each of Egnal’s seven chapters radiates excitement about the work of reading, writing and arguing about American history." (Times Literary Supplement)

"An enduring contribution for years to come." (Roger Lowenstein, author of Ways and Means)

"Every essay is well-documented, forcefully argued, and packs a punch. Reader, expect to be provoked!" (Gavin Wright, author of Sharing the Prize)