“The concept of traditions being invented seems counterintuitive, writes Eller, but since the United States has no ancient past and was ‘self-consciously created,’ what we now consider uniquely American traditions had to be constructed or cobbled together from a variety of sources. . . . The stories behind these traditions help provide texture to the fabric of everyday American life. . . . With such wide-ranging subjects, Inventing American Tradition should appeal to those interested in dipping into a digestible history of Americana.”
(
Booklist)
“Highly entertaining. . . . Eller illuminates with gentle wit and skepticism the many myths, legends, and traditions that have grown up in the United States. . . . Reading about American traditions while witnessing the contortions of the Trump presidency lends peculiar poignancy to this book. . . . What makes Eller’s book so timely is captured in his observation that ‘tradition is and always has been more about the present and the future than the past.’”
(Gavin Esler
Literary Review)
"Eller’s lively and engaging Inventing American Tradition recognizes that every nation develops invented traditions that bind its citizens. Creatively combining history, literature, and folklore, Eller demonstrates that this is gloriously true in the American republic. From our National Anthem to Mickey Mouse to Coca-Cola to Thanksgiving, we could not consider ourselves a nation without sharing these traditions. This fascinating volume explains how each of these symbols shapes what it means to be a patriotic American."
(Gary Alan Fine, author of "Talking Art: The Culture of Practice and the Practice of Culture in MFA Education")
