The third edition of Dr. Gary A. Donaldson's highly successful textbook The Making of Modern America, introduces students to the cultural, social and political paths the United States has traveled from the end of WWII to the present day. While deftly cataloging the sweeping changes and major events in America from "Dewey Defeats Truman" through the election of Donald Trump, this newly updated edition never loses touch with that American history taking place at the level of the people. This edition details not just the United States' rich cultural history, but elegantly repositions it as integral to our understanding of any portion of this country's past. Donaldson provides a factual foundation for students and then pushes them to interpret those facts, framing the discussions essential to any complete study of American history.

Gary A. Donaldson is the Keller Foundation in American History at Xavier University of Louisiana. His other books include The First Modern Campaign: Kennedy, Nixon and the Election of 1960; Liberalism's Last Hurrah: The Presidential Campaign of 1964; Truman Defeats Dewey; and America at War since 1945, among others. He lives in Mandeville, Louisiana.