“No student of American history should miss this book.”—Journal of American History
“Scholars of the 1970s, public history, US cultural history, and American studies will find this work helpful . . . not only for its explanation of changes in historical consciousness in the 1970s, but also as a model of meticulous scholarship and engaging writing.”—American Historical Review
“A timely contribution to our understanding of the current political climate. . . . Examines the intricate relationship between culture and politics and would appeal to readers interested in media, public history, and critical engagement with the archive.”—Journal of Popular Culture
“History Comes Alive examines the rise of a new kind of public history at cultural heritage institutions and on television. . . . When it came to the uses of history in public life and popular culture, the focus on the self during the 'Me Decade' also had larger, civic dimensions.”—Society for U.S. Intellectual History
“Rymsza-Pawlowska’s analysis of American popular culture in the 1970s in relation to the U.S. Bicentennial helps explain why the culture wars, which began in the 1970s, have gradually become the new normal.”—Annals of Iowa
“An essential tool for the teaching of public history at both the graduate and undergraduate level.”—CHOICE
“History Comes Alive is an original and thought-provoking exploration of popular historical consciousness in 1970s America. Through deft readings of TV mini-series, reenactments, museum exhibits, and multimedia installations, Rymsza-Pawlowska shows powerfully how Americans embraced a new relationship with the past.”—Benjamin Filene, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
