| book details |

Sweet Freedom's Song: How Music of Patriotism, Protest, and Persistence Shapes American Identity

By (author) Michael Lasser

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normal price: R 1 231.95

Price: R 1 107.95

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| book description |

A musical adventure through America as a land of songs, uncovering how American identity and values are found in popular and folk music. Michael Lasser cuts across a wide swath of history and people, from â€œThis Land Is My Landâ€ to Bruce Springsteen and Paul Simon, and shows how songs that help to shape and reflect American attitudes possess, at the very least, an element of patriotism. Lasser writes about â€œYankee Doodleâ€ as the countryâ€™s first important patriotic song and looks at its recurrence over the next two centuries. He covers protest songs as a form of patriotic expression; songs from African American people, including as slaves and as free people; and songs of womenâ€™s suffrage. On the flip side, he also critically analyzes racist, ethnic, and anti-immigrant songs. While the book celebrates Americaâ€™s successes, it does not shrink from its flaws and failures. Lasser turns America into a land of songs, taking readers on an exciting ride through the nation, its history, and its people.