Our greatest historian, Eric Foner offers engaging, insightful, and sobering reflections on our contested history and imperiled republic. I would feel more confident about keeping our freedoms if every citizen could read Foner's calm and lucid reflections on our past, present, and future.--Alan Taylor, author of American Civil Wars

Our Fragile Freedoms is a necessary read for our troubled times, but also a delightful read for anyone who savors the pleasure of seeing history come alive in the work of a contemporary master of the historical profession.--Henry Louis Gates, Jr., author of The Black Box

With characteristic rigor, empathy, and wisdom, Foner demonstrates why history is not merely a study of the past but a vital tool for navigating our present struggles for justice and equality. This book is a stirring call to action and a profound affirmation of our shared humanity.--Elizabeth Hinton, author of America on Fire

A remarkable survey of American history and history writing, and a powerful set of reflections on the importance of historical study and thinking, Our Fragile Freedoms couldn't be more timely and essential. As much as any book it helps us recognize the centrality of history in our efforts to understand the present. And it demonstrates why Eric Foner is one of this country's greatest historians.--Steven Hahn, author of Illiberal America

Eric Foner is the foremost chronicler of our nation's past. In this timely book, he reminds us that democracy and freedom have always been contested. An urgent call to continue our freedom struggles, this book is required reading for our times.--Lisa McGirr, author of The War on Alcohol

Eric Foner is that rare historian who makes history speak to important contemporary issues while maintaining the highest standards of historical scholarship. These essays--as readable as they are insightful--are a fitting capstone to Foner's illustrious career.--James Oakes, author of The Crooked Path to Abolition

Whether this book is your introduction to Eric Foner or a reminder of the depth and breadth of his contributions to the study of U.S. history, you can find no better guide to American democracy.--Kathleen DuVal, author of Native Nations

Our Fragile Freedoms shows why Eric Foner is the 'go to' author for readers seeking incisive commentary steeped in deep historical knowledge about current and past controversies.--Randall Kennedy, author of Say It Loud!

Eric Foner's essays, old and new, feel utterly fresh. With a rare combination of authority and generosity, he writes from deep conviction yet with a spirit of openness toward ideas and arguments with which he sharply disagrees. By illuminating the past in light of the present, he confirms his standing as the leading American historian of his generation.--Andrew Delbanco, author of The War Before the War

It is hard to imagine a subject more pressing today than the history of the country's 'fragile freedoms'--or to imagine a historian better equipped than Eric Foner to tell us what we need to know.--Beverly Gage, author of G-Man

No other historian has shaped our current understanding of the United States as much as Eric Foner. A must-read not only for scholars but also every American citizen.--Manisha Sinha, author of The Rise and Fall of the Second American Republic

Eric Foner's new collection is as fierce, brilliant, and insightful as all of his work. Unsentimental and clear-eyed, these essays are a reminder that even in bleak times, thinking about history can give us hope for the future.--Kim Phillips-Fein, author of Fear City

At a moment when the classroom is under threat from politicians insisting on 'pro-American' lesson plans, Foner's lifetime of scholarship is the most powerful evidence as to why we need to keep engaging our past through honest and clear-eyed analysis. A tour-de-force showcasing the career of one of the most influential historians of our times.--Julian E. Zelizer, author of In Defense of Partisanship

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Pub date: 2025-09-02

Length: 496 pages