78 On becoming American Ted Morgan:

 On becoming American  Ted Morgan: Books

On becoming American Hardcover – 1978

by Ted Morgan

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Amazon.com:

On Becoming American is an inquiry into American identity--what it is that sets Americans apart from the rest of the world. Ted Morgan discusses America through the prism of his own experience: he was a French aristocrat, Sanche de Gramont, who became Ted Morgan and an American citizen in 1977, he settled on a name that conformed with the language and cultural norms of American society, a name that telephone operators and desk clerks could hear without flinching. 

A Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist, Morgan's experience illustrates why immigration is central to the American experience. He sees us with fresh eyes, and writes with humor about our passion for fast cars, fast food and the freedom we take for granted. "An antidote to facile put downs of America. Morgan makes the case that America is the greatest success story the world has ever known. Not bad for someone who isn't even running for office!"

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Top Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 starsUseful insight from someone who made the transition
By Ted Doty on October 2, 2000

The problem with being american (for those who were born american) is that we are so immersed in american-ism that we can no longer see what it is. Someone who is born elsewhere and consciously decides to become "american" has a unique perspective - one that is useful for the rest of us americans to read.

Ted Morgan was born a noble french aristocrat, son of a Free French hero ("Ted Morgan" is an anagram of his french name, de Gramont). However, he found himself increasingly estranged from the closed world of the post-war french nobility, and increasingly drawn to the open culture of the United States. This book describes why, and how he came to make the break with his old life.

As Morgan says in his book: "All americans are either revolutionaries, or descended from revolutionaries." While his turn of phrase makes enjoyable reading (Morgan won a Pulitzer prize for news reporting under deadline), his insights go deeper. This book acts in some way as a mirror held so we can contemplate our own reflection. Those of us who were born here can get some unique insight from this insider/outsider view.