[SeanBoocock]

A People’s History is ~800 pages and clips along at a good pace. I don’t know that you can go much shorter with an overview of such a long period without sacrificing a lot of substance. I’d highly recommend making the investment into A People’s History - easily one of the most significant histories of America - and Howard Zinn’s other work if you end up appreciating it.

[UncleSlacky]

You can read it online at the link below if you want to dip in without too much commitment. It's quite an easy read, targeted at high-school level, which you may or may not find annoying: http://historyisaweapon.com/zinnapeopleshistory.html