At last - an American counterpart to Bertrand Russell's History of Western Philosophy! The eminent historian Bruce Kuklick tells the fascinating story of the growth of philosophical thinking in the USA, in the context of the intellectual and social changes of the times. This is a book for anyone interested in American social or cultural history who would like to know how philosophy fits into the picture; or anyone interested in contemporary philosophy whowould like to know how it got where it is. Kuklick takes us from the eighteenth century through to the present - and he pulls no punches in giving his view of the state of American philosophy today, and its contested role in the intellectual life of the nation and the world. There is no other book on thissubject for a non-specialist readership.