For a good capsule history of the United States, visit one of the following sites:

• An Abridged History of the United States, by William M. Brinton

• A Hypertext of American History. This is an enhanced hypertext version of several US Information Agency publications.

• US Information Agency's Study of the United States section.

A good introduction to American history is Kenneth C. Davis's Don't Know Much About History: Everything You Need to Know About American History but Never Learned, Avon Books, 1995 ($12.50).