Gamble’s book explores, explains ‘city on a hill’

Home News Gamble’s book explores, explains ‘city on a hill’

as become comonplace in American political discourse, often used in the context of American exceptionalism.

The metaphor, however, has been refashioned and misapplied, according to Associate Professor of History Richard Gamble’s new book “In Search of the City on a Hill: The Making and Unmaking of an American Myth,” released on Aug. 2.

The idea for his latest book came from his three-credit history course titled “American Identity.”

“It emerged out of the context of working on a much longer project,” Gamble said.

While doing research for a book on American identity, his “longer project,” Gamble realized he could write an entire book on the city on a hill metaphor.

The timing fit well with current events, he said. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican nominee Sen. John McCain used the metaphor frequently to describe the United States, and Gamble saw this as an opportunity “to address a contemporary question in American political culture.” He wrote the majority of the work during his sabbatical in 2009-2010, and finished the book in August 2011.

The book required several research trips to New York and Washington, D.C. He said his favorite part of the research was spending time in the New York public library looking into George Bancroft, a prominent historian and former secretary of the Navy in the mid-1800s, and his intellectual use of Christian charity. He called this “the most investigative part of the project.”

After several months of editing and proofreading, the book was released in the United Kingdom in May and then the United States in August.

Gamble is experimenting with social media to promote the book.

“This is the first time I’ve done that, and it’s helped me reach an audience,” Gamble said.

The book has a Facebook page, where he links to interviews such as podcasts with National Review Online and Liberty Fund. He also uses the page to promote events, such as his upcoming radio interview and speech at the University of Louisville on Nov. 5.

Gamble said he’s “been very fortunate” in how his past books have been reviewed. The American Conservative magazine reviewed his latest in its most recent issue. More reviews are forthcoming.

“There’s only one review on Amazon and it’s five-star,” said Gamble said.

It is too early to know how well the book has sold, due partially to shipping delays. Gamble said he has a rough idea based on Amazon.com monitors, but will have more solid metrics in the coming weeks and months.

Having completed his third book, Gamble is now co-editing a book and returning to his work exploring the larger question of American identity.