The Not-Quite States of America: Dispatches from the Territories and Other Far-Flung Outposts of the USA

Quick, name all the territories and protectorates of the United States. Having a hard time? Okay, how about ANY of them? Okay, there you go, one or two. Now tell me something about them. Tell me how they came to be part of the US. Tell me the role they play. Tell me about the lives of the citizens there.

Now, to be fair, I couldn’t answer most of those questions above. But I can now, thanks to The Not-Quite States of America, Doug Mack’s history book/travelogue detailing his explorations of some of the country’s least appreciated corners. And his journey to bring these places closer to home reveals rich, important worlds worthy of greater attention, intriguing in their complexity, their uniqueness, and their roles in the imperial era of US history.

This book will make you ask questions you didn’t realize you had, both about the territories and about the states themselves. It’s important to be reminded that there are millions of others out there who bring whole new dimensions and facets to the term “American” who are worth considering.

This book is funny, fascinating, and eye-opening in all the best ways.