This work of synthesis will be of interest to teaches looking for a broad overview of the late twentieth century, and scholars of this period will profit from engaging with [McHugh's] interpretative framework. The Historian, December 2008 I cannot do this book a great enough service. In The Second Gilded Age, Dr. Michael McHugh has given a concise critique of the history of the workings of our society and political system in an amazing way. This book should be read by scholars or anyone who is concerned about the future this country and our world. It at least offers the hope that the Gilded Ages are cyclical and that although they might have seemed endless at the time, they have never been the last word in history -- Ed Bloomer