The Passport in America
The History of a Document
Craig Robertson
Reviews and Awards
"Cleverly uses the history of the American passport as a means to plumb the meanings of identity and identification as the nineteenth century gave way to the twentieth .Theoretically grounded and engagingly written it will appeal to scholars interested in the history of national border controls and the transnational movement of people, as well as those interested in questions surrounding the intersection of state power, citizenship, and modernity." - American Historical Review
"Robertson's superb book combines serious scholarship and an easily accessible narrative....It displays the great immigration themes in U.S. history—identity, sovereignty, membership, national security, privacy, federalism, bi-national communities, and the attempts of overwhelmed government officials to enforce the law—through the lens of the humble passport." - Donald Kerwin, International Migration Review
"Provocative..." - The New York Times
"Robertson accomplishes a surprising amount with a seemingly dusty subject in this far-reaching social history." - Booklist
"Robertson takes fascinating excursions into the history of currency, voting, immigration, tourism and even filing methods . . . The Passport in America is compelling reading." - The Wilson Quarterly