A stirring history of the Statue of Liberty, from its creation in France to its renewed significance in the post-9/11 years   “If you think you know all there is to know about the Statue of Liberty, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”—Sam Roberts, New York Times   “The book unfolds like a play—the ups and downs of the project, the difficulties in raising money, in constructing it, in publicizing it, in maintaining it, and in celebrating it. A delight to read.”—Gary Nash, author of The Liberty Bell   A universally recognized icon, the Statue of Liberty is perhaps the most beloved of all American symbols. Yet no one living in 1885, when the crated monument arrived in New York Harbor, could have foreseen the central place the Statue of Liberty would come to occupy in the American imagination. With the particular insights of a cultural historian and scholar of French history, Edward Berenson tells the little-known stories of the statue’s improbable beginnings, transatlantic connections, and the changing meanings it has held for each successive American generation.   Berenson begins with the French intellectuals who decided for their own domestic political reasons to pay monumental tribute to American liberty. Without any official backing, they designed the statue, announced the gift, and determined where it should go. The initial American response, not surprisingly, was less than enthusiastic, and the project had to overcome countless difficulties before the statue was at last unveiled to the public in New York Harbor in 1886. The trials of its inception and construction, however, are only half of the story. Berenson shows that the statue’s symbolically indistinct, neoclassical form has allowed Americans to interpret its meaning in diverse ways: as representing the emancipation of the slaves, Tocqueville’s idea of orderly liberty, opportunity for “huddled masses,” and, in the years since 9/11, the freedom and resilience of New York City and the United States in the face of terror. “If you think you know all there is to know about the Statue of Liberty, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by Edward Berenson’s The Statue of Liberty: A Transatlantic Story .”—Sam Roberts, New York Times “Berenson’s contribution is in pointing out how this symbol has continued to engage Americans’ imagination. . . . Readers interested in the statue’s treatment in domestic popular culture will want to consult Berenson.”—Frederick J. Augustyn Jr., Library of Congress “Edward Berenson, a professor of history at New York University, has written a highly readable history. . . . His book is meticulously researched and crisply written.”—Larry Cox, Tucson Citizen “Endlessly fascinating.”— Louisville Courier-Journal Selected as a Choice Outstanding Academic Title, 2012 “A truly superb book. The book unfolds like a play—the ups and downs of the Statue of Liberty project, the difficulties in raising money, in constructing it, in publicizing it, in maintaining it, and in celebrating it. A delight to read.”—Gary Nash, author of The Liberty Bell “Arriving shortly after the 125th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty’s dedication, Ed Berenson’s charming and eminently readable book is itself a cause for celebration. Offering fascinating insights into the origins, controversies, challenges, and achievements associated with this most familiar icon of the American dream of freedom, The Statue of Liberty reminds us that while the journey towards freedom is rarely smooth, the ever-evolving symbolic power of the Colossus of New York Harbor endures, because the aspiration for liberty is fundamental to our humanity. On 9/11, this ‘mighty woman’ stood as witness to devastation and mass murder; standing tall and unharmed in the harbor overlooking the wounded skyline of this great city, the statue originally envisioned as ‘Liberty Enlightening the World’ now takes on new meaning as a beacon of resilience and renewal.”—Alice M. Greenwald, director, National September 11 Memorial Museum “Who knew what a history lies behind the Statue of Liberty, winding through the American Civil War, the Paris Commune, the determination of its creator Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and the hucksterism of Joseph Pulitzer? Edward Berenson re-creates the narrative with fascinating detail and personal warmth.”—Joyce Appleby, author of The Relentless Revolution: A History of Capitalism “Edward Berenson’s The Statue of Liberty is cultural history at its finest. As Berenson shows with verve and discernment, the Statue of Liberty is a highly contested memory site. Thus throughout its history, the statue has functioned as a litmus test or projection screen for competing conceptions of American freedom. Artfully constructed and gracefully written, Berenson’s book is destined to become the standard work on Lady Liberty’s legacy.”—Richard Wolin, author of The Wind from the East: French Intellectuals, the Cultural Revolution, and the Legacy of the 1960s “This is