What Americas Continuing Story Michael Lund Actually Is
Americas Continuing Story by Michael Lund is a self-published historical fiction series that retells major American events from the ground up, focusing on everyday people rather than presidents and generals. It's available in ebook and paperback formats through Amazon and other major retailers. The books are written in a straightforward narrative style without heavy literary flourishes, which is part of why it has built a steady readership among people who like accessible history. The primary way to access these books is through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing since Lund self-publishes the series. You can also find paperback copies there. Some titles may appear on other platforms, but availability varies. The Kindle versions run anywhere from $2.99 to $5.99 depending on the book and whether you buy them individually or in a bundle. The paperbacks typically cost between $12 and $18. I've been reading through the series over the past couple of years. Here's what you should know before diving in.
How to Read the Series in Order
The books are roughly chronological but they don't all form one continuous narrative. Each book stands alone, which means you can jump in at different periods of American history without being lost. That said, the earlier books cover colonial-era events and the later ones move into the Civil War and Reconstruction period. If you're going in order, start with the Revolutionary War era titles. The series includes books covering the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, and Reconstruction. Not every major conflict gets a dedicated volume, and some time periods are covered more thoroughly than others. The War of 1812 coverage is thinner than I'd expect for something that shaped early American identity.
What Actually Works About This Series
The strength here is accessibility. Lund writes in plain prose that doesn't require a history degree to follow. The research is embedded naturally into the narrative rather than dumped in lengthy expository passages. For readers who want a general sense of what life was like during various periods of early American history, the series delivers. The character work is serviceable if unspectacular. You care about the people because they're placed in situations where survival depends on quick thinking and moral choices. What I found useful was how the books handle logistics. Military campaigns, supply lines, terrain, weather conditions — these details matter in Lund's narratives and they're woven into the action. That means you learn something about how wars were actually fought, not just who won and lost.
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Where the Series Falls Short
The dialogue often reads the same across different characters regardless of their background, education level, or region. A Virginia planter and a frontier farmer sound identical when they speak. It's a common issue in self-published historical fiction and it breaks immersion fairly quickly if you're paying attention. The pacing is inconsistent. Some chapters drag through routine marching and waiting while key moments get summarised in a paragraph. I once tried to skip ahead during a particularly slow section and missed a detail about a character's wounded leg that turned out to be relevant three chapters later. If you skim, you will miss things. The research is generally sound for a popular history level but not academic. There are occasional anachronisms in clothing descriptions and some simplifications of complex political situations. If you already know this history well, you'll spot the shortcuts. If you're using these books as your primary source for understanding any period, you should supplement them with at least one scholarly work.
Practical Advice for Getting the Most Out of It
Read one book at a time and don't rush through them. These aren't novels you consume in a weekend. They're designed to be absorbed slowly, and the details compound meaningfully across the series. If you're interested in a specific era, read the relevant book alongside a more detailed account. The Lewis and Clark period, for example, is covered in one of the later volumes but you'll get a richer picture if you pair it with Bernard DeVoto's The Way to the Western Sea. Buy the Kindle versions if you want flexibility. The paperbacks are fine but the page counts and typesetting vary between print-on-demand runs, which means formatting consistency isn't guaranteed. I ran into this with one later printing where chapter breaks were shifted and a section of text appeared duplicated on the wrong page. Nothing that ruined the story but worth knowing.
Should You Read This
If you enjoy historical fiction that prioritises accuracy over lyrical prose, this is a solid choice. The books won't win literary prizes and they aren't trying to. They're functional, well-researched narratives that give you a sense of how ordinary people experienced major historical events. If you want beautiful writing or deep psychological character studies, look elsewhere. If you want to understand what the American frontier actually felt like day to day, these books earn their place on your shelf.
