I know this isn't probably what you're looking for, but when I'm here at work I usually read the wikipedia section on whatever I'm interested in. When there are controversial people, both sides are given and it's in the form of "some argue...while some argue..."

Bookwise? If you're just looking for an overview of American History, then pretty much any non-ideological (should be easy to point out by reading the back, or even the title) textbook would do. I usually prefer college textbooks when I'm just in the mood for an in depth overview. My Vietnam War class in college featured a text which was the most unspun and readable account I've ever seen. So I guess just go for the textbooks.