American History 2nd Ed - Softcover

If you've ever thought American history was as dry as the dust on an old battlefield, guess again. This engaging collection of 200 bite-sized-yet-satisfying descriptions of pivotal events includes "Leif Ericson Explores Vinland," "The American Revolution Begins," "Montgomery Ward Starts a Mail-order Business," &quotBetty Friedan Publishes The Feminine Mystique," and "The Cold War Ends." As Axelrod and Phillips state in their introduction, "all are events any American should know about and appreciate to understand fully his or her own pursuit of happiness, the foundation of that elusive American dream so often celebrated in our literature and so seldom fulfilled in our history." And what about the 201st event? The afterword offers the Gulf War, the Rodney King trial, and even Johnny Carson's retirement from the Tonight Show as candidates. As the authors explain, "Significant events are more often like good wines; they age well and taste better later."

Similar in concept as well as title to John Garraty's 1,001 Things Everyone Should Know About American History ( LJ 4/1/89), this volume continues the present fast-food approach to digesting American history. Here 200 events, arranged chronologically from "Leif Ericson Explores Vinland" to "The Cold War Ends," are described with the hopes of creating a "usable past" rather than a continuous narrative of facts. Some headings, such as "George Washington Carver Invents Peanut Butter," may trivialize the broader sociological discussions that follow. Each entry consists of a brief statement of the event followed by a historical overview of its import and influence on American thought and culture. These range in length from a few paragraphs to a few pages and are cogently written, concisely thorough, and admirably informative. A nine-page select bibliography concludes the volume. Despite its attractive price tag, this book should be viewed merely as a starting point for answers to specific questions on American history. (Index not seen.)-- James Moffet, Baldwin P.L., Birmingham, Mich.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.