American Passages: A History of the United States, Volume 2: Since 1863 (with InfoTrac and American Journey Online) - Softcover

Edward L. Ayers is the Hugh P. Kelly Professor of History and Dean of the College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Virginia. He was educated at the University of Tennessee and Yale University, where he received his Ph.D. in American Studies. Ayers was named National Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation and the Council for the Support of Education in 2003. His book, IN THE PRESENCE OF MINE ENEMIES: WAR IN THE HEART OF AMERICA, 1859-1863 (2003) won the Bancroft Prize for distinguished work on the history of the United States. THE PROMISE OF THE NEW SOUTH: LIFE AFTER RECONSTRUCTION (1992) won prizes for the best book on the history of American race relations and on the history of the American South. It was a finalist for both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. He is the coeditor of THE OXFORD BOOK OF THE AMERICAN SOUTH (1997) and ALL OVER THE MAP: RETHINKING AMERICAN REGIONS (1996). The World Wide Web version of "The Valley of the Shadow: Two Communities in the American Civil War," was recognized by the American Historical Association as the best aid to the teaching of history. His latest book is WHAT CAUSED THE CIVIL WAR? REFLECTIONS ON THE SOUTH AND SOUTHERN HISTORY (2005).

"The ?Passages? sections provide extremely useful overviews of each section's main themes. ? The timelines are also useful for showing the students that different events occurred simultaneously." "?PASSAGES has perhaps the best collection of illustrations, maps, and photos of any text I have seen. What makes this collection even more effective is that they seem to appear at the right time in the text. ? I have thought many times that photos, and especially their placement, were an afterthought?but Passages gives me the impression that a great deal of planning?went into the production process." "The 'Passages' sections provide extremely useful overviews of each section's main themes.' The timelines are also useful for showing the students that different events occurred simultaneously." "The AMERICAN PASSAGES site is by far the most thorough, the best organized, and most effective Web site that I have seen. It includes a first rate collection of online primary resources not available elsewhere.' Thanks for great textbooks and a fantastic Web site!" "I particularly like the organization of the chapters'especially the fact that they cover social, economic, and political events within a chronological framework that doesn't seem chopped up. It's sometimes hard to provide both a topical and chronological focus in a way that makes sense to students and yet is true to the evolution of events and trends." "'PASSAGES has perhaps the best collection of illustrations, maps, and photos of any text I have seen. What makes this collection even more effective is that they seem to appear at the right time in the text.' I have thought many times that photos, and especially their placement, were an afterthought'but Passages gives me the impression that a great deal of planning'went into the production process."