The Story of America - Hardcover

Allen Weinstein is the president of The Center for Democracy, a winner of the United Nations Peace Medal, and the author of several books, including the American Book Award nominee Perjury: The Hiss-Chambers Case. He has held professorships at Smith College, Georgetown, and Boston University. David Rubel is the president of Agincourt Press and the author of many books on American history, including The Scholastic Encyclopedia of the Presidents and Their Times.

Both of these works provide a refreshing approach to narrative histories of the United States. Weinstein (Perjury: The Hiss-Chambers Case), the founder and president of the Center for Democracy, and juvenile author Rubel here offer a college-level work that revolves around 26 events from American history, beginning with Cort s and Moctezuma and concluding with September 11, 2001. This approach allows the authors to contextualize events by describing a period in greater detail than in a broad overview. This thematic approach is nicely supplemented by a broad array of illustrative material, ranging from cartoons to contemporary maps, and both the layout and the graphic design are aesthetically pleasing. Each chapter is supplemented by a two-page biographical essay written by a well-regarded historian (e.g., Elliot West, Joseph Ellis, and Robert Dallek). Hakim's Freedom: A History of Us is the companion to the PBS series set to air in January 2003 and is loosely based on her popular ten-volume series, A History of Us. Hakim, a former reporter, editor, and teacher, was reportedly so appalled by the history texts her grandchildren were reading in junior high school that she set out to write her own. Her book is an extraordinary departure from the typical text found in most public schools. Her voice resonates throughout, and her tone is that of a knowledgeable but opinionated maternal figure who doesn't let every detail keep her from crafting a great story. Her work too is copiously illustrated. Although written for different audiences, both of these books are highly recommended for public libraries.
Daniel Liestman, Florida Gulf Coast Univ. Lib. Svcs., Ft. Myers
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.