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From abortion to "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias, Abrams vs. United States to the Zenger trial, and abstract impressionism to Dr. Marie Zakrzewska, The Oxford Companion to United States History is an encyclopedic overview covering the pre-Columbian era to the election of George W. Bush in 2000.
The Companion examines the notable men and women and major events in U.S. history, such as wars or the Depression, as well as ideas and ideologies, technological innovations and economic developments, and long-term processes such as immigration and urbanization. Each entry is written by an authority on the subject, thoroughly cross-referenced in the 78-page index, and arranged alphabetically for easy reference. The alphabetic organization makes for some strange (or amusing) combinations of people on the same page: Billy Graham and Martha Graham; "Mother" Jones and Michael Jordan; Persian Gulf War and Petroleum Industry; Income Tax, Federal, and Indentured Servitude.
A browser's delight, but full of solid scholarship, The Oxford Companion to United States History deserves the treatment its editors recommend--as "a work to be thumbed and worn out, not a book to be put behind glass on a shelf!" Absolutely essential for the well-stocked history library. --Sunny Delaney
Book Description
Here is a volume that is as big and as varied as the nation it portrays. With over 1,400 entries written by some 900 historians and other scholars, it illuminates not only America's political, diplomatic, and military history, but also social, cultural, and intellectual trends; science, technology, and medicine; the arts; and religion. Here are the familiar political heroes, from George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, to Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. But here, too, are scientists, writers, radicals, sports figures, and religious leaders, with incisive portraits of such varied individuals as Thomas Edison and Eli Whitney, Babe Ruth and Muhammed Ali, Black Elk and Crazy Horse, Margaret Fuller, Emma Goldman, and Marian Anderson, even Al Capone and Jesse James. The Companion illuminates events that have shaped the nation (the Great Awakening, Bunker Hill, Wounded Knee, the Vietnam War); major Supreme Court decisions (Marbury v. Madison, Roe v. Wade); landmark legislation (the Fugitive Slave Law, the Pure Food and Drug Act); social movements (Suffrage, Civil Rights); influential books (The Jungle, Uncle Tom's Cabin); ideologies (conservatism, liberalism, Social Darwinism); even natural disasters and iconic sites (the Chicago Fire, the Johnstown Flood, Niagara Falls, the Lincoln Memorial). Here too is the nation's social and cultural history, from Films, Football, and the 4-H Club, to Immigration, Courtship and Dating, Marriage and Divorce, and Death and Dying. Extensive multi-part entries cover such key topics as the Civil War, Indian History and Culture, Slavery, and the Federal Government. A new volume for a new century, The Oxford Companion to United States History covers everything from Jamestown and the Puritans to the Human Genome Project and the Internet--from Columbus to Clinton. Written in clear, graceful prose for researchers, browsers, and general readers alike, this is the volume that addresses the totality of the American experience, its triumphs and heroes as well as its tragedies and darker moments.
Customer Reviews:
From abortion to the Zenger trial.......2007-01-31
From abortion to the Zenger trial. This massive book covers everything (or just about): the heroes, the tragedies, the darker moments, Presidents, inventors, wars, government, ideologies, movements, culture, entertainment, science, art, religion. There are 1,400 entries and some 900 historians.
While there are some questionable individuals and subjects inserted, others just as noteworthy are forgotten. It is of course a monumental undertaking; data will come up short periodically; should be complemented with other sources, such as "A Patriots Guide to US History". This treasure is in dictionary form: fairly written, convenient to use, and not dry. A reference that should be in all households.
Wish you well
Scott
Companion Blunders on Sacco and Vanzetti.......2006-10-28
Editor in Chief Paul S. Boyer states in his Introduction (p. viii): "Still another central goal has been to make this a 'state of the art' work incorporating the best and most up-to-date historical scholarship. We have chosen contributors who are authorities on the subject which they write about, and who in many cases are themselves the authors of books and essays that have shaped contemporary understanding of the topics they write about."
The entry "SACCO AND VANZETTI CASE" in The Oxford Companion to United States History has factual errors. Why Lynn Dumenil was chosen over David Felix to write this entry is curious. Dumenil has no book on Sacco and Vanzetti. Felix's 1965 book, "Protest: Sacco-Vanzetti and the Intellectuals," received strong reviews. Keeping up to date on Sacco and Vanzetti, Felix rebuked Hugh Brogan, chair of the History Department at the University of Essex, in a letter to the TLS on May 31, 1985, p. 607. He rebuked Brogan a second time in a letter to the TLS on February 21, 1986, p. 191. Within the last eighteen months Felix has published two letters in the TLS, evidence that he is still in the intellectual arena and has continuing respect in the intellectual community. But Oxford University Press chose to ignore Felix. It is Dumenil and other scholars who have shaped opinion on Sacco and Vanzetti. Perhaps Paul S. Boyer will incorporate in the next edition of The Oxford Companion to United States History new evidence on Sacco and Vanzetti that was discovered at Dexter, Maine, in 2003 and new evidence that was discovered in The Sacco-Vanzetti Case Papers, microfilm Reel #21, in 2005. Authors of U. S. history textbooks have yet to publish this new evidence.
Fails as a Guide to American History.......2003-07-08
Students and history buffs need a good, comprehensive volume on the significant people, events, movements and changes in the United States over the course of its history. This volume, from the leading publisher of reference books in the English language, fails and disappoints with regard to these goals. This Oxford Companion tries to be the United States History of Everything, as a result it misses key aspects of political history and what it does cover is often inadequate and incomplete.
The Companion tries to cover too many aspects of cultural history and its icons. As a result it sacrifices information on many important political and public figures. We get biographies of Michael Jordan and Marilyn Monroe but no separate bios of George Mason, William Borah, Hiram Johnson, Henry Cabot Lodge, Tom Watson, Joseph Cannon, Thomas Dewey, Nelson Rockefeller, Clarence Darrow, Sam Rayburn, Jesse Jackson -- and the list goes on and on. When they are covered it is often in snipets in subject area articles, which does not give a complete overview of their public careers.
What it does cover in cultural and intellectual history is often incomplete. The Companion has separate artices on the history of the blues, jazz and a weak article on rural country and folk music, but absolutely nothing on bluegrass or commercial country music and its pioneers. The index doesn't even mention the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, Bill Monroe or Hank Williams. Yet country music far exceeds both the blues and jazz in popularity in terms of its fan base and are certainly deserving popular art forms for inclusion.
The selection of significant figures for separate biographies is often strange and arbitrary. The Companion offers a bio of physicist Eugene Wigner but not of Hans Bethe or Richard Feynman, like Wigner both Nobel Prize winners. Feynman is considered by many to be the most important theoretical physicist of the second half of the 20th century. This arbitrariness in selecting subjects for biographies can be repeated in many different subject areas.
The Companion contains 26 black and white maps, often of poor resolution, and follows the same arbitrary editing in terms of subject matter. You get a map of the properties of U.S. Steel, but no map on how the United States looked at the end of the Revolution or after the Louisiana Purchase, though there is a barely readable map of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. No reference tables and charts are included to tell the reader Presidential election results, who were the Chief Justices of the Supreme Court, or who occupied important positions in Congress or the military over the course of American history.
On the positive side there are many good articles here on political and social history. However the reader must use this book carefully and supplement it with other Oxford Companions and reference books. At $... I would examine this book in a library before considering a purchase.
a vital and reliable companion to u.s. history today.......2001-08-07
This volume contains entries that deal with concepts, events, persons, and movements in u.s. history. The length of the entries is appropriate to the topic considered. In addition, the entires both inform the reader with up-to-date information and indicate how revisionist historians have resahped opionions or refocused the discipline. The entries are clearly written and eminently readable. They are persuasive in thier opionions, yet respectful of other stances. The cross references are helpful and ample. The same obtains for the bibliographies. The Oxford Companion to U.S. History far surpasses some other contemporary dictionaries in U.S. history. Its articles are treated in more depth and greater nuances. The entries in the other dictionaries are too short and far too superficial. I would highly recommend this for people involved in serious historical study and research.
a vital and reliable companion to u.s. history today.......2001-08-07
This volume contains entries that deal with concepts, events, persons, and movements in u.s. history. The length of the entries is appropriate to the topic considered. In addition, the entires both inform the reader with up-to-date information and indicate how revisionist historians have resahped opionions or refocused the discipline. The entries are clearly written and eminently readable. They are persuasive in thier opionions, yet respectful of other stances. The cross references are helpful and ample. The same obtains for the bibliographies. The Oxford Companion to U.S. History far surpasses some other contemporary dictionaries in U.S. history. Its articles are treated in more depth and greater nuances. The entries in the other dictionaries are too short and far too superficial. I would highly recommend this for people involved in serious historical study and research. The price, especially the discounted one offered by amazon.com, is well worth the investment for scholars,libraries, and families.
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Companion to American Technology (Blackwell Companions to American History)
Manufacturer: Blackwell Publishing Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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| United States
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ASIN: 0631228446 |
Book Description
A Companion to American Technology is a groundbreaking collection of original essays that analyze the hard-to-define phenomenon of "technology " in America. Taking a broadly historiographical approach, twenty-one leading scholars explore important features of American technology, including developments in automobiles, television, and computing. They also examine the ways in which technologies are organized in, for instance, the engineering profession, government, medicine and agriculture, and analyze how technologies interact with race, gender, class, and other comparable categories in American society.Scholars of American technology, as well as students, journalists, and general readers will find this a compelling, fascinating look at America 's machinery, industry, and technophilic culture.
Customer Reviews:
Truly an excellent companion.......2006-07-05
I bought this book to read while on a two-week trip to Alaska. Of course, what with all the sunlight and all the things to do, I did very little reading. But it's no reflection on this book, which provides a wonderful assortment of perspectives on a truly unique place. One aspect I particularly liked was that the selections spanned over a century and thus gave a good historical perspective. (Though stylistically, the earliest ones can be the toughest reads.) It also did a good job of covering the vast geography of Alaska.
The only downside is that Alaska continues to change rapidly, experiencing rapid economic and population growth, not to mention the effects of global climate change, so I would love to see what some very recent writers have to say.
Great visit preparation for an amazing place.......2005-09-09
This is a wonderful compilation of writings by some our most prominent authors of their first (and lasting) impressions of the last American wilderness, Alaska. It prepares children and their families for the overwhelming gift we have recieved through the preservation of this beautiful land and for the warmth and welcome they will receive from Alaskaan natives.
Really whets your appetite.......2000-10-23
The first couple of stories are the least fun. After that, it's a great compilation. The five-page diary of V. Swanson is worth the price of the book - and as affecting as any Robert Service poem. The compilation is good enough that I have tried to find some of the excerpted books, and will look for more of them. (John Haines's book was pretty good. A co-worker enjoyed it, too.) The acknowledgments at the end are useful.
The Reader's Companion to Alaska.......2000-09-09
This is a marvelous collection of essays written about life and travel in Alaska during the past 100 years. It has lots of well-known contributors: John McPhee, Ann Morrow Lindburgh, John Muir, Charles Kuralt, et al. But almost every piece, even from the most obscure writer, had me mesmerized. Perhaps the most haunting tale was a reprint of the diary entries from a man known only as "V. Swanson," who perished in a cabin in the wilderness in 1917.
I was fascinated by the stories of daredevils doing unbelievably brave and crazy things: climbing through ice caves buried within glaciers where the climbers literally had to inhale in order to squeeze through, knowing a shift in the ice could kill them all at any moment...climbing the face of Denali in winter, losing toes to frostbite...coming face to face with a grizzly who smashed in the window of a tiny cabin. Being decidedly NOT a daredevil myself, I would get most of the way through each of these stories scratching my head as to the motivation of these people. Generally, by the end of each story, I understood what made them tick. Reading these essays has made me feel life in Suburbia is just a little too boring, too timid, too soft.
Book Description
A Companion to the American South surveys and evaluates the most important and innovative writing on the entire sweep of the history of the southern United States. Twenty-nine essays from leading experts in the field analyze the various interpretive schools, briefly summarize the positions and approaches of the seminal books, and suggest the range of subjects and interpretations for every important era in southern history. The coverage includes topics such as slavery, politics, the Civil War and Reconstruction, race relations, the civil rights movement, southern religion, and women's history. Each chapter includes a select bibliography as a convenient reference to encourage further reading.Intended for students, scholars, and general readers of U.S. southern history, this timely book is a primer to this exciting body of work and will guide research for years to come.
Customer Reviews:
Indispensable for students of the American South.......2001-12-28
This volume is both comprehensive and fresh, consolidating the best and newest scholarship on the history of the American South. The editor, John B. Boles, is perhaps the foremost authority on current southern scholarship, and he has hand-picked the author of each chapter so that the subjects are treated by the best-qualified historians. The book is designed to provide the reader a brief overview of virtually every field of southern history, and it directs the reader to the most important works on each subject. Example topics include Native Americans in the South, the Civil War, Populism, Jim Crow, Women, Environmental history, and Civil Rights. Any person wishing to gain familiarity with southern history will benefit from this book, and graduate students preparing for exams may find it worth its weight in gold. The companion is part of a larger series offered by Blackwell Publishers, and promises to serve as the guide to secondary readings in southern history for years to come.
Book Description
The years 2003-2006 mark the bicentennial of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark's famous transcontinental journey between the Missouri and the Columbia River systems. They never did find the fabled Northwest Passage, but over twenty-eight months, the Corps of Discovery traveled more than eight thousand miles through eleven future states, named scores of places and rivers, met with many Native American tribes, and wrote the first descriptions of heretofore unknown plants and animals. By the end of their trip, Lewis and Clark had navigated and named two thirds of the American continent. They may have had undaunted courage, but the sheer volume of information related to their expedition can be more than a little daunting to the armchair historian. Written by two highly regarded Lewis and Clark experts, this book contains over five hundred lively and fascinating entries on everything from the members of the expedition and the places they went to the weapons and tools, trade goods, and medicines they carried, along with the food and amusements that sustained them. Highly readable and informative, it's the perfect introduction for the Lewis and Clark novice, and the comprehensive guide no buff will want to be without.
Customer Reviews:
A Companion Book it Is : A Need for All L & C Books .......2005-01-24
A wonderful reference book of terms, food items, boats, geographic locations, tribes, specific Indians, games, politicians and of course the entire cast of explorers down to Seaman the Newfoundland. Biographies can be several pages long and they cover not only an individual's role but what is known of the individual after the journey. Particularly helpful are the definitions in detail and descriptions of the materials utilied on the journey. An example are descriptions of the small flat bottomed boats called a Pirogue, a cake like food made from grease that was an easy to retrieve as a traveling food called Pemmican and a "drink composed of equal parts water and rum used for medically or for celebration" called grog. The definitions, descriptions of geographic locations and biographies are in satisfying detail almost like small books within a book. A book not only handy for sitting near your reading chair for any Lewis and Clark book but for any reading of early American historty.
a must have book for lewis and clark afficianados.......2003-11-03
Stephenie Ambrose Tubbs and Clay Jenkinson have joined forces to produce the definitive text for Lewis and Clark readers to keep in one hand while they read through the many books available on the epic expedition. They cover numerous personalities involved, and the many other aspects of the journey with encyclopedic thoroughness, resulting in the reader coming away, not just with a superficial knowledge of any topic, but a comprehensive understanding of the many facets involved in the greatest adventure in American exploration. There is something for everyone in this book. It makes great reading on its own, or as a reference book. The reader will gain much appreciation of Lewis and Clark, and a depth of knowledge previously only available to those with sufficient time to dig into the journals and sift through the dirt and pull out the gold nuggets...The authors have done the work of pulling out the gold, thus giving the reader the opportunity to enjoy their studies of the Corps of Discovery to a greater extent and not have to spend the effort of "mining" themselves.
Great for novices and aficionados alike.......2003-09-07
As we celebrate the bicentennial, the world of Lewis and Clark books grows by leaps and bounds. There are detailed studies of the flora and fauna, the weapons, the medical aspects, the views of various Indian tribes on the interactions with the Corps of Discovery. You can find cookbooks detailing what they ate, books about what they wore, stories of Seaman (Lewis' dog), and biographies of all involved.
So, what is the average person with a small amount of budding interest to do? Even scholars and historians who "do" Lewis and Clark have a hard time keeping up with all of it, and most people don't want to invest endless money in accumulating a personal Lewis and Clark library.
Stephenie Ambrose Tubbs and Clay Straus Jenkinson have come up with a perfect solution to this dilemma. "The Lewis and Clark Companion - An Encyclopedic Guide to the Voyage of Discovery" is a wonderful reference book on many aspects of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Arranged in alphabetical order, from "air gun" to "York," each article provides just the right amount of information needed to understand each area. Each entry is written in a straightforward style, giving quotes from the journals of the Expedition where they would be enlightening. There is also an extensive bibliography, if you find yourself wanting to know more about any aspect.
Tubbs is a Montana historian and serves on the Lewis and Clark National Trail Interpretive Center?s Foundation Board and is the daughter of the late Stephen Ambrose. She has spent much of her life traveling the Trail. Jenkinson is a well-respected Jefferson and Lewis and Clark historian, and author of several books, including "The Character of Meriwether Lewis," and "Thomas Jefferson, Man of Light." He has traveled the Trail extensively and also does Chautauqua performances around the country as both Thomas Jefferson and Meriwether Lewis. They bring vast knowledge and lively and interesting writing style to this project.
It is the perfect reference work for Lewis and Clark aficionados, as well as those who are just beginning their journey of enchantment with this epic adventure.
Book Description
The who, what, where, when, and how of rock-art. This richly illustrated book will guide you to 28 outstanding rock-art sites in seven states, and teach you about art styles and the cultural groups that created them. Includes a resource guide to continue your exploration.
Customer Reviews:
Rock-art--a must for your library.......2001-01-08
An especially well written,comprehensive book on Native American petroglyphs, pictographs and geoglyphs. Detailed sections in clear, uncluttered language explain what Rock-art is and how and by whom it was created. A fine collection of illustrations show the variety of subject matter and the skill of Rock-art artists. Included are helpful listings of special resources and Wed sites. This slim volume is loaded with information. The authors admire Native American Rock-art and express their concern that it be respected and protected. Sensitivity to this art form will be heightened with the reading of this book.
Book Description
Few figures in American history inspire more interest than the enigmatic George Armstrong Custer. From his early service in the Civil War to his later years fighting Indians on the frontier, Custer's image has been indelibly imprinted on the pages of American history. His last stand at the Little Bighorn has been retold over and over and remains one of the most infamous stories of the American West. Author and historian Thom Hatch has scoured the historical record to prepare this exhaustive compendium of information of and relating to Custer. It will, he believes, come to be known as "the classic reference source" for the enigmatic cavalryman.
Customer Reviews:
review of Custer Companion.......2007-01-11
I was seeking more information of the actual troopers who served with the 7th before and during the Souix Campaign of 1876. There are plenty of photos of the officers and bios but the emlisted soldiers were unfortunaltely absent fo rthe most part. I was expecting at least a list of the troopers and some information of their race, ethnicity, backgrounds etc. I realize these were not necessarily model citizens but they were somewhat representative of the post CW military. I was hoping to be able to draw some comparisons to our "draft" army of the 1960's as far as compositions of troops.
A Custeriana Essential.......2006-05-31
Along with William A. Graham's "Custer Myth" and Paul A. Hutton's "Custer Reader", this book belongs on the shelf of any serious student of Custer's life and career. I do not often feel compelled to comment on books I've read, but this is one of those rare gems that comes along unexpectedly, just when you think that everything that can be said has been said.
My library includes nearly every book ever written about Custer and I would rank Hatch's book with the best of them. Some of those books contain useful and fascinating information but are barely readable, but Thom Hatch manages to make his both fascinating and readable, and that is a laudable accomplishment for any historian. I also disagree with those who say this would not make a good introductory work; I think that on the contrary, it would make an excellent place to start. It covers the entirety of his life and career and leaves few facets unexplored or unremarked, from birth to pre-military teaching jobs to West Point, the Civil War and beyond.
One of its strongest assets is the "for further reading" list appended to each section, listing the various works out there which can better inform the reader about the subject at hand. But this is more than an empty list of authors and titles; Hatch comments on the various books, judging them not only by what he has to say about them but what others have said as well. For instance, of Gregory J.W. Unwin's classic "Custer Victorious" he says "minor drawbacks to this exciting and well-written work is that some have claimed that it is too pro-Custer, with too much cheerleading, and that it - as the title suggests - concentrates on the battles when Custer was a general and fails to adequately chronicle his first two years of service and associated aspects of his career." This is particularly useful information for somebody new to the field of Custer studies and will guide them in picking and choosing their way through the vast library of Custeriana.
Another strength of this book is the sidebars. These are useful and fascinating digressions into areas outside the main body of the text and discuss such things as tables of organization for various expeditions (a plus for the student of military history), "Military Forts on the Central and Southern Plains", "Custer's Mad Dash across Kansas", "Wild Bill's Showdown with Tom Custer", "The Joel Elliott Controversy", "The Arrest and Revenge of Rain-in-the-Face" and so forth. Better yet, associated subjects, though not directly pertaining to Custer, are not forgotten, so we are provided with information about the Battle of Beecher Island, not to mention a biographical sketch of Lt. Beecher himself, Red Cloud's War and the Buffalo Soldiers. These additions better round out the world in which Custer lived and operated and allow the reader to understand the currents - historical, military and social - of his time.
Complementing the sidebars are the biographies. These cover a variety of people, such as Sheridan, Benteen, Reno, Terry and the other "usual suspects" but also lesser known figures, such as scout William Averill Comstock, Captain Louis McLane Hamilton, Major Eugene Asa Carr, not to mention Native American leaders and warriors, not limited to Crazy Horse, Gall and Sitting Bull but including such figures as Roman Nose, Black Kettle, Satanta, Kicking Bird, and others. And these are not dry biographical sketches. His remarks on Winfield Scott Hancock are telling: "Hancock apparently urged Col. A.J. Smith to prefer charges against Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer, branding him the scapegoat for this blot on the general's otherwise exemplary military career." Of Captain Albert Barnitz, frequently cited by Custer critics, he says: "Barnitz wrote about Custer to his wife on May 15, 'He is the most complete example of a petty tyrant that I have ever seen.' Perhaps that attitude could be partially blamed on he fact that Barnitz had been arrested for discarding forage and not feeding his horses."
All in all, this is a very balanced treatment of the life and career of George Armstrong Custer. If Custer comes out favorably in these pages, I think it is only because Hatch rightly points out the absurdity of some of the positions his critics have taken, and it is a refreshing change of pace from those who, like Roger Darling, simply assume Custer must have 'gone nuts' on the day of the Little Bighorn. No man lives in a vacuum and as this book demonstrates, the Little Bighorn cannot be taken out of the context of Custer's life, career and experiences.
In the end, the only criticism I can level is that due to the book's organization the reader will be forced to flip back and forth as they read, and this is no real hardship at all given the wealth of information uncovered with every page. "The Custer Companion" is a delight to read. In a field that is possibly the most written about in American history, and home to such giants as Frost, Utley and Dippie, Thom Hatch's accomplishment still stands out.
With a vividly presented history of the Plains Indian Wars.......2003-06-12
The Custer Companion: A Comprehensive Guide To The Life Of George Armstrong Custer And The Plains Indian Wars by historian and Custer expert Thom Hatch combines an informative biography of George Armstrong Custer with a vividly presented history of the Plains Indian Wars. The Custer Companion covers The Surrender Flag Controversy; Custer's Mad Dash across Kansas; Wild Bill's Showdown with Tom Custer; Red Cloud's War; The Sand Creek Massacre; The Russian Grand Duke's Buffalo Hunt; The Arrest and Revenge of Rain-in-the-Face; The Midnight Ride of Charley Reynolds; and a wealth of other aspects of "Custeriana". Solid, straightforward text enhanced with numerous sidebars going into little-known details, as well as a profusion of black-and-white photographs coupled with the results of an exhaustive research, makes The Custer Companion an indispensable resource for anyone studying one of America's most colorful (and controversial) military figures of the 19th century -- a man whose turbulent character and impact on American frontier history evokes renewed interest in every new generation of Americans.
Great Overview, Bios, Maps and References for Futher Reading.......2003-05-18
This is a well detailed overview of the life of General Custer from his roots to the aftermath of the LBH. The book is interlaced with a 100 or more biographies of all the key people associated with from family, soldiers, scouts, and politicians to Native Americans. The bios are outstanding and they fill in some holes even for the seasoned Custerphile. One example is the bio on Dr. Coates, the surgeon who served with Custer in Kansas and. Coates was a key witness on Custer's behalf in reference to the charge that he denied medical treatment for deserters. The bio covers Coates' short army career before and after the incident including his post army life. Another is Colonel Sturgis, the actual Colonel and actual commander of the 7th, who typically was on assignment or administrative duties deferring field command to Custer. In addition, when referencing a particular individual or place or battle, Hatch provides a detailed bibliography on the person or topic. When I read of the controversy regarding Custer's 1867 court-martial, the listed references led me to Lawrence Frost's detailed book on the subject. In addition to the bios sprinkled throughout the book are quotes by the General himself, which are highlighted outside the regular text, which adds depth to what Custer was feeling at that point in his history. It's also quite clear that he and Libby had one of the closest relationships in history. Although there may be more detailed works on the various prime subjects of Custer's life, this book captures it very well and closes ranks on information with people that intersected Custer's life from Reno, Benteen, Tom Custer, Belknap, Crazy Horse, Two Moons, Keough, Calhoun, Weir, Godfrey, Sitting Bull, Gall, Crazy Horse, Curley and on. The biographies sometimes seem a little redundant since they often overlap the text but they are well worth it. My only criticism was that there was not more on Lt. Wallace who was the timekeeper during the LBH command. Wallace appears to have aided and abetted Benteen and Reno at Reno's Court Martial. The fun part is at the conclusion of the LBH the author adds a little argument by critiquing other authors' views in what happened to Custer's brigade and he comes up with his own plausible theory. In Hatch's book, Reno and Benteen are held accountable for their wrong actions or inactions. A very good perspective and well worth reading as it even includes a review of the final Plains Indian campaigns.
More Than an Afternoon in June: The Custer Companion.......2003-04-20
Although "The Custer Companion: A Comprehensive Guide to the Life of George Armstrong Custer and the Plains Indian Wars" is an invaluable collection of source materials on the life lived by the flamboyant and enigmatic General George Armstrong Custer (1839-1876), the book once again reminds us that the life of one man came down to ONE battle waged on a Montana hillside on June 25, 1876. If you were hoping to find a narrative of Custer's life, I would recommend Jeffry K. Wert's "Custer" as a first source and using Hatch's book as a source to garner further information.
Although the Battle of the Little Big Horn and Custer's remarkable failure there has seared the youngest general in United States' history image indelibly on the American imagination, the "myth", to the average 19th Century American was created long before that tragedy. It is the life lived during the American Civil War that provides fodder for the tragedy we recognize as a life cut short, a promise unfullfilled, and it is Custer's early life which is lacking in Hatch's narrative. I found an almost Custer-like impatience by the author in "The Custer Companion. . ." to get to the "big" story and it is this impatience that may contribute to some historical inaccuracies and a noted thinness in Custer's life story before the Plains Indian Wars.
The information on the Battle of the Little Bighorn and the numerous personalities that were factors in Custer's life story is, without a doubt, wonderful. But if you seek to "know" the man on his swift climb to prominence, "The Custer Companion. . ." would not be my first choice.
Use "The Custer Companion. . ." as a warehouse of bibiliographic material, but do not use it as a foundation for an introduction to one of the most fascinating figures in American history.
Book Description
A Companion to the Civil War and Reconstruction is an extraordinary collection of 23 essays addressing the key topics and themes of the most divisive era in United States history. These original essays by top scholars in the field are organized chronologically into three parts: "Sectional Conflict and the Coming of the Civil War, " "The Civil War and American Society, " and "Reconstruction and the New Nation. " Each essay is an interpretive summary of the key literature in the field, and places the topic in historical context. Contributors include bibliographies and suggest future directions of the historiography. This volume provides students, scholars, and informed general readers of Civil War and Reconstruction history with a valuable guide to their research and teaching.
Book Description
From its humble birth as a few thatched huts along the shoreline, Havana has emerged from five hundred years of turbulent history as the most fascinating city in the Caribbean. Spain's "Pearl of the Antilles" was in turn plundered by pirates, invaded by foreign fleets and then turned into a Mafia-run playground under U.S. tutelage. Since 1959 the seat of Fidel Castro's revolutionary regime, Havana is now shaking off forty years of blockade to face the new challenges of mass tourism. A city whose fabric has always been threatened by hurricanes and political upheaval, Havana has developed a wild edge, an energy and an alluring exoticism that have intrigued and enchanted visitors as diverse as Alexander von Humboldt, Anaïs Nin, Lorca, and Sartre.
Claudia Lightfoot explores Havana's history and its paradoxes: a city where architectural treasures survive among crumbling tenements; where a vibrant street life takes place amid shortages; where revolutionary politics, machismo, and a thriving black market co-exist against a background of salsa, gritería, and baseball.
€ The city of architecture: fortresses, mansions, and Art Deco exuberance; baroque facades and balconies; an eclectic cityscape.
€ The city of politics and exile: the colonial and neo-colonial years; wars, dictators, and revolution; José Martí and Che Guevara; the diaspora and the dream of Miami.
€ The city of literature, art, and music: Carpentier, Lezama Lima, and Cabrera Infante; passion and irony; Graham Greene and Hemingway; Wilfredo Lam and Nelson Dominguez; Afro-Cuban roots; salsa, rumba, son, and rap."
Customer Reviews:
A real insight.......2004-08-15
I knew Claudia slightly when I was resident in Cuba as a journalist from 1993-2000. Her book is well researched and wriiten from the viewpoint of an unbiased and perceptive member of the foreign community of Havana. A must for all Cuba watchers and those considering visiting the most fascinating island in the Americas.
Book Description
A Companion to the American West is a rigorous, illuminating introduction to the history of the American West. Twenty-five essays by expert scholars synthesize the best and most provocative work in the field. Each essay covers a subtopic of western American history, its major concerns, and its major works to provide a comprehensive overview of themes and historiography. The essays not only come from the perspective of the "new western history, " reflecting a resurgence in both scholarly and public interest in the region, but also reflect other schools and positions, such as ethnic studies, cultural studies, and subfields of environmental and gender history.The Companion covers such topics as industrialism, women, Native Americans, exploration, religion, politics, and art. Also included is a combined bibliography to aid further research. The essays are lively, well written, and suited to the student, scholar, and all interested readers of the history of the American West.
Customer Reviews:
diverse coverage of topics.......2007-07-17
Yes, the book is unfortunately steeply priced. But perhaps readers can find it in a good library. It has many analyses of the American West. The book rightfully eschews the appelation Wild West; perhaps as being too crude for a scholarly tome.
There is a distinct effort to cover topics that do not neglect viewpoints often deprecated or totally ignored in histories written in earlier decades. So one chapter by Jameson goes into the history of pioneer women. And another by Flamming discusses Negroes. Nor is the period studied confined to the 19th century. Some passages describe the region in the post World War 2 times, especially concerning the effects of tourism.
great work; discouraging price.......2006-11-11
This is a brilliant work with several historiographic essays on the American West (Andrew C. Isenberg's, "Environment and the Nineteenth-Century West: Or, Process Encounters Place," especially jumps out at me). However, Blackwell publishing needs to get busy and issue a paperback, or something a bit more affordable. At over 100 dollars for a brand new copy, and 95 dollars for a new or used issue... Wow. Talk about making your book inaccessible to undergrads and graduate students. Well, the Yale kids can afford it. But think about us provincials at universities that are actually in the American West (I'm thinking mostly eastern Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas). Our parents don't have those durable east-coast and Berkeley kinds of bank accounts. Oh well: in DeVoto's words, a plundered provice yet again.
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Books Index
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Up in the Old Hotel
