Book Description
Often cited as one of the most decisive campaigns in military history, the Seven Days Battles were the first campaign in which Robert E. Lee led the Army of Northern Virginia—as well as the first in which Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson worked together. In this guidebook, the acknowledged expert on the Seven Days Battles conducts readers, tourists, and armchair travelers through the history and terrain of this pivotal series of Civil War battles.
Maps and descriptive overviews of the battles guide readers to key locales and evoke a sense of what participants on either side saw in 1862. From the beginning of George B. McClellan’s Peninsula Campaign, which culminated in the Seven Days, to the bloody battles that saved the Confederate capital from capture, this guide unfolds the strategies, routes, and key engagements of this critical campaign, offering today’s visitors and Civil War enthusiasts the clearest picture yet of what happened during the Seven Days.
Book Description
This Day in Ohio History is a fascinating day-by-day survey of the state's colorful past. Based on a series of daily features published in the Cincinnati Enquirer to celebrate Ohio's bicentennial, this book offers nearly a thousand anecdotes about the people and events that shaped Ohio's history and culture.
Amazon.com
This unusual historical roundup takes the significant events of the world one day at a time, starting with January 1 (a day on which Paul Revere was born in 1735; Betsy Ross was born in 1752; the U.S. Congress officially prohibited African slave trade in 1808; Brooklyn merged with Manhattan in 1898; and the colonies of Cyranaica, Tripoli, and Eezaan united to form Libya in 1935) and wending its way through the next 364 days to December 31, when Thomas Edison first demonstrated his electric incandescent light bulb to the public in 1879; and President Truman officially proclaimed an end to World War II in 1946.
The book is appealing for a variety of reasons. Because it doesn't take a chronological approach to history, each event stands out in its own illuminating limelight. You notice it and think about it more freshly, which lets you see it for the accomplishment it is rather than as just another occurrence in the progression of time. On This Day functions nicely as a reference book, in that the index will refer you to the appropriate page for any of more than 1,500 events, where you can discover not only what day of the year it took place but also get a full description of what happened and its context. This book charms most, however, as a browsing book; there's fascination in the juxtaposition of unrelated events, joined merely by happenstance on the same day, though years and worlds apart. Open the book randomly and you find October 14th, with the Battle of Hastings (1066) and the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1964 and to Elie Wiesel in 1986, while on the next page, October 15th, P.G. Wodehouse was born in 1881 and the first draft card was burned in 1965. You'll probably want to check your birthday for other notables who share your date, but after that you're free to riffle through the pages of history and have some fun. --Stephanie Gold
Book Description
Did anything interesting happen on this date anywhere in the world?
This unique resource will answer the above question and give the reader much more information, besides. Sure to appeal to history aficionados, trivia buffs, and the insatiably curious, this singular reference provides a wealth of information including quotations, humorous commentary, and historical facts about the over 1,500 events listed throughout the year. Many of the events are cross-referenced with corresponding relevant dates, giving the reader even more insight into the significance of the event, straight from the pages of history.
Sample Entries:
January 1
President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, 1863
The Trans-Siberian Railway started its maiden voyage, 1905
Twenty-six nations signed the United Nations Declaration, 1942 (see January 9th and October 24th entries)
May 21
Charles Lindbergh landed in Paris, France after completing the first solo transatlantic flight, 1927 (See May 20th entry)
Customer Reviews:
layout aggrevated me, and that's just the beginning.......2003-10-12
I'm not entirely sure who the intended audience of this book is. I'm interesting in things specific to NJ or people born in NJ so I skimmed this book, noting with interest certain events, but I primarily wanted to focus on anything dealing with NJ.
The layout of the text was for me, maddening. Let's say there are 5 items listed for a certain date. Sometimes the authors discuss the events in chronilogical order. Other times they address the most signifigant events first. Sometimes the different events have their own paragraphs, sometimes they don't. In short, to find the discussion of one item you practically need to read them all because there is no pattern or separations. Even more infuriating is that if there are two related events (for exmaple the break-in at watergate, and the resignation of president Nixon) there usually is a reference to the other event. However, sometimes they discuss the event there, and sometimes not. Combine that with the above layout issues, and I could be searching for something that simply isn't there!
Not that this is a problem, per se, but in reading this book I couldn't help but wonder about the editorial process in terms of selection of material to be included. David Lee Roth's birthday is listed, but there are numerous important musicians who aren't. Who decides? and why? and what's the criteria? (I realize its the authors who decided, but you get my point)
I just felt as though the book was inadequate for the task. I felt the same way about Chases Calendar of Events, a book which tries to list annual events, holidays, celebrations, birthdays, etc worldwide. There must be literally dozens of events that took place on March 12th or June 19th. To list only 4 somehow feels incomplete. I realize this was probably done to keep the book from being 500 pages. But if you're gonna do something, do it full and right or not at all...
It almost inspires me to want to write my own book of "things that happened today" because I felt this one was so incomplete. Then I read some of the other reviews. Didn't realize there were errors in this book. Now I realize I SHOULD write my own version.
Great book!.......2002-10-29
I've never posted a review before, but when I noticed the errors in the previous review, I felt compelled to come to the defense of one of my favorite books. I found this book to be remarkably insightful, engaging, and accurate. Its day-by-day is a fresh way to look at history. Now, as for those errors:
According to Gregory Titelman's, "Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings" `Nero fiddled while Rome burned' refers to "...heedless and irresponsible behavior in the midst of a crisis." Legend has it that in A.D. 64 the emperor Nero (A.D. 37 - A.D. 68), last of the Caesars, set fire to Rome to see `how Troy would look when it was in flames' and to serve as suitable background for a recitation of his poetry while accompanying himself on the lyre..." For the sake of acuracy, should all disctionaries of popular sayings be amended to: Nero lyred while Rome burned?
Norkay is not incorrect. If the writer were familiar with the differences between Wade-Giles and pinyin translations into English, he'd know that Norkay is Wade-Giles, Norgay is pinyin, and both are simply alternative translations from Nepalese which does not use the western alphabet.
As for the nuclear testing not occuring at Los Alamos, virtually every text on the subject correctly cites the tests as having occurred at Los Alamos. Of course they didn't do them in the lab. Of course they took them out into their back yard (way out into their back yard). However, the point is, the tests were conducted from the Los Alamos lab. They were analyzed in the Los Alamos lab. They we conducted by the Los Alamos Lab. Is it such a crucial piece of history that the actual explosion took place far enough away that it didn't obliterate the lab? Or is it simply a point of pride to the critic that he's aware of this inconsequential and obvious historical footnote. If every detail of every event were included in this book, you'd need a forklift to open it.
As for the US Air Force being the US Army Air Force prior to 1947, he's right. However, at that time, it was commonly referred to as the US Air Force.
According to the back cover, there are over 10,000 entries in this book. If those are the most glaring points this armchair critic could cite, it seems like he should have given the book five stars, as I did. I love this book.
Unsuitable for intended use.......2001-07-12
I was disappointed in this book. As an earlier review notes, it _appears_ to be "thoroughly researched," but it's full of errors. Just leafing through the book, with no further research, a number of mistakes jump out.
Among the mistakes - the authors say "the US Air Force" dropped the bomb on Hiroshima; the US Air Force wasn't in existence yet - it was the Army Air Forces that dropped the bomb. The authors twice say the atomic bomb was "tested at Los Alamos"; no - the atomic bomb was developed at Los Alamos, but tested 175 miles away near Carrizozo NM. The authors twice, again, report that Nero was "the emperor who fiddled while Rome burned (in 37 AD)" - a neat trick, considering the violin wasn't invented for another 1500 years or so. The authors twice tell us that Tenzing Norkay accompanied Sir Edmund Hillary on Everest; the name is Norgay. The authors tell us that Edmund Hillary said he climbed "because it's there"; it wasn't Hillary, but George Mallory, some 35 years earlier, who gave that response.
Many of the entries gloss over, or over-simplify, the facts. For instance, the authors truthfully attribute "damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" to Admiral Farragut; however, they don't tell us that the "torpedoes" of that day were not self-propelled, but what we would call mines. Whitely's _The Teacher's Calendar_ fills in the missing relevant information.
On historical events such as Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech, Whitely gives more background than these authors.
On other events, such as the seizing of the Amistad, _This Day in History_ is silent, while Whitely's book gives a detailed discussion.
Another example of gloss is the authors' report that Galileo "created a telescope so he could observe the heavens." Galileo certainly improved the telescope, but he didn't invent it.
The unwarranted, even "cutesy," conclusions the authors frequently draw hamper the usefulness of this book. The authors tell us that at Hiroshima "we learned that man had no control over the terrible might of the microscopic atom." In fact, man showed his ability to control atomic forces at Hiroshima, and you can't see atoms through a microscope anyway.
The authors say that the USSR/Nazi Germany non-aggression pact was "the fuse that ignited the Second World War." Elsewhere the authors tell us that WWII "was ignited when Germany invaded Poland." The statements are contradictory and simplistic.
Of course, the book does have its moments - there are a number of stories which appear to be detailed, correct, and interesting. Yet these have limited use, since the reader has to verify every part of the story, in view of the authors' frequent errors on other entries. Am I being too picky? I don't think so - not with a book which certainly intends to be used as an accurate source of history.
You might consider this book for the limited use of knowing a few events that happened on each day, accepting that the book's facts may be wrong and its conclusions unmerited. This book could certainly use some good editing and fact-checking.
A _much_ better book for the classroom, or parent, is Sandy Whiteley's _The Teacher's Calendar: School Year 2001-2002_. Not only is Whitely much more accurate, but she includes many more events per day, and frequently more information on each event than these authors do.
On This Day in History.......2000-02-07
As a home-educating mom, I am constantly on the lookout for non-textbook, non-traditional ways to introduce my children to historical events and people. This book fits the bill to a T! It is a simple and painless way to learn a little bit about a lot of things and has sparked some great discussions in the short time that we have been reading it. A must for all home educators!
Informative and engaging!.......1999-12-01
I love the fact that the authors give details behind the events on each of the days. It's thoroughly researched and well-written. It makes this book very hard to put down.
Book Description
When her father dies and leaves her to decide the fate of the family farm, Jane Brox wonders how family identity--language, food, a grandfather's wish for "five thousand days like this one"--can endure when so few traces of former lives are left. With a poet's eye and a historian's hunger, she is driven to search out her family's past in the fascinating and quintessentially American history of the Merrimack Valley, its farmers, and the immigrant workers caught up in the industrial textile age.
Customer Reviews:
Uneven, but interesting account.......2000-07-04
I vascillated between really loving parts of this book, and being annoyed at others. The book discusses the history of the Merrimack Valley in northeastern Massachusetts, weaving in stories about the author's parents' lives there as immigrants from Italy and Lebanon. It also compares descriptions of the area written by Thoreau, and others, in the 19th century.
While most of it was fascinating, some aspects of the book bothered me. First, as the book progresses, it becomes evident that it is a collection of prior essays; some portions are repetitive, almost down to the exact language. Second, I felt that the author was trying too hard to be "lyrical." Some of the writing seemed "forced," convoluted, and grammatically awkward, to the point that I had to reread sentences to figure out what she wanted to say.
Despite these criticisms, it is an interesting read about an area that has changed so much over the last 150 years.
This is an incredibly powerful and exquisitely written book........1999-03-24
Jane Brox's second book is masterful: a cross between social history and memoir, a book that is devastatingly clear about the future of the family farm and yet without a trace of rancor. Even if, like me, you're a city person, you should READ THIS BOOK for its pervasive, gentle wisdom; for its stunning prose; for everything a book should offer to its reader--access to a beloved world.
Average customer rating:
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This Is the Day: Work and Words of Brother Thomas
Brother Thomas of Celano
Manufacturer: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Christian Living
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Artists, A-Z
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0802863124 |
Book Description
Spanning a year's time, this daybook displays full-color images of Brother Thomas Bezanson's ceramic vessels, along with his wise and eloquent observations on the nature of art and faith. Praised as "one of the greatest artists in the Western pottery world" by Japanese ceramicist Tatsuzo Shimaoka, Brother Thomas explores his faith and the process of creating the celebrated porcelains that are his life's work.
Book Description
Whether it's rhythm and blues, hip-hop, rap, jazz, soul, blues or gospel, each genre is covered in the pages of On This Day in Black Music History. A book in a calendar format, it covers over 60 years of mind-tickling trivia, history and events with more than 2,000 facts about hundreds of artists, including Aretha, Ella, Whitney, Dionne Warwick, Paula Abdul, Stevie Wonder, Count Basie, Queen Latifah, Ray Charles, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, James Brown, Al Green, P. Diddy, Usher, Destiny's Child, Run DMC and many others. Each page also includes the #1 hit on that day from different years by the best of black music's legendary performers. Truly a nostalgic trip thru time that's entertainingly educational, On This Day in Black Music History definitively demonstrates how black music is interwoven into American history.
Customer Reviews:
like trivia?.......2006-03-18
Are you a trivia nut? Or a lover of history? Find out tons of interesting facts from Black Music History and discover its impact on the music of today. You'll probably just want to read through it like a book, but it's set up as a calendar.
Book Description
For every calendar day, this book lists the important events in the history of North America's native peoples-over 5,000 events covering more than 5,000 years.
This Day in North American Indian History is a one-of-a-kind, fun-to-read book covering over 5,000 years of North American Indian history, culture, and lore. Wide-ranging and in-depth, it lists over 5,000 important events involving the native peoples of North America in a unique day-by-day format.
From the construction of Mayan temples in A.D. 715 to modern political activism and governmental legislation affecting native peoples-and everything in between-virtually every significant historical event in Indian history is listed. It also includes biographical sketches of prominent and lesser-known North American Indian leaders, chiefs, explorers, and their white counterparts, descriptions of migrations, the histories of tribes and ancient languages, and a list of the meanings of tribal names. Well-organized and comprehensive, the thousands of entries in This Day in North American Indian History weave an exciting and panoramic mosaic of North American Indian history. It is the most all-encompassing single-volume reference work on the subject available.
Customer Reviews:
I Dare You to Read this One Day at a Time.......2003-11-05
This Day in American Indian History by Phil Konstantin is a fascinating resource for everyone interested in North American Indians. I think it would be especially useful for educators who want to include American Indian History in the classroom, but fear they have neither the time nor the resources to do it. Taking five minutes to select and read one event a day the class is a good way to raise awareness, open minds, and start discussions.
As the co-author of a reference book, American Indian Contributions to the World, I've learned to be very selective about the books I keep in my library. Phil has come up with an accurate and interesting volume that is filled with teachable moments. I couldn't put it down. This one is definitely a keeper.
A unique and original historical reference.......2003-01-11
This Day In North American Indian History: Important Dates In The History Of North America's Native Peoples For Every Calendar Day by Phil Konstantin (freelance writer and member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma) is a unique and original historical reference. For each day of the calendar year, a momentous or significant occasion in Native American history is listed which occurred on that same day. Spanning over 500 years of recorded Native American culture, war, law, and societal change, This Day In North American Indian History is enhanced with a handful of black-and-white photographs, an extensive index, a bibliography, and three extended appendices (Tribal Names; Alternative Tribal Names; North American Indian Calendars). A meticulously compiled and "reader friendly" reference, This Day In North American Indian History is enthusiastically recommended as an informed and informative addition to any personal, academic, and community library Native American Studies collection.
Very interesting reading..........2002-11-02
I have been to the author's website many times, and liked it. The book has lots more information than the website, which is massive. It is interesting to read about so many of these events. Most of the descriptions are short, but considering there must be over 5,000 events, that is understandable.
There are quite a mix of illustrations that match an event on their page.
The sections on the tribal name meanings and the Indian "moons" was both fascinating, and fun.
The index is one of the most comprehensive I have ever seen.
Saw it in museum in San Diego.......2002-10-10
I have been to the author's website many times. Having all of this information in one place is great. Yes, yes, yes, there is information on events in Canada. There are about 100 photos and they are matched to an event on the page where they appear. I really like the sections in the back which list tribal name meanings (Erie = cat people) and the "moon" names. If you are interested in North American Indian history, this is a great book.
Book Description
From January 1 to December 31, each day of the year is an anniversary of some event in the past. This volume presents the important moments in American history, day by day. Each day includes a complete listing of important happenings in or related to America that took place on that date, from the arrival of the first explorers up through the 1990s. Also included are events related to future American history, such as the birth of Amerigo Vespucci in 1454. Readers can look under any day of the year and see hundreds of years' worth of the American past. For example, on March 29, among many other events, the Puritans sailed for New England (1630), the Rosenbergs were found guilty of conspiracy (1951), and the House of Representatives completed congressional action on curtailing the farm subsidy program (1996). Helpful for teachers, history aficionados, or anyone interested in the weight of history that lies behind each day on the calendar, the text is also fully indexed for easy reference.
Average customer rating:
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Pearl Harbor and the American Spirit: The World War II Generation Remembers the Tragic Event That Transformed a Nation
Manufacturer: Xlibris Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Hawaii
| State & Local
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| World War II
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Normandy
| World War II
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Pearl Harbor
| World War II
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Personal Narratives
| World War II
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1413434037 |
Book Description
SYNOPSIS Pearl Harbor and the American Spirit is filled with unforgettable interviews that describe the shock, anger, confusion, dislocation, and unwavering American resilience that followed Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The book is perhaps the first to document the broad human experience of December 7, 1941. In this groundbreaking publication, more than 175 people from all across America recall how their lives were suddenly changed forever by Japan's "dastardly attack" in Hawaii.
These fascinating stories take the reader back in time to vintage diners, filling stations, railroad depots, drug stores, family farms, stadiums, churches, barracks, and other places where the alarming news of the ambush was announced to a stunned nation.
Many narrators discuss significant personal, national, and world events from the time of the Depression through WWII, thus making this book a fine introduction to the momentous Roosevelt era. The stories show how the children of the Depression overcame hardship-and acquired the strong character that enabled them to emerge as liberators of the world.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING Your book had great meaning for me. It is a remarkable collection of personal narratives that bring history to life! — Art Linkletter
Average customer rating:
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This Day in Civil Rights History (This Day in History)
Horace Randall Williams , and
Ben Beard
Manufacturer: Emmis Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| 20th Century
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Discrimination & Racism
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
African-American Studies
| Special Groups
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Civil Rights
| United States
| Political Science
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1578602440 |
Book Description
This Day in Civil Rights History, by renowned civil-rights activist Randall Williams, is a day-by-day survey of the people, places, and events that impacted the civil rights movement and shaped the future of the United States. Flip to any date and you’ll find fascinating, informative facts and anecdotes:
February 1, 1960 — Four African-American college students in Greensboro, North Carolina, entered the local Woolworth’s department store, sat down at the lunch counter, and demanded to be served. This courageous act launched the student sit-in movement throughout the region.
March 2, 1955 — Nine months before the historic arrest of Rosa Parks, fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin was arrested for violating the segregation laws on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus.
September 30, 1962 — James Meredith became the first African-American student allowed to enroll at the University of Mississippi.
November 4, 1960 — The U.S. Supreme Court decided the case of Gomillion v. Lightfoot, establishing an important precedent in the voting rights of African-American citizens.
Books:
- The Robe
- The Vietnam Reader: The Definitive Collection of Fiction and Nonfiction on the War
- The Wisdom of Crowds
- The World Is Flat [Updated and Expanded]: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
- Theories of Personality (with InfoTrac )
- To Begin Where I Am: Selected Essays
- Transitions from Authoritarian Rule: Tentative Conclusions about Uncertain Democracies
- Visions of Politics
- Wait Till Next Year: A Memoir
- We Were One: Shoulder to Shoulder With the Marines Who Took Fallujah
Books Index
Books Home
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Echoes of Thunder: A Guide to the Seven Days Battles
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The Maps of Gettysburg: The Gettysburg Campaign, June 3 - July 13, 1863
Shenandoah Summer: The 1864 Valley Campaign
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