Best Study & Teaching of History
1 Truman
The Pulitzer Prize–winning biography of Harry S. Truman, whose presidency included momentous events from the atomic bombing of Japan to the outbreak of the Cold War and the Korean War, told by America’s beloved and distinguished historian. His presidency was dominated by enormously controversial issues: he dropped the atomic bomb on Japan, established anti-Communism as the bedrock of American foreign policy, and sent U.S. troops into the Korean War. It was Harry S. Truman who ordered the atomic bomb dropped, halted Communists in Turkey and Greece, initiated the Marshall Plan, NATO and the Berlin Airlift, ordered desegregation of the armed forces, established the CIA and the Defense Department, committed U.S. forces to Korea and upheld the principle of civilian control over the military by firing Gen. Douglas MacArthur. The book's re-creation of the 1948 presidential campaign, during which Newsweek 's poll of 50 political writers predicted that the incumbent would lose the election to Thomas Dewey, is the most complete account of that surprise victory to date.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If you have a love of history you will enjoy this book from beginning to end and don't let the length of it discourage you from starting it because it just flies by."
"Compared to his daughter's adoring biography of HST, David McCullough has really unearthed some remarkable stories and anecdotes about the KC Pendergast machine, the reformer Lloyd Stark of apple growing fame, and the generally honorable way HST conducted himself as a county commissioner, supervisor and senator."
"His description of Joseph McCarthy and the "fake news" is very similar to what is happening today ("I have a list of 81 members of the Communist Party that are working in the State Department!"
"As a child born during his last year in office I only knew of him as a former president with no real experience to understand who and what he was."
"As always David McCullough comes trough with a great story about a fascinating man."
"The life of Truman is especially pertinent given today's rancorous politics - and Trump could learn a lot from this president who had extremely low ratings as president but has left a lasting legacy for the US and the world."
"This book is fascinating - full of details about this extraordinary president and his life."
"One reason why I purchased David McCullough's biography "TRUMAN" is to find out some of the things he said over his life. He takes you into their own thoughts and feelings and allows you to view the individual as if you were right there with them, living out the actual experiences; because McCullough goes back to their own personal diary notes, letters, quotations recorded by others; woven in a context of actual life, as recorded by the person themselves and other relatives, friends, business associates, and here, political connections. I'd like to write more, but the house is quiet now and I am drawn to my lazy boy recliner where I can pick up and read more of David McCullough's TRUMAN."
A completely revised edition of James W. Loewen’s classic retelling of American history, based on six new textbooks and including an all-new chapter on the recent past Since its first publication in 1995, Lies My Teacher Told Me has gone on to win an American Book Award and the Oliver Cromwell Cox Award for Distinguished Anti-Racist Scholarship, and has sold over a million copies in its various editions. To make learning more compelling, Loewen urges authors, publishers and teachers to highlight the drama inherent in history by presenting students with different viewpoints and stressing that history is an ongoing process, not merely a collection of—often misleading—factoids. To account for the deplorable situation, he offers this quasi-Marxist explanation: "Perhaps we are all dupes, manipulated by elite white male capitalists who orchestrate how history is written as part of their scheme to perpetuate their own power and privilege at the expense of the rest of us." Certainly students' appalling ignorance of history is troublesome, and broken families and excessive TV viewing are at least the equals of white male conspirators as the cause.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It's a valuable study of the field for teachers, parents, and students, however I cannot rate it more highly because the unrelenting tone of scolding made it exhausting to finish."
"When footnotes are given little or no place in a book about history I don't let that get in the way of my knowledge, I look into other sources and decide for myself how factual a book is."
"When my children were in school I consistently had disagreements with history teachers about; learning the why behind events versus learning dates and events and having frank, hard discussions about the why."
"The research was thoroughly done, the writing is smart but on a level anyone interested in learning can understand and follow."
"During most of my 43 years of teaching post-secondary students I endeavored to share some of the more in--depth knowledge derived from first-hand accounts and family and urban micro-histories in a manner that have relevance to beginning college students, allowing to share and even feel connected to our country's colorful past."
"The author presents cases based on facts an values, and gives readers his reasoning."
As a combat soldier fighting your way across Europe, what is the plan when you come across a Holocaust train full of suffering humanity that shocks you to your core, even after you think you have seen it all? In this book, the true story behind an iconic photograph taken at the liberation of a DEATH TRAIN deep in the heart of Nazi Germany—brought to life by the history teacher who discovered it, and went on to reunite HUNDREDS of Holocaust survivors with the actual American soldiers who saved them! Drawing on never-before published eye-witness accounts, survivor testimony and memoirs, wartime reports and letters, Matthew Rozell takes us on his journey to uncover the stories behind the incredible 1945 liberation photographs taken by the soldiers who were there. Rozell offers his unique perspective on the lessons of the Holocaust for future generations, and the impact that one person, a teacher, can make. -Featuring testimony from 15 American liberators and over 30 Holocaust survivors. -73 photographs and illustrations, many never before published. -10 custom maps. -502 pages-extensive notes and bibliographical references. "Mr. Rozell travels 'back to the future' of people who were not promised a tomorrow; neither the prisoners nor the troops knew what horrors the next moment would bring. I have read many books about the Holocaust and visited various museums but had not heard reference to this train previously. "Everyone should read this book, detailing the amazing bond that formed between Holocaust survivors likely on their way to death in one last concentration camp as WWII was about to end and a small number of American soldiers that happened upon the stopped train and liberated the victims. It is amazing that the author is not Jewish but a "reluctant" history teacher who ultimately becomes a Holocaust scholar. "Excellent book, with a winning combination of history and eyewitness accounts of heroes in World War II. I love how the author researched so thoroughly .Some of the heroes were American GIs and some were Jewish victims and even children. "A compelling story that stands out amongst the many other books on history as being one that truly captures the human element of the story; not just dates and statistics, but real people, real stories.Truly wonderful to read both sides of the tale, those who were rescued and those who rescued." I found myself attached to the survivors and liberators through your approach with real accounts and the witnessing of events.... This is why it's even more important to keep these stories alive as we're getting close to losing the last few from the greatest generation of all time." Mr. Rozell has done intensive work and managed to bring the survivors and the liberators to meet after more than fifty years--just before it would have been too late." "Compelling stories intertwined with the author's experiences with the concentration camp survivors of the Train Near Magdeburg.Could not put it down." Actually is three books in one--A story of Holocaust survivors who were on a abandoned train as the US military arrived; a short history of WWII on the western front; and the many teachable moments about evil and humanity as the author reunites the survivors and their families with their liberators and their families. From the first page to the last it rivets you to the passion of the author's journey and to the story of the people of whom he writes about. He has been featured as the ABC World News 'Person of the Week' and has had his work filmed for CBS News, NBC Learn, the Israeli Broadcast Authority, the New York State United Teachers, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"He spent the winter of 1944-45 starving to death and freezing in a German prison camp. He had endured this severe winter without adequate clothing and many in his camp died of hypothermia and/or suffered frostbite and loss of toes and fingers. I shuddered to read of the 150 American POW's who were massacred by the SS rather than transported to a POW camp in Mr. Rozell's book. As of now, I have encountered American college students, in the community college where I teach nursing, who could not tell me what decade the second world war occurred or what nations were involved."
"This sat things in motion: Matthew Rozell was contacted by more and more survivors and decided to set up a reunion, to get the liberators and the people they liberated in contact. This book describes the experience of not only Matthew Rozell, but the survivors and their liberators. Matthew wanted to do justice of the narrative by the Holocaust, as evidenced by this microcosmic event of the liberation of the train in the backdrop of the vastness of the macrocosm of the Holocaust. This book gives a dramatic and emotional account of how the lives of people - both survivors and liberators - were impacted by the events. And the third part deals with the effort from Matthew Rozell, who set up the first reunion and the many more that were to follow, giving the survivors the chance to thank their liberators."
"Although Jews and those who embraced Judaism were his primary targets it must be understood that anyone who opposed Hitler's ideology were his enemy."
"Can't wait to read your book, what our fathers saw."
"I have read many books on the holocaust and I must say that I really enjoyed this book."
"It broke my heart but made me happy to read more on the men of our greatest generation."
Best College & University Test Preparation
Not only does it provide a comprehensive guide to the TSI Assessment Exam as a whole, it also provides TSI practice test questions as well as detailed explanations of each answer. It's filled with the critical information you'll need in order to do well on the test: the concepts, procedures, principles, and vocabulary that the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) expects you to have mastered before sitting for the exam. Essay revision Agreement Sentence structure Sentence logic. Mometrix has the largest catalog of any test preparation publisher, now offering over 3,500 products covering over 1,500 different standardized exams. Keeping up with the constant changes in the many different exam markets we cover, our product development team averages more than 100 product updates each week.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Great Study Guide for excellent knowledge of passing the TSI Examination."
"I have to pass the TSI for entering a college, but I have left school for a long time."
"I recommend this book to anybody having problems to pass their " TSI " assessment test."
"Tonight I finally received my purchased book from amazon."
"Looking forward to using the Mometrix Flashcard Study System after hearing of all the great reviews."
"I think the guide is very well informative and easy to understand."
"I found this to be a very comprehensive system/practice resource."
"Interesting tips on taking the test."
Best Curricula
A completely revised edition of James W. Loewen’s classic retelling of American history, based on six new textbooks and including an all-new chapter on the recent past Since its first publication in 1995, Lies My Teacher Told Me has gone on to win an American Book Award and the Oliver Cromwell Cox Award for Distinguished Anti-Racist Scholarship, and has sold over a million copies in its various editions. To make learning more compelling, Loewen urges authors, publishers and teachers to highlight the drama inherent in history by presenting students with different viewpoints and stressing that history is an ongoing process, not merely a collection of—often misleading—factoids. To account for the deplorable situation, he offers this quasi-Marxist explanation: "Perhaps we are all dupes, manipulated by elite white male capitalists who orchestrate how history is written as part of their scheme to perpetuate their own power and privilege at the expense of the rest of us." Certainly students' appalling ignorance of history is troublesome, and broken families and excessive TV viewing are at least the equals of white male conspirators as the cause.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"When footnotes are given little or no place in a book about history I don't let that get in the way of my knowledge, I look into other sources and decide for myself how factual a book is."
"The research was thoroughly done, the writing is smart but on a level anyone interested in learning can understand and follow."
"This should be required reading."
"More to history than school books."
"If there's one book you read as a teenager... this should be it."
"just an all around great read."
"Interesting and refreshing read."
Best Historical Study Reference
“This is history on a grand scale, with a sweep and ambition that is rare… A proper historical epic of dazzling range and achievement.” —William Dalrymple, The Guardian The epic history of the crossroads of the world—the meeting place of East and West and the birthplace of civilization It was on the Silk Roads that East and West first encountered each other through trade and conquest, leading to the spread of ideas, cultures and religions. For Frankopan, the brutish West owes its more enlightened traditions to the lands east of Italy and west of China, which were, for centuries, 'the centre of the world'… Frankopan marshals diverse examples to demonstrate the interconnectedness of cultures, showing in vivid detail the economic and social impact of the silk and the slave trades, the Black Death, and the Buddhist influence on Christianity.”. — The New Yorker “In his new book, The Silk Roads , Frankopan has created something that forces us to sit up and reconsider the world and the way we've always thought about it… The book takes us by surprise right from the start.”. —Nishant Dahiya, NPR “This is deeply researched popular history at its most invigorating, primed to dislodge routine preconceptions and to pour in other light. “One of Mr. Frankopan’s gifts as a storyteller is his ability to draw unusual connections across his vast canvas… [he] packs his tale with fascinating trivia… Frankopan has written a rare book that makes you question your assumptions about the world.”. —Sadanand Dhume, The Wall Street Journal “Frankopan casts his net widely in this work of dizzying breadth and ambition… Those opening to any page will find fascinating insights that illuminate elusive connections across time and place… Frankopan approaches his craft with an acerbic wit, and his epochal perspective throws the foibles of the modern age into sharp relief”. — Publishers Weekly (starred review). “A glorious read. “In his new book, The Silk Roads , Frankopan has created something that forces us to sit up and reconsider the world and the way we've always thought about it… The book takes us by surprise right from the start.”. —Nishant Dahiya, NPR. “Superb… Peter Frankopan is an exceptional storyteller… The lands of the Silk Roads are of renewed importance, and Frankopan’s book will be indispensable to anyone who wants to make sense of this union of past and present.”. —Philip Seib, The Dallas Morning News. “This is, to put it mildly, an ambitious book… By spinning all these stories into a single thread, Peter Frankopan attempts something bold: A history of the world that shunts the centre of gravity eastward… Mr. Frankopan writes with clarity and memorable detail… Where other histories put the Mediterranean at the centre of the story, under Mr. Frankopan it is important as the western end of a transcontinental trade with Asia in silks, spices, slaves—and ideas.”. — The Economist. “It’s time we recognized the importance of the East to our history, insists this magnificent study… The breadth and ambition of this swashbuckling history by Peter Frankopan should come as no surprise… A book that roves as widely as the geography it describes, encompassing worlds as far removed as those of Herodotus and Saddam Hussein, Hammurabi and Hitler… It is a tribute to Frankopan’s scholarship and mastery of sources in multiple languages that he is as sure-footed on the ancient world as he is on the medieval and modern… Deftly constructed… The Silk Roads is a powerful corrective to parochialism.”. —Justin Marozzi, The Sunday Times (U.K.). Frankopan upends the usual world-history narrative oriented around ancient Rome and Greece and the irrepressible rise of Europe… In a series of brisk chapters—The Road of Faiths, The Road of Furs and so on—studded with state-of-the-art research that is sourced from at least a dozen languages, the author brings wondrous history to vivid life… In The Silk Roads, Peter Frankopan has provided a bracing wake up call.”. —Matthew Price, The National (AE).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Schools teach its students of the Roman Empire, the subsequent Dark Ages, the Norman conquest in 1066, Henry VIII and the Tudors, the American War of Independence, the Industrial Revolution and the First and Second World Wars. As the author states: “For centuries before the early modern era, the intellectual centres of excellence of the world, the Oxfords ad Cambridges, the Harvards and Yales, were not located in Europe or the west, but in Baghdad, and Balkh, Bukhara and Samarkand”. We are seeing the signs of the world’s centre of gravity shifting – back to where it lay for millennia”."
"The author's depth of knowledge and resource access, coupled with his polyglot skills, weave a centuries long tale of intrigue across a region of the world little known or travelled today. The story of the European debacle of the same time is repeatedly narrated, engrossing the reader in its internecine religious wars. Piles of skulls and cities entirely wiped off the face of the earth are ignored in favor of the administrative advantages of Mongol rule. Information is 'quickly transmitted' across the sands, mountains and rivers - this when 30 miles a day was the fastest a horse or man could travel. Other books in the vein of Central Asia would include The Poison King, Balthazar's Odyssey, The Ornament of the World, The Emergence of Modern Islam, Chasing the Sea, The Shied of Achilles and best, Millennium by Felipe Fernandez-Armesto. The ridicule of Western advances coupled to dictatorial domination and horrific tortures could just as easily describe Islamic, Indian, Chinese or Russian worlds. As for his Palestinian views, well, they are biased, leave it at that... Can't wait to enjoy My Fair Lady, his Mediterranean yacht for charter..."
"I had assumed we would be learning about the history of the silk roads and the many dynasties that rose and fell along the route - the Songdians, the cities of the Tamir Basin for example. I thought this would be an Asian centric book showing the silk roads impact on Han Dynasty China and the steps that had to be taken to keep the route secure. Or perhaps how the silk road brought Buddhism to the west and mixed the artistic sense of the descendants of Alexander's army with the Central Asian Buddhist cave dwellers."
Best Social History eBooks
Yuval Noah Harari, author of the critically-acclaimed New York Times bestseller and international phenomenon Sapiens , returns with an equally original, compelling, and provocative book, turning his focus toward humanity’s future, and our quest to upgrade humans into gods. For the first time ever, more people die from eating too much than from eating too little; more people die from old age than from infectious diseases; and more people commit suicide than are killed by soldiers, terrorists and criminals put together. While Sapiens looked back at our evolutionary development, this new book examines where we might be headed ( Homo Deus is subtitled “A Brief History of Tomorrow”). His innovative new book blends science, history and philosophy to explore the future of humanity in the face of artificial intelligence and examine whether our species will be rendered completely redundant.” – Cambridge Network “Spellbinding. “ It’s a chilling prospect, but the AI we’ve created could transform human nature, argues this spellbinding new book by the author of Sapiens .” – The Guardian. “Nominally a historian, Harari is in fact an intellectual magpie who has plucked theories and data from many disciplines — including philosophy, theology, computer science and biology — to produce a brilliantly original, thought-provoking and important study of where mankind is heading.” – Evening Standard. He’s opened a portal for us to contemplate on what kind of relationships we are forming with our data-crunching machines and whether ‘right’ must be determined by empirical evidence or good old ‘gut instinct.’” – The Hindu “[Harari’s] propositions are well-developed, drawing upon a combination of science, philosophy and history. While the book offers a rather pessimistic and even nihilistic view of man’s future, it is written with wit and style and makes compelling reading.” – iNews.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Yuval Noah Harari's "Homo Deus" continues the tradition introduced in his previous book "Sapiens": clever, clear and humorous writing, intelligent analogies and a remarkable sweep through human history, culture, intellect and technology. He starts with exploring the three main causes of human misery through the ages - disease, starvation and war - and talks extensively about how improved technological development, liberal political and cultural institutions and economic freedom have led to very significant declines in each of these maladies. Continuing his theme from "Sapiens", a major part of the discussion is devoted to shared zeitgeists like religion and other forms of belief that, notwithstanding some of their pernicious effects, can unify a remarkably large number of people across the world in striving together for humanity's betterment. As in "Sapiens", Mr. Harari enlivens his discussion with popular analogies from current culture ranging from McDonald's and modern marriage to American politics and pop music. Mr. Harari's basic take is that science and technology combined with a shared sense of morality have created a solid liberal framework around the world that puts individual rights front and center. Ranging from dating to medical diagnosis, from the care of the elderly to household work, entire industries now stand to both benefit and be complemented or even superseded by the march of the machines. For reading more about these aspects, I would recommend books like Nick Bostrom's "Superintelligence", Pedro Domingos's "The Master Algorithm" and John Markoff's "Machines of Loving Grace". As a proficient prognosticator Mr. Harari's crystal ball remains murky, but as a surveyor of past human accomplishments his robust and unique abilities are still impressive and worth admiring."
"And he claims that humanism believes that individuals always know best about their own needs (when in fact, many have emphasized the importance of education in our development--he does not even reference John Dewey). For most of the book, Harari appears to be adopting a materialistic perspective, and one which is also extremely unsentimental and discounts the significance of human morale and character. He also discusses how animals and people have consciousness and subjective experiences, and presumes that artificial intelligence will remain unconscious (the "weak AI" hypothesis of John Searle). And on the very last page, he makes us wonder if his hardcore materialistic perspective has just been a long, extended ruse: he asks us to question a worldview that would deny the significance of consciousness. So it seems likely that in a future book he will focus on the nature of consciousness, and argue for non-theistic Buddhism (an understated agenda in Harari's writing--perhaps he thinks that this is the way for humanity to avoid the grim fate predicted here?). The comment begins with "Harari indeed believes that developing an understanding of consciousness, a science of mind, or however else one wishes to phrase it is the best and perhaps the only way to avert the grim fate that threatens humanity in this century."
Best Historiography
A completely revised edition of James W. Loewen’s classic retelling of American history, based on six new textbooks and including an all-new chapter on the recent past Since its first publication in 1995, Lies My Teacher Told Me has gone on to win an American Book Award and the Oliver Cromwell Cox Award for Distinguished Anti-Racist Scholarship, and has sold over a million copies in its various editions. To make learning more compelling, Loewen urges authors, publishers and teachers to highlight the drama inherent in history by presenting students with different viewpoints and stressing that history is an ongoing process, not merely a collection of—often misleading—factoids. To account for the deplorable situation, he offers this quasi-Marxist explanation: "Perhaps we are all dupes, manipulated by elite white male capitalists who orchestrate how history is written as part of their scheme to perpetuate their own power and privilege at the expense of the rest of us." Certainly students' appalling ignorance of history is troublesome, and broken families and excessive TV viewing are at least the equals of white male conspirators as the cause.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"More to history than school books."
"If there's one book you read as a teenager... this should be it."
"just an all around great read."
"Interesting and refreshing read."
"So informative and unbiased."
"Great read!"
"This is an excellent reading of what is very wrong about the text books used in all public schools across America!"
Best Historical Essays
A New York Times Bestseller A timely collection of speeches by David McCullough, the most honored historian in the United States—winner of two Pulitzer Prizes, two National Book Awards, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, among many others—that reminds us of fundamental American principles. Insightful and inspirational, it summons a vexed and divided nation to remember - and cherish - our unifying ideas and ideals.” (Jay Strafford Richmond Times Dispatch). "McCullough's passion for history and his profound belief in America, or at least his vision of America . He is, whether at his desk or a lectern, a consummate storyteller.”. (Danny Heitman Christian Science Monitor). “Very few among us possess the encompassing and informed perspective on America’s past and present that historian and best-selling author McCullough has gained over decades of research. McCullough’s legions of fans will flock to this edifying collection.” (Booklist). “A carefully crafted, well-reasoned, heartfelt testament to what this nation can be — past, present, and we must believe — future.”. (Barbara Hall The Providence Journal). “Acclaimed historian David McCullough’s The American Spirit is as inspirational as it is brilliant, as simple as it is sophisticated. He sees his nation with all its warts, beginning with its indelible birthmark of slavery and continuing through to today’s government dysfunction and political polarization. Yet he remains confident and upbeat.” (Edward Cuddihy Buffalo News) David McCullough has twice received the Pulitzer Prize, for Truman and John Adams, and twice received the National Book Award, for The Path Between the Seas and Mornings on Horseback . His other acclaimed books include The Johnstown Flood , TheGreat Bridge , Brave Companions , 1776,The Greater Journey , and The Wright Brothers .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Most of them are college commencement addresses - in Boston, Ohio, Missouri and Pittsburgh - and a few mark the anniversary of important monuments (the White House) or events (the Kennedy assassination). He is not bashful about taking this 'Great Man' view of history, since many of the characters he picks exemplify well the essential qualities of this country. In speeches intended to commemorate buildings, McCullough also lovingly describes the rich history of monuments like the White House and Capitol Hill and cities like Pittsburgh and Boston. Throughout the book, McCullough emphasizes many of the qualities that exemplified this country's history: "the fundamental decency, the tolerance and insistence on truth and the good-heartedness of the American people". There is also bravery here, exemplified by the Founding Fathers' decision to defy the King of England under threat of execution, by abolitionists' denunciation of slavery and by the ceaseless optimism of scores of politicians and common Americans who wanted to change the direction of this country for the better. There was Margaret Smith who stood up against Joseph McCarthy and said that she did not want "to see the Republican Party ride to political victory on the four horsemen of calumny - fear, ignorance, bigotry and smear". There was physician Benjamin Rush who emphasized "candor, gentleness, and a disposition to speak with civility and to listen with attention to everybody". McCullough tells us how many of the most important Founding Fathers and presidents put learning and books front and center, not just in their own evolution but in their vision for America."
", "The American Spirit" which is a compilation of 18 or so speeches written & delivered by this excellent author at a variety of special occasions (e.g university commencement addresses, naturalization of U.S. citizens at Monticello, joint session of Congress, etc.). M's message was tailored to his specific audience with engaging histories of key people who exemplify certain characteristics that ring true of the American Experience and how we came to be the country we are today."
"I love Mr. McCullogh's works and I found it fascinating to read what synopsis of history he would choose to share in his speeches."
"The voice of David McCullough is familiar to all Americans."
"His love of our country shines through on every word of his speeches."
"A great book very enlightening!"
"David McCullough does it again."
"This collection beautifully ties together the theme of The American Spirit and brilliantly touches on all his major works."