Full Text Review(s)
[Reconstruction, The Women’s Movement]- "Each volume in this series offers an overview of an area of U.S. History—including Colonial Life, the Civil Rights Movement, the Great Depression, the Wild West, and the Cold War—focusing on "voices," or primary sources, from those times. The narratives give background information and link the documents, which include newspaper and magazine articles, diaries, letters, legal documents, and speeches. Each primary source is followed by two or three "Think About This" questions, which reinforce the documents’ meanings and ramifications. A volume begins with an explanation of primary sources and suggestions for "How to Read a Primary Source." An introduction gives a summary of the topic, followed by chapters that chronologically describe the subject matter. Although each book has a different author, the narrative voices are consistent, as is format and style. In addition to a glossary, difficult words are defined in brackets.
Women’s Movement tracks two major "waves" of activity—the first linked to the anti-slavery movement and the second to the Civil Rights movement. Some subjects covered are the expansion of female education, temperance, dress freeform, abolition, suffrage, the trial of Susan B. Anthony, Margaret Sanger’s push for birth control, the post-war Happy Homemaker Myth exploded by Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique, and Phyllis Schlafly’ anti-ERA campaign. The topic of feminism has accrued some negative connotations, but this treatment describes how most changes in women’s status have been mainstream. The continuing wage gap indicates that the movement still has work to accomplish.
The volume on Reconstruction describes bitterly oppositional views of how to establish new governmental and social systems in post-Civil War South. A first period, largely implemented by President Andrew Johnson, called for southern states to reorganize themselves. Later during "Radical Reconstruction" led by Congress, the South was placed under military command until certain concessions were obtained. The passage of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments caused divisions between North and South, as well as between the President and Congress. When Reconstruction ended in 1877, extremists such as the Ku Klux Klan created a highly segregated society. It is documented by primary sources, including Frederick Douglass’s "What the Black Man Wants," Johnson’s 1865 Message to Congress, the Articles of Impeachment against Johnson, and excerpt from Booker T. Washington’s Up From Slavery, a song called "O, I’m a Good Old Rebel," and the texts of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments.
Other series titles discuss the Civil War, the Great Depression, and the Vietnam era among other subjects. These books offer overviews of topics, with the unique perspective of primary source materials. They will be useful for classroom discussions, lesson plans, and student reports.—Florence H. Munat"

[The Great Depression, The Civil Rights Movement, The Cold War]- "These books start out with good introductions to primary sources and offer suggestions about how to interpret them. Next, the authors provide overviews of their topics. Detailed tables of contents allow readers to locate specific documents. The primary sources include newspaper articles, excerpts of famous speeches, government documents, letters, and song lyrics. Each entry is prefaced with historical background and followed by "Think about This" questions. While the questions tend to give the titles a textbook feel, they will make readers pause for a moment and contemplate what they have just read. Colorful reproductions (paintings, posters, political cartoons, etc.) and period photos are sprinkled throughout, adding greatly to the texts. For example, a diary excerpt from a 14-year-old hobo in Great Depression is accompanied by a black-and-white photo of two vagrants walking along train tracks. Each volume ends with an illustrated time line; a helpful index; and a bibliographic section that includes books for further reading, Web sites, and videos. These excellent resources stand out from other titles on these frequently assigned subjects because they deal strictly with primary sources, contain top-notch illustrations, and enable students to grasp the concepts without being overwhelmed."

"This handsome series will parallel, and complement, secondary American history textbooks. Each title includes a wealth of primary source material, from high quality reproductions of artwork to maps and clippings from period publications. However, it is the inclusion of "voices" from people of the era, as expressed through speeches, journal entries, and other writings, that make this series unique for young researchers. Included writings are brief, never overwhelming, and clearly illustrate points being made in the text. A question or two, under the heading Think About This, follows each of these entries. Students will find these books to be good sources of inspiration and information for reports, and their teachers will find them handy when they introduce new units or want to deepen their students’ understanding of how historical events really affect the individuals who live through them. This title is an excellent addition to middle and high school history collections with lists of suggested Web sites and other sources of additional information. Timeline. Glossary. Bibliography. Index. Recommended."

[ The Civil War , The Opening of the West ]-"Introductory chapters explain primary sources and how they serve as clues to understand the past. Succeeding chapters present the words of soldiers, civilians, journalists, politicians, and common folk that participated in or witnessed the events of the Civil War and the conquest of the American West. Civil War addresses the issue of slavery, the life of a soldier, battles, women, medicine, Reconstruction, and more. West outlines the concept of frontier and discusses explorers, mountain men, miners, overland trails, women and children, life and jobs, and the fate of Native Americans. In both books, each chapter has a short introduction followed by the documents and one to three textbooklike questions (‘Why was there so much marching to be done?’ ‘Why were the travelers so worn out?’ ‘Why did the Mormons rejoice on seeing the newcomers?’) These colorful volumes have attractive layouts and include maps, reproductions, and archival photographs. Excellent introductions to historical research."

[ World War I , World War II]-"In each book, Ruggiero opens with information about the cause of the war and provides primary-source readings to explain how the U.S. became involved in it, how Americans fought and sacrificed on the war and home fronts, and how these conflicts ended and changed life in the U.S. Each primary source is introduced and placed in its historical and social context. News articles, first-person accounts, diary and journal entries, and more offer insights from combatants, civilians, writers, and poets, and provide a wide variety of viewpoints, including those of women, minorities, and dissenting voices. Each entry concludes with from one to four questions such as 'How do you think the Allies reacted to Germany's use of poison gas?' or 'How would you describe the tone of this memoir?' Period photos and posters (many in full color) with informative captions give readers a better understanding of the conflicts. The volumes conclude with detailed time lines and further reading lists featuring adult and YA books. These titles will not replace the many extant books published by Facts On File, Lucent, and others, all of which offer more detailed information on the causes and conduct of the World Wars. Instead, they are complementary choices to help researchers and interested readers better understand the emotions the conflicts evoked and their very substantial human cost."