Words That Make America Great - Hardcover

Agel, Jerome

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9780375409042: Words That Make America Great

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0375409041 ISBN 13: 9780375409042

Publisher: Random House Reference &, 2000

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Words That Make America Great contains all the texts that have been important in our history: from the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution, to the Gettysburg Address and the Emancipation Proclamation to the Roe v. Wade decision and the Contract with America. All are arranged in categories such as Foreign Affairs, Presidential Authority, and Inaugural Addresses, with each category arranged in chronological order. Every entry has commentary on its meaning and importance. Fifteen significant categories cover early history, foreign affairs, presidential authority, civil rights, Native Americans and more Overview essays for each category and introductions to every document clarify the historical context and significance of each event and idea

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About the Author:

Jerome B. Agel has written and/or produced more than fifty books, including collaborations with Carl Sagan, Marshall McLuhan, Buckminster Fuller, Stanley Kubrick, and Isaac Asimov.

Milton J. Cantor, Ph.D. is a professor of history at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

From Library Journal:

These two books attempt to characterize Americans in slightly different ways. In the Book of American Values and Virtues, freelance editors Bruun and Getzen take a traditional, patriotic approach, trying to show America at its best. The first seven of 14 chapters are headed with phrases from the Preamble to the Constitution, with each further organized by related subjects. Most passages are short, generally complimentary quotes from such famous Americans as Thomas Jefferson and current celebrities such as Garrison Keillor and Whoopi Goldberg. The index lists only those quoted; no subjects or topics are indexed. In Words That Make America Great, Agel (coauthor of Amending America, LJ 4/1/93) includes longer selections arranged topically, some focusing on specific historical periods such as the Civil War and some concerned with an idea like "A Fire Within." Agel includes all the basic historical documents but goes further to provide less familiar pieces, e.g., "Baseball's Original Rules" and George Carlin's "Seven Dirty Words" comedy routine as cited by the Federal Communications Commission. The selections run the historical gamut from the Mayflower Compact to Robert Dole's resignation speech. Historian Milton Cantor has written the introductions to each section, setting each in historical perspective. All public libraries should have a copy of American Values and Virtues, though its lack of a comprehensive index limits its use as a reference tool. Words That Make America Great should also be on public library shelves; its indexes make it an easy reference tool. Academic libraries will want to consider, too.?Grant A. Fredericksen, Illinois Prairie Dist. P.L., Metamora
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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