American Eras: Development of

Experience the history and events of distinct eras in America

American Eras is a fascinating, student-friendly reference thats patterned after the Gales award-winning American Decades series. Like its predecessor, America Eras offers insightful essays on events, publications, lifestyles and individuals important to U.S. history, but reviews them in a broader scope of time.

American Eras is designed as an efficient and cost-effective alternative to maintaining a collection of widely variable, and often incomplete, chronologies, picture books, encyclopedias and statistical sources.

Each chapter in American Eras provides your students with a unique perspective on the ideas, individuals and events that made each period in American history unique. Youll discover sidebars and illustrations that highlight the norms and values of the day; biographical entries on featured individuals to help readers understand his or her political/social prominence; alphabetically arranged topical essays (covering important events, concepts, innovations, etc.); and charts, graphs, lists, and statistical information providing key social information, such as prices and population shifts.

Each volume contains a chronology of world events that sets a historical framework; a bibliography and a list of contributors for faster reference if more in-depth study is required

Gale complements its "American Decades" series (e.g., American Decades, 1900-1909, LJ 6/15/96) by launching a companion set covering the story of America from prehistory to 1900. The current volume deals with the Gilded Age of late 19th-century American industrialization, the mass immigration of peoples from southern and eastern Europe, and the rise of the consumer society. Its 11 chapters, each written by scholars, cover world events, the arts, business, communications, government, law, social trends, religion, science, and sports. Each chapter opens with a chronology, followed by an essay on major persons, trends, and events. Next are short articles highlighting specific subjects interspersed with shorter pieces focusing on such topics as the banjo, the typewriter, the development of high schools, the Dalton Gang, the Gibson Girl, and the indoor bathroom. The chapters close with biographies of individuals who significantly influenced the period. The work as a whole opens with a broad historical essay, closes with subject and photograph indexes, and features illustrations, maps, and bibliographies throughout. As with its predecessors, little new material appears in this work. However, it does prove to be a convenient, easy-to-use resource on an interesting period of American history. Junior high school, high school, and public libraries will find this useful.?Stephen L. Hupp, Univ. of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Pa.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.