WEST POINT IN THE MAKING OF AMERICA

"In this extraordinary book, you too will feel the grip of West Point. . ." --From the Foreword by Sen. Jack Reed (Class of '71)

Published in association with the Smithsonian Institution, West Point in the Making of America, by Barton C. Hacker and Margaret Vining (Hydra Publishing/May 2003/$24.95), celebrates the bicentennial of the United States Military Academy at West Point, and ties in to a major exhibition at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History that runs through the end of 2003.

West Point in the Making of America takes a unique approach to its subject by focusing on the influence West Point graduates have had on the course of American history. As the book chronicles, West Point has produced not only great leaders for the United States military, but also for American science, education, engineering, exploration, public works, business, manufacturing, communication, and transportation.

West Point in the Making of America provides historical summaries of significant periods in our history, as well as biographical sketches of more than 50 West Point graduates, some famous, others less well-known. Some 200 illustrations include historical art and photographs-many never before published-as well as images of objects from the museum's extensive collection, from Ulysses S. Grant's field glasses to George Armstrong Custer's buckskin coat. Leading off the book is a Forword by Jack Reed, United States Senator from Rhode Island and West Point graduate, Class of 1971.

"In this extraordinary book, you too will feel the grip of West Point. . ." --From the Foreword by Sen. Jack Reed (Class of '71)

Published in association with the Smithsonian Institution, West Point in the Making of America, by Barton C. Hacker and Margaret Vining (Hydra Publishing/May 2003/$24.95), celebrates the bicentennial of the United States Military Academy at West Point, and ties in to a major exhibition at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History that runs through the end of 2003.

West Point in the Making of America takes a unique approach to its subject by focusing on the influence West Point graduates have had on the course of American history. As the book chronicles, West Point has produced not only great leaders for the United States military, but also for American science, education, engineering, exploration, public works, business, manufacturing, communication, and transportation.

West Point in the Making of America provides historical summaries of significant periods in our history, as well as biographical sketches of more than 50 West Point graduates, some famous, others less well-known. Some 200 illustrations include historical art and photographs-many never before published-as well as images of objects from the museum's extensive collection, from Ulysses S. Grant's field glasses to George Armstrong Custer's buckskin coat. Leading off the book is a Forword by Jack Reed, United States Senator from Rhode Island and West Point graduate, Class of 1971.

BARTON C. HACKER and MARGARET VINING are curators at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History. They both live in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY, Behring Center, Smithsonian Institution, collects, preserves, and interprets American history. With collections that represent the nation's heritage in the areas of society, culture, science, and technology, the Museum develops exhibitions and programs that address the complexity of the American experience and provide diverse perspectives on what it has meant to be an American. Through exhibitions such as "West Point in the Making of America," the Museum creates learning opportunities, stimulates imaginations, and presents challenging ideas about our country's past.