The Reader's Companion to American History

Whether your personal library has only a handful of books or countless hundreds, 'The Reader's Companion to American History' should be on your shelf. It is in fact what the title claims it to be. Dozens of authors have written concise entries covering thousands of American history topics. Topics range from the obvious (Civil War) to the obscure (say, the Granger Movement). Most articles are a few paragraphs of several hundred words while a few range over several pages (e.g. railroads). Highest recommendation for anyone with an interest in American history of any era.

The Reader's Companion to American History doesn't over-explain. Instead, it provides just enough information to help contextualize a period novel or, in my case, Constitutional law material, quickly. Without this book, I would have been forced to consult any number of sources to gather vital facts about people or events. This book is worth having around for reference.

Let's admit it...all parents help out with homework. Sometimes the help is simply altruistic, other times it is to meet a glaring deadline and of course there are times we just want to make sure everything is done right. To this end, "The Reader's Companion to American History," is a solid companion for parents who pitch in and help their kids finish their homework. It is also a valuable source to make sure our kids are not cutting corners.This book has it all...brief entries, articles, essays, maps, tables, bibliographies, thorough cross-references and a big-time index. If you want to find out facts about political, economic, social and cultural history, editors Eric Foner & John Garraty do a splendid job. Moreover, the first-class collection of nearly four hundred contributions from eminent scholars, biographers and journalists is very impressive. Name it...James Monroe (fifth president of the United States), Marilyn Monroe, The Monroe Doctrine...its all there. This book is great to have around during crunch time on homework. It is reliable and easy to use. Its big and heavy and not easy to carry around but when it comes to your kid's education...its worth its weight in gold.

Although I've only read a small fraction of this delightful reference work, I'm quite grateful to own it. It allows you to quickly research difficult topics, check the veracity of a book, and follow your intellectual curiousity. For example, I recently watched a biography of Frederick Douglass, the 19th century abolitionist. That revitalized my interest in the fiery orator and the abolitionist movement. The Reader's Companion contains a concise, yet in-depth profile that emphasizes Douglass' insights into the roots and consequences of racism in the 19th century. This hefty reference work, featuring the work of respected scholars should be used by anyone enrolled in a United States History course, professional historians, and amateur historians. There is also enough balance that you can easily detect the biases of various writers.

the book is invaluable as it is quite difficult to read any history book and know every subject or person involved in the reading. Therefore, the reader's companion is a great source when doing history projects or simply reading history. One does not need to pull out all his encyclopedias or go online to find out who a person in his or her reading is. For any student, especially those of history, this book comes highly recommended. The exerpts are detailed, yet not too lengthy, and provide enough bacground for the average researcher.