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Inca History Must Read
Garcilaso de la Vega's recollections of pre-Hispanic Peru (and Bolivia) are perhaps the most important in any language. Known as "El Inca," De La Vega was of two bloods -- the illegitimate son of a Spanish conquistador and an Inca princess. He was born in the Incan capital of Cuzco, Peru, and steeped in both traditions. So his accounts of what life was like before The Conquest of the Queshua-speaking people of Peru and Bolivia are the closest to what it truly was like before the illiterate son of a pig farmer, Francisco Pizarro, and a handfull of armored and horsed Spanish adventurers exploited multiple coincidences to "conquer" the so-called Inca empire. These variables included the unrest in the Incan empire after Atahualpa, the last "Inca" (name of the "Son of the Sun" -- the king) defeated his brother, Huascar, for the kingship; and the facts that the Queshua-speaking people of Peru and Bolivia (misnomered as: The Inca) had never seen horses, had no firearms and were expecting the return of a white, bearded god named "Viracocha" -- who they took Pizarro to be. Curiously the Aztec of Mexico were defeated a few years earlier because of a similar "white bearded god" myth -- the Aztec thought Hernan Cortes was Quetzalcoatl, their name for the "white bearded god" who had promised to return to the people of Mexico hundreds of years before The Conquest by Cortes.

The marvels of the organization of most of South America under the "Inca" empire are wonderfully illustrated by De La Vega in his "Royal Commentaries." Life as he "remembers" it before Pizarro (since he was born just after the conquest) comes alive under the pen of "El Inca" as under no other historian. De la Vega gives life to this great story of the clash of empires and cultures that is on a level with the epic conquests of Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, the Romans and the early Muslims. "The Royal Commentaries" is a must-read for anyone fascinated (as I am) with life in South America before the Spanish stumbled into The New World in search of gold and souls. ... Read more

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This two-volume study guide has approximately1,700 questions: 1,400 multiple-choice andtrue/false questions (approximately 50 perchapter), and almost 300 essay questions (about10 per chapter). The guide includes definitionsof key terms and chapter review questions. ... Read more

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LIBERTY, EQUALITY, POWER: A HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, CONCISE 5e, offers readers a clear, concise understanding of how America transformed itself, in a relatively short time, from a land inhabited by hunter-gatherer and agricultural Native American societies into the most powerful industrial nation on earth. The authors promote this understanding by telling the story of America through the lens of three major themes: liberty, equality, and power. This approach helps users understand not only the impact of the notions of liberty and equality, which are often associated with the American story, but also how dominant and subordinate groups have affected and been affected by the ever-shifting balance of power. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Liberty, Equality, Power: a history of the american people
I was displeased with the shipping time frame that I received.I ordered for an online history class over a week before school started WITH expedited shipping because it was time sensitive that I received it before it started.Delay in shipping through UPS in which is was sent ground?Received it after the start date of class; put me behind to the point where I had to drop the class. They refused to refund the 5.99/6.99 for the shipping I paid though it was outside the time frame.Spent over 45 minutes on the phone being lead in circles about why they couldn't.Its sad when a company knows a customer is upset and is willing to lose them over 5.99.I've purchased many books through them; I will just choose to order them from someone else. ... Read more

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The hypothesis advanced in Frederick Jackson Turner's famous 1893 essay, The Significance of the Frontier in American History, has been debated by three generations of scholars. The pioneering experience, Turner suggested, accounted for some of the distinctive characteristics of the American people: during three centuries of expansion their attitudes toward democracy, nationalism and individualism were altered, and they developed distinctively American traits, such as wastefulness, inventiveness, mobility, and a dozen more.

After opening with a summary of the appearance, acceptance, and subsequent dismissal of the theory, the author carefully defines the "frontier" and reviews recent evidence on its political, social, and economic characterstics.He discusses the compulsion to migrate and examines other behavioral patterns and traits in his explanation of how and why pioneers moved west. His extensive bibliographic notes constitute a remarkable guide to the literature of many disciplines dealing with the frontier concept. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Defense of the "Frontier Thesis," but only a Partly Successful One
Ray Allen Billington, who died in 1981, was one of the most prolific historians of his generation, and the major defender and reinterpreter of the "Frontier Thesis" of Frederick Jackson Turner. Turner's 1893 "Frontier Thesis" paper is perhaps the most influential essay ever read at the American Historical Association's annual conference. It has exerted a massive influence on the historiography of the United States, in no small measure because of its powerful statement of American exceptionalism and its justification of conquest. Turner took as his cue an observation in the 1890 U.S. census that the American frontier had, for the first time, closed. He noted, "Up to our own day American history has been in a large degree the history of the colonization of the Great West. The existence of an area of free land, its continuous recession, and the advance of American settlement westward explain American development." He insisted that the frontier made Americans American, gave the nation its democratic character, and ensured the virtues of self-reliance, community, and the promise of justice. He noted that cheap or even free land provided a "safety valve" that protected the nation against uprisings of the poverty-stricken and malcontented. The frontier also produced a people with "coarseness and strength...acuteness and inquisitiveness, that practical and inventive turn of mind . . . [full of] restless and nervous energy...that buoyancy and exuberance which comes with freedom." It gave the people of the United States, in essence, virtually every positive quality they have ever possessed.

The "Frontier Thesis" has enjoyed both eloquent critics and defenders over the years. None of its defenders, however, has been more zealous than Ray Allan Billington and "America's Frontier Heritage" is his most mature statement on the subject. Turner never really applied his thesis to the test, but Billington invokes the work of historians, sociologists, economists, anthropologists, psychologists, demographers, and a host of other social scientists to "suggest logical means whereby three centuries of expansion did alter the behavioral patterns of the frontiersmen, and to a lessening degree of their descendents in the twentieth century" (p. xiii). Throughout Billington asserts the primacy of the "Frontier Thesis" in shaping American exceptionalism, despite his persistent chirping that he is not a "monocausationlist," not a very convincing statement when one explores this book's persistent pro-Turner bias.

A useful example of the manner in which Billington reinterprets the "Frontier Thesis" is his analysis of the labor safety valve. Turner suggested that the frontier provided a draw from the cities so that the burdens of class, economics, and other factors did not weigh on the development of United States the same way that it did in countries were the opportunity of the frontier did not exist. Numerous students have noted that this "safety valve" did not really exist, that most people who went to the frontier were not from the cities, etc. Billington accepts this reality, but notes that it was unimportant. The belief that it existed was enough, and it helped release pent up frustrations with the social order and prompted people not to turn in upon themselves, defusing jeopardy to the democratic fabric. The widespread sense that movement to the West "provided an escalator to the top of the social ladder that could not be duplicated in the East or Europe" helped ensure the democratic republic.

I first read this book in graduate school a quarter century ago as the most eloquent statement of the "Frontier Thesis." At that time the "New Western History" was just emerging and no one wanted to be called a "Turnerian." So I had to learn more about it, and I remember being impressed with Billington's eloquent defense of a provocative but ultimately overstretched explanation of the American character. Rereading it in the first part of the twenty-first century, I remain impressed with the work and how well it still explains many aspects of American history. Billington was sensitive to the contradictions and inconsistencies in the "Frontier Thesis" and usually found a way to smooth over them to create a generally convincing argument. In some instances he casts parts of the hypothesis overboard, but generally he modifies and amplifies to support Turner's basic ideas. There are now virtually no "Turnerians" left among historians, certainly none with the skill of Ray Allen Billington, but there are still aspects of the "Frontier Thesis" deserving of investigation. Among those, and Billington points them out, is the lack of a rigid class system, a faith in ordinary people and their will arrived at through democratic processes, and an emphasis on peaceful change. Turner and Billington believed those ideas sprang from the influence of the frontier on Americans. They are significant ideas regardless of their sources, and "America's Frontier Heritage" offers an enticing set of ideas about their evolution. It is not fully convincing, but it is interesting. ... Read more

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This award-winning book offers an invaluable synthesisthat is essential reading for anyone interested in the cattle-ranchingtraditions in North America. In this revisionist study, historicalgeographer Jordan reinterprets cattle ranching in the Old World andNew, challenging the notion that western cattle culture derivedprincipally from Texas. Jordan begins by looking at Old Worldstock-raising patterns of the British, Spanish, and North Africans andtraces how these practices merged in the Caribbean and were broughtinto Mexico. He also shows how in the eighteenth and nineteenthcentury cattle-raising found its way to the Eastern Seaboard, theSouth and Midwest of the present United States, and into California. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The whole story
Covering the history of cattle ranching from before Columbus to the present day; it allows you to see how each step of the process evolved from the situation before. Discusses the contributions from the Spanish and English emigrants, and the African slaves. Reviews which breeds were used where,how they did, and why. The economics of success and failure of the different regions. Clear and easy reading for those with only a passive interest and enough tables and references and footnotes for a college paper.

Webb--not!
The book is excellent; takes a complex look at how ranching developed in North America and replaces many myths with facts. A cultural geographer, Jordan is a consummate researcher and explores the way cattle (and people) moved into North America, and how it shaped settlement.If you are like me, and bristle when reading Walter Prescott Webb, because you just KNOW it's not really like that--this book explains what really happened, as cattle and people moved onto the Plains.He provides lots of valuable bibliographic sources, too. ... Read more

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Author Joseph R. Conlin's award-winning teaching and writing styles are reflected in this colorful and engaging look at the individuals, events, and ideas that have shaped this nation's past. Organized into short, easy-to-read chapters, this text sets the story in a political context, weaving in social, cultural, economic, intellectual, constitutional, diplomatic, and military events along the way. American history has never been so eye-opening--and enjoyable. This Enhanced Edition also shows you how to use the maps, images, and charts in the book to gain an edge in your studies. A brief introduction to the text--"Studying from Primary Source Materials"--reveals some of the tricks to uncovering the past that your instructor wants you to know. "Discovery" sections at the end of every chapter assist you in practicing these skills, helping you to connect the text's main ideas and excel in your course. ... Read more

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grade A
I am very pleased withproduct I recieved. It was in optimal condition, and I recieved it quickly. Being a student and mother of four children on a budget, this was very important to me. So thanks. ... Read more

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THE ENDURING VISION'S engaging narrative integrates political, social, and cultural history within a chronological framework. Known for its focus on the environment and the land, the text is also praised for its innovative coverage of cultural history, public health and medicine, and the West--including Native American history. The 7th Edition brings the work fully up-to-date, and was revised line-by-line to create a sharper narrative. A new feature, called "Going to the Source," is a one page excerpt of a primary source. These appear throughout each chapter with analysis questions to serve as review. Chapters 26-29 have been reorganized to consolidate coverage of the Cold War, the civil rights movement, and the Vietnam War, so that each is addressed cohesively. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Excellent book
I had to purchase this book for a college course that I was enrolled in. The book is very informative, but unlike some of the textbooks I have bought in the past, this book is easy to red and is in language that I can understand. The book is at my level.

TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE
Don't buy from this seller.You will never recieve your books nor hear back from them regarding your books!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good text
I needed this book for a class and thought it would be just another boring history text. I have been pleasantly surprised. I'm really enjoying the way the information is presented and it isn't boring at all.

Fast shipment!
Thank you so much for the transaction, the book had a few markings on it and it had some wear on it too.. but for what i need it, it's ok. I am happy with the purchase, thankyou:)!

The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People, Vol.1 To 1877
This is a great book. It has a great amount of detail for the era. Very well written. I would recommend this book for any history class that is studing this era. ... Read more

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Highly respected for its impeccable scholarship and elegant writing style, Alan Brinkley�s American History provides students and instructors with a reliable, comprehensive account of the American past in which no single approach or theme predominates. From its first edition, this text has included a scrupulous account of American political and diplomatic history. Today, the book explores areas of history such as social, cultural, urban, racial and ethnic history, the history of the West and South, environmental history, the history of women and gender, and American history in a global context. The twelfth edition of this text includes the McGraw-Hill�s hit Primary Source Investigator (PSI) cd-rom, with hundreds of sources and a program that walks students through how to write a paper using those sources as evidence.. ... Read more

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saved 90%, but misshipped to non-delivery address
Book was as advertised in excellent condition and correct edition. Saved 90% over college bookstore. ... Read more

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From the discovery of the New World to the policies of the Clinton Administration, this clear and concise guide summarizes the main events, personalities, issues and trends throughout the history of the United States. ... Read more

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THE ATLAS OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY AND POLITICS consists of more than 150 originally produced maps which trace the African experience throughout the world and in America.The volume traces the complete history of African-Americans and their lives, employing artfully-conceived maps, and enhanced by sharply-written historic narratives,graphically reinforcing the facts.This work is appropriate for courses in African American history and American history where instructors would like to integrate African American history into their curricula. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Great savings!!!!!
I needed this book for my Black Studies class and my
finacial aid had run out.3 'recommended' textbook
websites were out so I looked on Amazon.com,
found it and saved $50!!!!!Thanks.

Great Too
The delivery came even before the due date and I think that was super-excellent. Keep it up.

Great Reference Guide
Excellent, informative reference guide. Clear and concise information. A must for your library!

At Last, a True African-American Atlas
This is the type of African-American history book I have been searching for!The Atlas of African-American History and Politics offers not only a detailed chronilogical narrative of the African-American's history from slavery to today, but also clean-crisp visuals to clarify.You will learn and see the actual routes that were taken during slave trades.Not only is this book great for African-American study courses, but every household in America should have a copy of this easy read, yet informative atlas.

At Last, a True African-American Atlas
This is the type of African-American history book I have been searching for!The Atlas of African-American History and Politics offers not only a detailed chronilogical narrative of the African-American's history from slavery to today, but also clean-crisp visuals to clarify.You will learn and see the actual routes that were taken during slave trades.Not only is this book great for African-American study courses, but every household in America should have a copy of this easy read, yet informative atlas. ... Read more

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This book turns American history into an exciting time-travel adventure, with a moral lesson. For young adults in Grades 6-12+, this is a beautiful book that even adults will treasure. Amazing photographs illustrate Anthonys journey through time: Anthony is in the photos! Anthony walks on the moon with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, plays baseball with Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth, and flies from New York to Paris with Charles Lindbergh. He storms the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, cries with survivors of the Holocaust, and watches battle-weary marines raise the American flag on Iwo Jima. He helps Thomas Edison invent the phonograph, the light bulb, and the motion picture camera. He meets FDR, and works with Doctor Jonas Salk to conquer polio. He meets his great-grandfather at Ellis Island in 1907: together they fight in the trenches of World War I, struggle through the Great Depression, and start a business in America. Anthony is with his great-grandfather the day he becomes an American. Anthony does it all by stepping through the Magic Picture Frame on his bedroom wall.

This book is historically accurate: even Anthonys conversations with the people of the past are based on things they really said, all properly footnoted.

This book contains a built-in time machine: recommendations for hundreds of books, movies, songs, and places to visit.

Every chapter teaches a life lesson. Anthony discusses the nature of good and evil, right and wrong, war and peace, what it means to be an American, honor and discipline, success and achievement, courage and destiny, God and purpose. Anthony learns that the heroes of the past have something important to tell us: that the purpose of life is to live a life of purpose, and doing the right thing always matters.

Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11 Astronaut says: "The book's vivid narrative and captivating photographs transported me through space and time: I felt that I was once again standing on the surface of the Moon in 1969. Anthony and the Magic Picture Frame `tells it like it really was' in America's early space program - the adventure, the risks, and the rewards. I almost believe that Anthony was there! I think that parents and teachers will appreciate the inspiring message this unique history book holds for America's next generation. I recommend this book to all young Americans, may they take us to the stars and beyond."

Michael Medved, National Syndicated Talk Show Host says: "Entertaining and educational."

Independent Publisher says: "Outstanding Book of the Year!

Midwest Book Review says: "Very strongly recommended to all parents wishing for an accurate and expansive education of American history for their children."

David Kinchen, Huntington News Network says: "A history book that puts students right in the picture: Now there's a concept that makes a lot of sense!" ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Great resource!
Very well done and well researched book! I have it in my 6-12 school library, and I'm very glad I do. It is wonderful to be able to provide such an entertaining book, that is also so historically accurate.

Bringing history home!
Relating modern-era history to children often prove to be be a challenge. Anthony and the Magic Picture Frame, written by Michael S. Class, attempts to fill this void by bringing the child into history, literally.

Anthony is you average twelve year old boy, with one difference, Anthony has a magic picture frame. Anthony's picture frame allows him to step back in time and witness history first-hand. Anthony and the Magic Picture Frame is a narrative journal of Anthony's activities and provides detailed descriptions of what he saw, heard and lived through.

Anthony and the Magic Picture Frame brings history to life for middle-years and older children. Wonderfully illustrated with archival photographs your child can see and read about important events and how these events shape our lives today. The photographs and brilliantly altered to include Anthony, in period garb, right in the middle of the action. Be warned, however, that many of these photographs are graphic. The photographs are real and are well-used but they are made so much more real by the presence of this little boy in each of them, sometimes in the middle of a battlefield. If you have a highly sensitive child you may wish to save this book for when they are of an age to see children in distressing situations.

Anthony and the Magic Picture Frame has a place in the library of all Americans who want to give their children an accurate and detailed education in current-era American history. Best suited for children twelve and older, Anthony and the Magic Picture Frame will provide years worth of lessons or serve as a fantastic stand-alone resource.

Outstanding historical literature for children and all ages
Michael S. Class has created an amazing piece of literature that touches on the importance of how history and the present weave together. As he explores particular historical events and how they have impacted the way society functions today, Michael has taken it a step further. His visual interpretation of Anthony is a creative masterpiece. The illustrations capture the imagination of both the young and the old while the text inspires people to think about their own past. Anthony and the Magic Picture Frame is a solid piece of literature and a wonderful piece of art. This book will introduce children to history in a new, lively and exciting manner. Michael is bringing back an education that creates children who are deep thinkers and life-long learners. Don't waste another second. This is a gift for all.
Cherie McIntosh, Deena Cook
P & P Publishing LLC
[...]

Great Family Reading and Viewing
This book will inspire interest in the great stories and famous photographs of history. The photos are very creative and tell a lot about the time period just through the expressions of the author's son, who is nearly seamlessly inserted into historical photographs.

Younger children will enjoy just looking at the large photographs (this book is coffee table size) and older children and adults will enjoy the well written text. I have used it with 8 and 12 year old homeschooled boys as a book to read aloud.

The chapters and topics can be read in any order. The subjects cover the Civil War, when the first photographs were taken, to the polio vaccine in the 1950s.Many of the photographs will be familiar to people born in the early to mid 1900s, and so the idea of developing the story and conversations behind the images is especially appealing.

Clearly, the author loves history. He treats his subject with honor and respect and tells the story of individuals using their own words and images. This is not just a cute and clever idea for a time machine; there are serious lessons to be learned and remarkable and heroic achievements to be celebrated.

The book has an excellent resource list including movies, music and places to visit to supplement the journey back through time.An unexpected added bonus!

Highly recommended. Great gift idea.

Step into History
"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved." ~ William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925)

Imagine what it would be like to be a kid who jumps into a picture and lives some of the most exciting moments in history like walking on the moon or arriving in American ready to start a new life. In "Anthony and the Magic Pictures Frame," history comes alive in the mind of a child.

Here we find Anthony in digitally enhanced pictures so it looks like her really was walking on the moon or standing next to Charles Lindbergh and his airplane in 1927. The pictures are great because they show things you might not normally see like the inside of the plane. You might not see this unless you went to the National Air & Space Museum in Washington.

Here we also find Anthony interviewing Thomas Edison and standing with Lou Gehrig on opening day at Yankee Stadium in 1937. Throughout this book there is a sense of humor, but also profound moments and moments for reflection.

Suddenly history becomes far more interesting when it is told from this type of perspective. Even in the stories of harsh realities during the war, there is a sense of kindness as people help one another to survive. This is a book children and adults will love and it puts a smile on your face while you learn a lot about history.

~The Rebecca Review
... Read more

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A Companion to 20th-Century America is an authoritative survey of the most important topics and themes of twentieth-century American history and historiography.

• Contains 29 original essays by leading scholars, each assessing the past and current state of American scholarship
  
• Includes thematic essays covering topics such as religion, ethnicity, conservatism, foreign policy, and the media, as well as essays covering major time periods
  
• Identifies and discusses the most influential literature in the field, and suggests new avenues of research, as the century has drawn to a close

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Offering a rich and insightful road map of Asian American history as it has evolved over more than 200 years, this book marks the first systematic attempt to take stock of this field of study.

Customer Reviews (1)

A choice, concise guide to Asian American experiences
A choice, concise guide to Asian American experiences is offered by Gary Okihiro, the recipient of the American Studies Association Lifetime Achievement Award and past president of the Association for Asian American Studies. The experiences of Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Hmong, Indians and more are contrasted in chapters exploring migration patterns, racism issues, gender issues and much more. Columbia Guide To Asian American History is a recommended pick for any high school or college collection focusing on Asian-American immigrant, multicultural, or ethnic group experiences.
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Customer Reviews (4)

OK, But....
This is very useful for History majors, maybe even high-school students.My main gripe with this book is that there are too many entries of celebrities/athletes.For example, Barbara Streisand is in there, but some things I wanted to look up for history were left out.Also, if you want it for the sports information, beware because it's lacking in that department, too.My brother went to look for Mark McGuire and he was not in there.

Great for all ages
I should have bought three of these books, one is simply not enough under my roof.My husband won't put it down, my 9 year old daughter uses it for reference in her class studies and I find myself skimming through it when I get a chance to relax.This is an excellent, comprehensive book covering all major historical events and people.Very recent entries including a summary of the US Patriot Act and other recent world events.As a mom I would say this book is appropriate for ages 8 and up (material and reading wise)

A Coffee Table Must
This book should be on everyone's coffee table.I would call it a "Readers Digest" condensed American History masterpiece.We use it constantly to look up historical facts that are a part of every day conversations without having to resort to a computer or a 20 volume history encycolpedia. The handy size should make it a part of every students library.

Excellent reference
Are you interested in American people, events, and/or politics?Are you a student, parent or teacher?Do you have any standardized tests coming up which will includequestions about American History?Are you an American citizen?If so, this book is an absolute must!It is easy to reference and has up-to-date information about relevant historical people and events.Written by two teachers with a dynamic background in American History, this book is a first-rate, accessible look at just about anything you'd like to know about the United States of America.Highest recommendation. ... Read more

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The Marraige of Industry and Design
This book was published as a catalogue for a 1991 show at the American Craft Museum.The show's purpose was to look at Craft in the United States from 1920-1945.This was an exciting period when American industrial designers took many of the emerging ideas of European Modernism and gave these new theories a unique American character.This age known variously as Depression Modern, Streamline, Art Moderne and Art Deco.

What makes this book interesting is that it focuses on craft.There are chapters on wood working, metal working, glass blowing, ceramics and textiles.As would be expected, this book covers the iconic works of the masters such as Teague, Deskey, Rhode and Wright.But there are also a number of less well known craftmen of the period.It is these more obscure figures that make this book compelling.Their contributions illustrate that fact that this was a movement as oppossed to the exceptional works of a few remarkable craftsmen.

"Craft in the Machine Age" is filled with numerous photographs and has chapters on the different crafts written by museum curators and academics.As you would expect, it is a well made professional catalogue of a major art exhibition.This book is a must purchase for enthusiasts of American material culture in the years between the two World Wars.Highly recommended. ... Read more