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Booklist - American Library Association - Booklist is ALA's official review source for current materials worthy of consideration for purchase by small and medium-sized public and school libraries. The full text of Booklist's starred review of Milestone Documents of American Leaders (which was also an "Editors' Choice title) is reproduced below.October 15, 2009 Milestone Documents of American Leaders. Finkelman, Paul (Editor) 4v. 2009. 2,100p. illus. Salem, $395 (9780979775857) The second publication in the Milestone Documents series (following Milestone Documents in American History, 2008) covers 120 influential American from the Revolutionary era to the twenty-first century, including presidents, senators, diplomats, Supreme Court justices, labor leaders, social activists, first ladies, and religious figures. Sixty-two experts contributed articles addressing the influence and impact of these American as seen through their speeches and writings. The set is arranged alphabetically: Abigail Adams to Frederick Douglass in volume 1; W.E.B. DuBois to John Jay in volume 2; Thomas Jefferson to James Polk in volume 3; and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. to Brigham Young in volume 4. Each entry contains an overview summarizing the person's life and place in history, a time line of key events, an explanation and analysis of each featured documents, and a section on the impact and legacy of the individual. Also included are essential quotes from the documents, a brief annotated bibliography, and a list of sources for further reading (articles, books, Web sites). The approximately 500 full-text documents are reprinted as the originally appeared, and many contain grammatical oddities and unusual spellings particular to the time of their writing. A glossary defines unusual, difficult, or important terms in each document. Each entry also offers questions for further study. Additional features include approximately 250 photographs and illustrations, a list of documents by category, a cumulative subject index, and teachers' activity guides that are tied to the National Center for history in the School's National History Standards. Most of the documents fall under the "Speeches/Addresses" category; other categories include "Correspondence and Diaries"; "Essays, Reports and Manifestos"; "Interviews"; "Legal"; "Legislative"; "Military"; and "Presidential/Executive." Like Milestone Documents in American History, these volumes are handsomely designed. The documents are surrounded by features that provide context and help elucidate the text. Highly recommended for high-school libraries and would also be an excellent choice for both undergraduate and public libraries. Purchase of the print set comes with free online access via Salem History (www.history.salempress.com) through December 2011. | ||||||
| - Kaye Talley |
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