This tribute to Commager on his 80th birthday contains excerpts from interviews and biographies discussing how he arrived at his interests and persuasions, historians who have impressed him, areas in which he and contemporary historians disagree, and failures during our own era. (RM)

This article presents a brief review of James Cross Giblin's "The Amazing Life of Benjamin Franklin" (Scholastic, 2000). This book provides a real look at the life of one of America's most famous statesmen who was also a printer, inventor, and writer. The book additionally includes a chronology of Franklin's life, information about his many…

This textbook aims to teach children the history of the country by making them acquainted with some of the most illustrious actors in it. The biographical method adopted offers a great advantage, by giving the younger pupil interesting glimpses of life in other times by means of personal anecdote.

This article starts with the view that most poets believe that poetry should be understandable and accessible to everyone. The article then introduces the poetry and ideas of Ted Kooser, a famous poet born in Iowa. Following the stories of Ted Kooser, the article introduces what a poet laureate is, how long they serve, how they are chosen, how…

Few scholars have achieved the level of recognition and respect among the wider public as Howard Zinn. This should not come as a surprise, given the "unconventional" ways that Zinn embodied and enacted his scholarship. He often took his teaching and writing into those seemingly restricted spaces of popular protest, converting words into…

This paper presents a discussion of Howard Zinn's intellectual and political ideas. Through the analysis of selections from his immense body of work, several interrelated themes emerge. Drawing more attention to these notions of dissent and democracy is crucial to revitalizing education at all levels and vital to advancing the public discourse…

What ex-presidents have done after retirement is described. Truman, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Teddy Roosevelt, Wilson, Coolidge, and Hoover are among those discussed. (RM)

The inventive talents of the senator from California and one-time son-in-law of Woodrow Wilson caused him to sally into razor blade technology and challenge the mighty Gillette Company. (Author)

This publication points out the achievements of women who contributed to the development and history of California from the 16th century, when the Spanish Conquistadores moved westward into the San Francisco Bay area, to the gold rush of 1848, and during the following period when women helped stabilize society on the rugged frontier. Women not…

This issue of the United States Military Academy Library Bulletin reviews the reported facts of Poe's biography from his enlistment at the age of 15 to the termination of his military sojourn. The 1831 and the 1966 Corps of Cadets' subscriptions for Poe's "Poems" are also discussed, and a long-term inaccuracy regarding the poet's West…

Describes the life and extensive work of the American sculptor, Daniel Chester French, whose statues have come to symbolize the spirit of America. His works include the Lincoln Memorial and the Minute Man. (AM)

Rufus Choate, a Massachusetts lawyer and orator, has been described as a "unique and romantic phenomenon" in America's history. Born in 1799 in Essex, Massachusetts, Choate graduated from Dartmouth College and attended Harvard Law School. Choate's goal was to be the top in his profession. Daniel Webster was Choate's hero. Choate became…

An appraisal of Clark Howell's career as a journalist and of his political involvement in his state (Georgia) and nation indicates a significance that history books have largely ignored. Born and raised in the Civil War South, Howell's essential regionalism led him to serve his state as a lawyer, a senator, and as the editor and publisher of the…

Shows that from 1893-1901 the major theme of "McClure's" Magazine was the success of eminent persons and how they achieved that success. (GW)

This book offers a look at those men and women who have made history with their innovative ideas, entrepreneurial daring, and abilities to take the seemingly impossible and make it real. While not every person in the book is well known, many are household names. Their successes, the diversity of their backgrounds, and the talents that these…