Читать книгу The Handy American History Answer Book - David L Hudson - Страница 8

Introduction

History always interested me more than all other subjects in school. I couldn’t find enough information about different historical figures, battles, movements, and eras. While I later took courses on ancient Greek and Roman history, Russian history, and modern European history, my favorite was American history.

That is one reason why I remain grateful to Roger Jänecke of Visible Ink Press because he gave me the opportunity to write a book on American history. When he asked if I would like to write this book for the “Handy Answers” series, I couldn’t help but say “yes.”

The “Handy Answers” series provides information on important subjects in an accessible, easy-to-read format. Previously, I have worked on several works in the series—The Handy Supreme Court Answer Book, The Handy Law Answer Book, The Handy Presidents Answer Book (2nd edition), and The Handy History Answer Book, (3rd edition). The Handy American History Answer Book is a natural extension of the series.

Hopefully, the Handy American History Answer Book will supplement high school or community college courses on American history. Students in the United States need more education on history and civics. The book also can provide a starting point for those who simply want to refresh their memory or learn more about the subject.

The difficulty with such a work is determining what material most merits inclusion. But that is a great problem to have because it leads to more reading, more research and more writing. It helps satisfy the thirst for more knowledge. If you don’t find what you are looking for, let us know and we will consider it for the next edition. It is impossible to include every fascinating detail of America’s story in one book, so the intention of this work is to provide a solid overview of this nation’s history, hitting the high points and illuminating the most significant events and people of the last couple hundred years.

I truly hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed working on it.