From hand tools to holidays to weapons to washing machines, "An Uncommon History of Common Things" features hundreds of colorful illustrations, timelines, sidebars, and more as it explores just about every subject under the sun. Who knew that indoor plumbing has been around for 4,600 years, but punctuation, capital letters, and the handy spaces between written words only date back to the Dark Ages? Or that ancient soldiers baked a kind of pizza on...

Offers advice on out of the ordinary vacation opportunities, from the Texas state fair to "unknown" national parks, with profiles of inspirational travelers and sidebars about off-season travel.

Describes locations and events across America ranging from Plymouth Rock to the Academy Awards with suggestions for visiting and contact information for tourist offices.

An illustrated chronicle of the migrations--forced and voluntary--into, out of, and within the United States that have created the current black population.

"In this one-of-a-kind atlas, [General Stonewall] Jackson's map and dozens more - both archival and newly created - trace the battles, political turmoil, and defining themes of the nation's most pivotal conflict."-inside jacket.

Who are the pivotal figures in American history--the men and women who have helped shape who we are as a people and how we look at ourselves as Americans? Historian Axelrod suggests we can answer this question only after we look with an open mind into all the areas of our collective past. This book highlights the famous as well as the infamous, the virtuous as well as the notorious, from the nation's earliest days to the present. Serving up history...

Collects hundreds of top ten lists highlighting America's national parks.

Collects letters, some of which appear as full-size facsimiles, written over the centuries to America's first ladies by ordinary citizens and famous figures, and includes historical information to illuminate the writer's concerns and ideas.

The Black experience and its impact on our nation's culture and character are illustrated in twelve chapters, from ancient Africa and the slave trade to such key eras as the Civil War, Emancipation, and Reconstruction; the Harlem Renaissance and the Jim Crow Era; and the modern Civil Rights and Black Power/Black Arts movements. The more than 150 historic items showcased here include documents, letters, images, and artifacts, many never before published....

"New Yorker cartoonist and painter Joseph Farris chronicles his experience in World War II through letters and sketches that he wrote at the time. The letters, some of which are reproduced as facsimiles, are illustrated with photographs, artifacts, and other archival documents as well as newly commissioned maps. The voice of the 20-something narrator in the letters is balanced with the voice of the man today, who interweaves his own commentary into...