"Building a New Nation: The Federalist Era: 1789-1801," the seventh volume in "The Drama of American History" series has nine chapters, which is usually how many you find in any two given volumes. The approach of Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier in this series aimed at 6th-9th graders is aimed at providing the "core content" rather than deluging young students with names and dates. The previous volume looked at just one topic, the creation of the U.S. Constitution. However, the three years in which George Washington and John Adams were in the White House was the equivalent of (1) Setting Up a New House, which justifies the unusual number of chapters.

(2) The First Elections is something of a misnomer, because Washington's election was a forgone conclusion. What then became important was his decision to create a cabinet in general (which is not outlined in the Constitution) and to appoint Alexander Hamilton as first Secretary of the Treasury. (3) The Whiskey Rebellion is essentially the first crisis of the new nation's federal government as some Americans decided taxation with representation did not thrill them either. (4) Foreign Problems looks at how problems with the British, especially in regards to shipping, continued, while the French Revolution affected relationships with America's closest ally. (5) The Rise of Political Parties reminds young readers that originally the nation did not want political parties; the Federalists did not really exist until the Jeffersonian Republicans were created. The beginning of political parties in the United States does not look any better than the recent activities of the current pair of such creatures. (6) Washington's Farewell looks at the significance of his departure from the national stage and the fact that his speech is still quoted today regarding the dangers of foreign entanglements. (7) The Administration of John Adams basically boils down to one good thing (avoiding war) and one bad thing (the Alien & Sedition Acts).

I am not sure why, but the last two chapters of this volume are essentially covered in more depth in the next volume in the series, "The Jeffersonian Republicans: 1800-1823": (8) The Revolution of 1800 is about the end of the Federalist period with the election of Thomas Jefferson, which was the first peaceful transfer of power between two "sides" in world history. (9) A Coda: Marbury v. Madison talks about the Supreme Court decision that established the principle of judicial review.

The end result is that "Building a New Nation" covers in broad strokes the important things that happened during this time period. Certainly this was a period of trial if not outright error and what becomes apparent is that the success of the nation came down to what its leaders did during these early days. If young students learn anything from this chapter it will be that what Washington, Hamilton, Adams and Marshall did were of supreme importance in the creation of the new nation. They will also understand that for the most part, their actions are still considered to have been the not simply good decisions, but the best of all possible decisions.

Elegantly written by Eileen Cameron, Canyon is a an especially beautiful picturebook designed for young beginning readers, and features Michael Collier's breathtaking photography of America's Grand Canyon. Cameron's simple, poetic, evocative thoughts are in completely in tune with the Grand Canyon's timeless natural splendor. A wondrous picturebook for young folks, with stunning photographs sure to cause readers of all ages to sit up and take notice, Canyon is very highly recommended for both school and community library picturebook collections for early readers.

Captain Grattidge was master of the Queen Mary, and later of the Queen Elizabeth. His reminiscences make for easy and entertaining reading.

The author, Richard Collier, has chosen the six weeks period from August 6 to September 15, 1940 for an account of the Battle of Britain "daylight air battles that were fought over the English Channel and across southern Britain; a short period that may have determined the western world fate." This is the story of the pilots, aircrews, support personnel, and commanders of the RAF and Luftwaffe who fought for air supremacy while Germany was preparing to invade Britain.

First hand and eyewitness accounts supported by official documents provide the details for the text, which is fast-moving and very readable. The narrative moves chronologically from mid-August 1940 through the September 15. The Luftwaffe initially launched devastating attacks against British radar sites and RAF stations such as Biggin Hill and Manston with the intent to either destroy the RAF on the ground or in the air as RAF fighters defended the stations. This tactic created a serious problem for RAF Fighter Command as limited aircraft and pilots had to be dispersed to defend multiple locations. RAF pilots were under great stress as "The mounting losses now decreed that a pilot's expectation of life was no more than eighty-seven flying hours." "One moment the pilots were sprawled on the dusty grass at dispersal, swapping stories, the next they were staring unbelieving at scores of German planes flying in perfect stepped-up formation." By September pilot wastage was approaching 120 men a week and aircraft losses exceeded production.

Lacking is the usual Hollywood approach to air combat that opens with "There I was at 20,000 feet when I spotted the enemy." Instead Colliers presents first hand and eyewitness accounts of the air battles, which are well presented and informative. For example, the author writes, "Then, in his last moment, feral instinct once more saved Red Tobin's life. In the second of closing in, something prompted him to make one last check, swinging the Spitfire violently to port, and as he swung back on the last weave of all he saw, almost dead astern, three yellow-nosed Messerschmitt 109s." Humor is also included in the text: at Homefield, Kent the butler "did the rounds of the velvety lawn after each dog-fight, sweeping up spent machine-gun bullets as deftly as ever he brushed crumbs from a damask table cloth." In another case when a RAF pilot made a wheels-up crash landing near an Elizabethan garden, "a country gentlemen of the old school stepped courteously forward to greet him" with a glass of brandy for his unexpected guest.

The text outlines critical command problems. The British commander Air Vice-Marshall Sir Hugh Dowding lacked trained pilots despite a two-week crash course for replacement pilots as losses outstripped the training unit's yield. From 1438 men available, by September 3 pilot strength had slumped to 840, "a casualty rate which assured the Germans victory in just three weeks." When Germany shifted to massive bomber raids to force the RAF into a fight to extinction, Fighter Command could concentrate fighter defense in larger groups; however, Dowding still faced a shortage of pilots and aircraft.

In Germany Reichsmarschall Hermann Goring lacked Dowding's empathy for his aircrews. To the German pilots it seemed that the pressure was stepping up almost hourly and Major Adolf Galland (later Germany's leading fighter ace) stated, "Things can't go on much longer like this. You can count on your fingers when your turn will come." Goring insisted on using the ME 110, which was ineffective as a bomber escort; but rejected arguments to increase production of the badly needed Messerschmitt 109 fighter. He further foolishly stated at the battle's midpoint that the RAF was down to just fifty Spitfires.

The book closes with an excellent outline of the critical air battle that took place on September 15, which the author calls the "greatest air battle of all time" On September 15, high above the German bombers, the leader of the Luftwaffe fighter escort sardonically broke radio silence with: "Here come those last fifty Spitfires." The RAF entered the battle with no reserves. While Dowding was still 170 pilots under strength, the author notes that at "this eleventh hour a fierce elation had seized every man airborne. "Few pilots notched top scores; it was teamwork from first to last" and so numerous were the crippled bombers pilots couldn't miss.

A downed German fighter pilot paid tribute to the RAF stating to his escorting guard "Well done, Spitfire." After the critical air battles of the past six weeks, by September 17, Hitler decided to postpone invading Britain indefinitely and give full priority to invading Russian. Ahead for the RAF lay long nights of bombing while the day battle was all but over. The brave efforts of "the Few" may well have determined the outcome of WWII in the west.

The book ends with a brief section of Facts About the Battle of Britain.

Overall it is well written account of a critical event in World War II.

The book CAUGHT by Willo Davis Roberts was an exciting and thrilling book. It was about two teenagers, Vickie and Joanie, who ran away to their fathers house in California, only to find their father isn't there or the night after. They soon befriended a neighbor and began a quest to find their father. I recommend this book for ages twelve and up who like mystery and adventure books.

Christopher & James Lincoln Collier devote the final three volumes of The Drama of American History series to what has happened in the United States since the end of World War II. "The United States in the Cold War, 1945-1989" covers the international tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union/Red China that threatened to become a "hot" war (with the potential use of nuclear weapons) for over forty years. "The Middle Road: American Politics, 1945-2000" looks at the swings of the political pendulum back and forth between Democrats (liberals) and Republicans (conservatives) during this period. Finally, "The Changing Face of American Society, 1945-2000" tries to cover everything else, from economic national prosperity and the impact of technological advances to the Civil Rights movement and the social turmoil of the Sixties.

This final volume in this excellent history of the United States is divided into six chapters: (1) Sudden Wealth deals with the prosperity that the nation enjoyed after the end of World War II and the new world of suburbia and consumer goods into which the Baby Boomer generation would be born; (2) A Better Deal for African-Americans looks at the desegregation of the military and public schools in the South; (3) The Civil Rights Movement Gathers Steam details the success of non-violent protests from the Montgomery Bus boycott to the March on Washington and the passage of the civil rights bill in the wake of the Kennedy assassination; (4) The Upheavals of the 1960s tries to cram a lot of significant social change into a single chapter, covering the rise of the drug culture, the popularity of rock 'n' roll music, counterculture hippies, communes, women's liberation, recycling, and protesting the war in Vietnam; (5) The March of Science tries to isolate a few key technological developments--atomic energy, jet propulsion, television, and computers-to show their massive impact on American society; and (6) The Changing Character of America tires to characterize the difference between the United States that exists in the new millennium with the one that existed at the end of World War II, doing so in the context of basic issues like immigration and health.

If there is an inherent weakness to these last three volumes in The Drama of American History series it is simply because the Colliers do not have the same benefit of hindsight they have with American history prior to World War II. In terms of the number of years being covered, these three volume fall in the middle of the series and we can easily conceive of the Colliers' grandchildren updating and expanding the series in terms of a series of books devoted specifically to the impact of technology, the radical changes in culture, the evolving ethnic composition of the country, that look at a century's worth of history by the time we get to the centennial of D-Day. Until then, these volumes will certainly do. I very much appreciated the "central core" approach of these volumes, that tries to provide the big picture of American history rather than the minute details of dates and places. Even history teachers whose schools cannot afford classroom sets of these volumes can still use them as a way of structuring their courses and supplementing the material in the traditional sort of textbook (there is no law that says you have to proceed chronologically through such a book). Finally, just in case we have missed the point, the final line of this 23 volume series reminds us: "Knowing history matters, because it tells what sacrifices must be made and how much we must know in order to maintain our liberties."

a classic. a comedy of manners that gradually interconnects a milieu of upper middle class americans -- the most seemingly straightforward and accessible of mathews' novels.

I was curious to see how Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier would approach the Civil War in their series "The Drama of American History." The Colliers are trying something different with their "central core" approach to American History, where the emphasis is on "broad strokes" rather than minute details. Their goal is "for students to grasp the underlying concepts and ideas that emerge from the movement of history," and therefore to understand "how those facts fit together and why they are significant and relevant to the world today." From that perspective the Civil War can certainly be reduced to a couple of key broad strokes: because of a dearth of military leadership the North squander its military and economic advantages in a war against the South at the coast of hundreds of thousands of lives lost; Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation elevates the Civil War from an attempt to preserve the Union to a fight to free the slaves; and Lincoln's assassination give the Radical Republicans in Congress free reign to impose Reconstruction on the South. However, it turns out that at least in this volume the Colliers are taking a more traditional approach.

"The Civil War: 1860-1865" is divided into seven chapters. First, The Coming of the War, is a radical departure from anything I have read in this series so far because it essentially summarizes some of the key points from the previous volume in the series, "Slavery and the Coming of the Civil War: 1831-1861." Second, The Terrible War Begins, establishes the initial political and military positions of the Union and the Confederacy and relates what happened at the First Battle of Bull Run (called First Manassas by side that actually won the battle, which is who usually gets to determine the name history records). Third, A War to Free the Slaves, looks in turns at the success of the two generals who would eventually end the war, with U.S. Grant leading Union troops to victory in the West while Robert E. Lee was masterminding Confederate victories in the east. However, it is the Union "success" at Antietam in turning back Lee's first invasion of the North that gives Lincoln the political opportunity to make the Emancipation Proclamation. Fourth, A War at Home and at Sea tries to provide an understanding of the impact of the war on all Americans and the significance of the first clash of ironclads. Fifth, The Tide of Battle Turns looks at how the surrender of Vicksburg to Grant's forces and the defeat of Lee at the Battle of Gettysburg in the first week of July 1863 marked the beginning of the end for the Southern Confederacy. The Colliers also look at the significance of Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address" as a recapitulation of American democratic principles. Sixth, Sherman Marches to the Sea, emphasizes the brutal strategy of making sure the South did not have food to feed it soldiers, which also had the effect of insuring Lincoln's re-election. Seventh, The Slaughter Finally Ends, covers the end of the war in the East, from the Battle of the Wilderness, to the siege of Petersburg, to Lee's surrender at Appomattox. The volume ends, not with Lincoln's assassination (which now becomes the prologue to the story of Reconstruction), but with recognition of the concept of "total war" and the realization with the Confederacy's surrender, the slaves have been freed. This is, I must admit, a nice way of setting up the next volume in the series, "Reconstruction and the Rise of Jim Crow (1864-1896)."

Now, while I am really like with this "central core" approach to American History, I have grave practical concerns about teachers being able to have classroom sets of "The Drama of American History" series for use by their students. With so many volumes, in hardcover no less, the price would be cost-prohibitive except for really affluent school districts. Hopefully, at some point these books would be collected into two larger volumes following whatever line of demarcation is between Part I and Part II of American History is being followed on colleges today. "The Civil War" is illustrated with historic photographs, paintings, etchings, and a few choice political cartoons, as well as with detailed maps tracing key troop movements in various key campaigns and battles.

Michael Collier's debut book of poetry is subtle, understated, and passionate.

"White Bass" is a fabulous poem in which the speaker grieves the loss of his dying father ("to see if my father swims by."). The language in this poem is almost excruciatingly (and therefore ecstatically) tense, and leads to a wholeness of being, and of feeling.

Another favorite of mine is "Mescal," in which the speaker is intoxicated, and begins to see the two fighters on the label of his bottle of booze, fall into one another's arms. This poem touches that place in all of us that's "waited years and years to be touched."

"The Daughters of Degas" is a brilliant poem about a speaker who is the youngest sibling and the only male sibling, with sisters. This poem is about learning the importance and the revery of the interaction between males and females. The speaker notes his sisters going off to school, clutching books, tucking in blouses, and how air swirls around them, and perfumes swirl around them. The end of the poem has the speaker falling into a bed that belongs to one of his sisters, and inhaling the perfumes of their departure. The poem is also about how it is important for all males (especially heterosexual males) to own the feminine parts of themselves. By implication, it is about the importance of females (especially heterosexual females) to own the masculine parts of themselves. But this is never addressed directly, and is not the core of the poem, nor should it be.

This is a book of lucid intelligence and vision, and it is a book full of circular and spherical shapes, shapes a clasp would make. It is a beautiful series of circles, which form a poetic embrace.

I highly recommend this book to everybody.

I just bought a whole set (24 volumes) of Collier's Encyclopedia and I started reading them. Every pages of the books are very informative, complete with colorful pictures and drawings. These encyclopedias are applicable to all people from Primary School to Professionals and to all people from walks of life. Useful to me, as Electronics Engineer, to my husband, Systems Engineer, my kids when they grow up, my sister, a lawyer and all my loved ones. I can say that having these books makes me feel great and smarter! Definitely a treasure for life!