Not many people ever have a chance to read Joseph C. Lincoln's books. They are extremely hard to find, because most went out of print in the early 1900's. However when you do find an antique copy, it is a real treasure. His stories echo back to a time of whaling, fishing, snowy Cape Cod Christmas', friends, warm summer days on the beach, sailing, and working the cranberry bogs. It is quintessential Americana, with a twist of adventure, drama, and sometimes mystery wrapped up in a flavorful, Jimmy Buffet-esque atmosphere of life on old Cape Cod.

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."

THIS BOOK OFFERS REFERENCE TO MANY AUTOMOTIVE QUESTIONS AND REPAIR PLATFORM FOR THE DIY!S OF THE WORKFORCE.

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.

This is the way that the world saw Abraham Lincoln. The photos, the statues, the hundreds of items produced after his death. Besides a book for collectors, this is a socialogical study of the diefication of a man. Recently, hundreds of thousands of people turned out for Princess Diana's funeral. When Lincoln died, a greater percentage of the population turned out for the many funeral processions. Lincoln's body was takend from city to city to satisfy the public's need to mourn. The variety and volume of items commemorating Lincoln is incredible.

I have used this well put together science unit with students from grades 4-8 including numerous ESL classrooms. It is very adaptable and is always enjoyed by the students.

For the first time, I came to know Lincoln not as an iconified hero, but as a funny, direct, engaging and committed human being as I read this book. The author has thorough notes of very detailed research and tells a story that others omitted or overlooked. It made me want to read much more about Lincoln, especially more of the piercing wit and emotional perseverance shared in this book.

If you have ever seen a ballet by George Balanchine, then you are familiar with the name Karinska. In the foreward to this magnificently produced book, the great Balanchine is quoted as saying to the Ford Foundation that what he needed most for his work was "Karinska." Truth or overstatement, it is an obvious tribute to the woman who designed the costumes for more than 75 ballets by one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century.

The author, Toni Bentley was not only a dancer with Balanchine's New York City Ballet, she also wrote the best book on ballet I've ever read: WINTER SEASON, A DANCER'S JOURNAL.

In COSTUMES BY KARINSKA Bentley traces Barbara Karinska's life and work in Russia and then, after becoming one of the numerous emigrees to the West, in Paris, Monte Carlo, London, Hollywood and, finally, Manhattan in 1949. Karinska worked with many other famous creative people in her long and varied career including Agnes De Mille, Jerome Robbins, Franco Zeffirelli and George Cukor to name just a few.

This oversized book contains scores of wonderful photographs and sketches in color and in black and white including, to me, the most interesting part of the book: descriptions of how Karinska took "raw" sketches by artists such as Noguchi, Dali, Chagall, etc. and, literally, turned them into costumes.

Bentley writes gracefully and wittily and, most importantly, she doesn't only write for dance professionals.

Treat yourself to this relatively expensive but very much worthwhile history of costume in the last century and the personal and professional life of the woman who "dressed" so many major stars from Gypsy Rose Lee to Laurence Olivier. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Kathy Peterson has written this lovely book in an "easy to understand" yet comprehensive manner. The projects and photography are great which shows readers clear step-by-step how-to's as well as good detailing on each jewelry project. Beginners and novice wire crafters will really enjoy this book.

This horror anthology's subtitle, "The Ten Greatest Ghost Stories", says it all. The serious student of the horror genre will already have read most, if not all, of the selections in this book. The beauty of this anthology is having ALL your favorites between two covers of one thin book. This is a great "carry on" for travelers. This book includes the true classics (e.g. Poe's "Fall of the House of Usher", Henry James's "The Jolly Corner") as well as the truly hair-raising (e.g. Oliver Onions's "The Beckoning Fair One"). The only glaring omissions were stories by the great female horror writers of the Nineteenth Century such as Margaret Oliphant and Edith Wharton.