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Disasters, Accidents, and Crises in American History: A Reference Guide to the Nation's Most Catastrophic Events (Facts on File Library of American History)
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From School Library Journal
Grade 9 Up—Chronicling approximately 200 of the nation's worst catastrophes, chosen for their "immense impact on American civilization," this useful volume ranges chronologically from Columbus's first voyage through Hurricane Katrina. In some cases, a symbolic date (a single year) is assigned to reference an event that took place over an extended period of time, such as Dutch elm disease, the polio epidemic, or the silicone breast implant crisis. The vast majority of the events took place on U.S. soil, though some, such as the Irish famine and the atomic bombing of Japan, occurred elsewhere but had a significant effect on this country. Each signed entry includes an engaging two- to three-page narrative relating the event; a "Factbox" providing the date, place, cause, impact, and a succinct description; and a pertinent further-reading list. Black-and-white photos, graphs, and other illustrations enhance many articles. Numerous events covered are familiar, for instance the 1871 Chicago fire, the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, and the 9/11 attacks. Others are less well known, such as 1816's "year without a summer," the 1920 Ponzi scheme, and the 1948 Donora, PA, smog tragedy. The articles are informative and clear.—Patricia N. McClune, Conestoga Valley High School Library, Lancaster, PA
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From
Lhasa apsos, terriers, and beagles, oh my! More than 160 American Kennel Club–recognized breeds in the areas of sporting, hound, working, terrier, toy, nonsporting, herding, and “miscellaneous”—those not yet placed in an AKC group—are beautifully described here in a condensed version of Barron’s Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds (2d ed., 2005). Although the same breeds are included, this version leaves out some introductory and back-matter material and the sidebars, which provide a detailed black-and-white breed illustration. Full-page entries contain the breed name; brief descriptions of history, temperament, upkeep, and health concerns; a captioned color photo of the full body and close up of snout area; and highlighted data on the origin, function, coat, color, and height and weight of the breed. For example, the captioned color photo for the Finnish Spitz breed includes descriptions of its almond-shaped eyes; foxlike head and expression; small, high-set erect ears; plumed tail; and round feet. A sidebar rates eight personality and grooming traits from 1 to 5. For example, the Pekingese entry rates energy level, exercise requirements, playfulness, and ease of training at level 1 (low); affection and friendliness at level 2; and grooming at level 5 (high); and it recommends this breed for lap purposes only. The information provided is perfect for selecting the appropriate pooch based on personality, good looks (check out the Komondor and Puli—black and white “mops”), or grooming and health needs. Front and back matter include an overview of the breed entries with explanations of ratings, descriptions of the eight AKC groups, a glossary of medical conditions from achondroplasia to zinc responsive dermatosis, a glossary of breed color terms, and a listing of health resources. Entries are consistent in coverage and design, making it easy to compare breeds. This small, spiral-bound book is perfect for circulating or reference collections in school and public libraries. --Sue Polanka
18/11/2011
Various books have been published detailing catastrophes that have befallen America during its 200-year history. Most of those volumes tend to concentrate on types of disasters (i.e. weather-related disasters, transportation disasters, etc.). Ballard Campbell's DISASTERS, ACCIDENTS AND CRISES IN AMERICAN HISTORY casts a wider net, encompassing a larger-than-normal array of "haunting and traumatic moments" in American history. As such, it's a wonderful reference source but Oh Vay, talk about sticker shock!
Campbell's book concisely but effectively describes 201 "significant (American) catastrophes." The entries are arranged chronologically. The first catastrophe, dating from 1492, is Columbus's First Voyage to America; the last, 2005's Hurricane Katrina. Typically each item gets a two-three page write-up which includes a 'Factbox' that briefly summarizes the event. About 30% of the entries have an accompanying photograph or illustration.
Obviously DISASTERS, ACCIDENTS AND CRISES IN AMERICAN HISTORY includes well-known U. S. hurricanes, blizzards, floods, bridge collapses, heat waves, fires, environmental disasters like Love Canal, civil unrest like Nat Turner's rebellion and the Oklahoma City bombing, famous - or infamous - crimes, transportation and industrial disasters, military disasters, epidemics and so on.
What I found invaluable in the book though were those events that were overlooked in past similarly-themed volumes. Campbell, for example, devotes several pages to events such as Washington's army at Valley Forge, the Potato Irish Famine of 1845, the 1872 Animal Epidemic, the 1930 American Elm die-off, the 1950 Allied retreat from the Yalu River, the 1980 Mariel Boatlife and so on. There is some fascinating history in Campbell's book, some of which I was totally unaware of.
The book includes a few extras: a topical table of contents and appendices on Disaster Movies and "Worst of" (disasters, accidents, crises) lists.
Having said all that, the book lists at $95.00! It's a well-done book but that's a lot of clams, brother.
If you're an American history enthusiast or a disaster buff, Campbell's book should be cat-nip once you get over the price. The book is well-written, entertaining and does a good job of explaining who-what-when-where-why. Libraries will want to latch on to copies since Campbell's book, published in 2008 by Facts on File, will be extremely useful for students writing reports. Recommended.
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