Customer Reviews

The Pocket Book of Patriotism

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In 2005, The Harris Poll conducted a survey that showed less than a quarter of American citizens had a basic--and I do mean basic--understanding of how the federal government is structured. Thus, it's very likely that any person reading this view lacks the basic information for meeting the duties of responsible citizenship. This book offers a means to correct that problem, if you are such a person.

In another 2005 incident, an honors student in college did not know which came first--the Vietnam War or the French-American War. Part of the blame lies in the alleged "news coverage" spewed by American television networks and other sources of disinformation--how are young people supposed to learn the truth in a barrage of sensationalism and extremely biased "reporting?"

But it goes deeper than the television problem--too few citizens have a handy reference for reviewing and later referring to seminal events in American and World history, and so they find it nearly impossible to sort fact from fiction. This book solves that problem.

Aside from the introduction, this book has no narrative. So, it's a quick read. Most of it consists of a highly informative timeline--something I've often wanted but did not have, until now. This timeline consists of two columns on each page. The left column is for events in American history, while the right is for events in world history. It's illuminating to see these laid out side by side, for any given year. Being a history buff myself, I looked hard for some failure or error in this timeline. I didn't find one.

After the timeline, the book offers a "Part Two," which contains the following information:
*Speeches, charters, and significant documents
*Lyrics of patriotic songs
*Poems and verse
*A listing of United States Presidents along with their dates of service
*The states, listed in the order in which they joined the union
*Quotations on patriotism
*Medals of valor and what they mean
*Flag traditions and flag ettitiquette
*Oaths and pledges

It's interesting to note that the author draws a distinction between nationalism and patriotism. It's also interesting to note that Foreman is no knee-jerk, wide-eyed, flag-waving fanatic. The book gives a bit of perspective with his short bio.

"The Pocket Book of Patriotism" is a beautifully presented little book containing many of the "essentials" that every American child and adult should become familiar with. I say "little" because it only has 96 pages; yet those pages are full of information that, if taken to heart, ought to make we Americans proud. What a resource to have readily available in a format that can be carried in a backpack, brief case, purse, or even a child's lunch box! Jonathan Foreman, the man who put this valuable contribution together, describes the book (better than I can) in his Introduction:

"It is not a textbook, still less an encyclopedia. It is a celebration of this country. Without whitewashing America's past (true patriotism acknowledges America's sins and flaws) it celebrates America's history, her contributions to humanity, the eternal optimism and energy of her people. Above all it celebrates the documents in which successive generations of Americans have placed their faith."

And that's exactly what it does and what it delivers. In my view, this "little" book should be placed in the hands of every American schoolchild, not to be "read" as one would a novel or ordinary nonfiction book, but to be perused occasionally for thoughtful reflection and accessible for immediate reference when one needs the information contained therein. So, what is "contained therein"? Here, briefly, is a list of some of the contents:

1. A selective timeline of historic events (beginning in 30,000 B.C.! and continuing until 2005 A.D.). Also, little-known facts which place America's chronology in the context of key world events, interspersed with fascinating quotes by important figures.

Incidentally, I am happy to relate that one of my favorite quotes is included: the famous (to some "infamous") statement that Barry Goldwater made during his presidential bid that got virtually all Democrat and many Republican noses out of joint. However, Goldwater was correct then and subsequent history has, I think, shown him to be correct. (Sorry, you'll have to read the book to see what quotation I'm referencing.)

2. Excerpts from key speeches, charters, and significant documents of American history, with highlights from the Declaration of Independence and Constitution.

Every American, at the very least, ought to be familiar with the first paragraph and the first sentence of the third paragraph of the Declaration of Independence. Furthermore, I would think it desirable that every American child be able to recite the Preamble to the Constitution. I have found that many Americans can't even recognize its placement among our core documents. That's a shame.

3. Excerpts and lyrics from classic patriotic songs and poems.

It is an unfortunate fact that our public schools have virtually ignored or forgotten the famous songs and poems of America and no longer expose students to them. The author has included a few favorites of mine -- Emerson's "The Concord Hymn," Longfellow's "Paul Revere's Ride," and "The Marine Corps Hymn" among them -- and I would hope that our young people would become familiar with them and the others offered. They are, after all, an essential part of our American heritage.

4. Chronological lists of US presidents as well as the states and their dates of accession to the Union.

I used to teach American history many eons ago. In my first year of teaching I required my students to memorize the names of the US presidents in chronological order; until, that is, one of my students asked "why" when they could simply "look them up." Good question! I stopped that practice immediately and spent the time showing my students where to find the information when they needed it. Now I would simply put this book in their hands and tell them to keep it handy all the time.

5. A history of the Medal of Honor and other medals of valor.

This is an unusual (albeit very valuable) entry in my opinion. Most American history textbooks do not seem to contain this type of information. Hats off to the author for including it as a part of our American heritage. Our children especially need to be made aware of the part our military veterans have played in keeping our nation free. The Medal of Honor winners are true heroes, as are those who have won other medals for bravery and service.

6. A primer on US flag traditions and etiquette.

Again, valuable information in this day and age when so many Americans do not seem to be aware that a certain respect is due our flag; not because of the flag itself, but because it is a symbol reflecting our commitment to liberty and justice for all. It is unfortunate that so often our flag is seen as a symbol of mere political policies rather than which it truly represents.

All in all, I think Foreman has made a splendid contribution to the citizens of this country, both young and old, by putting together this resource and providing us with a true sense of what "patriotism" genuinely means. All too often these days, we are presented with a cheap "nickel and dime" patriotism or a hubristic "nationalistic" patriotism which results in mere xenophobia or in a misunderstanding and misinterpretation of the American adventure. Our Founding Fathers would have rejected both notions of such patriotism, opting instead for a patriotism which articulated those ideas and ideals expressed in the two key documents of American history: the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States (notably the Preamble).

I highly recommend this book and hope for its wide distribution. We must regain a sense of "civic pride" in its true and rational meaning, especially in this time when we face so many challenges, both domestic and foreign. In order to accomplish this, in my view, we need to have at hand such a book as this to remind us that, while we are not perfect by any means, we are dedicated to the ideas and ideals upon which America was founded.

This book is a breath of fresh air in a time when it seems everyone is publishing a book on patriotism that is actually just a thinly disguised xenophobic and often inaccurate portrayal of history cleaned of all errors and restated in a way so as to present their views of how American history should have been. Author Jonathan Foreman instead presents a timeline of American and world history without commentary except for the occasional insertion of quotes from people of that time period. In Part two there are several pieces excerpted from the writings of various historical figures and related to patriotism, thoughts of the founding fathers, songs, flag etiquette, etc. This is the basics of American civics that are no longer taught in many schools. A true introduction to patriotism in its finest form instead of the blind nationalism often seen today, The Pocket Book of Patriotism is highly recommended.

We use this book DAILY in our homeschool! This book is actaully a very thorough timeline of world history, not just American history. The American timeline is presented in a side-by-side parallel to the "Abroad" timeline. In addition to all of this valuable information, there is also the history of our flag, important speeches and documents, patriotic songs and poems, lists of American presidents and states- in the order of their joining the Union. Best of all- it is UNBIASED information everyone needs to know about the world! HOMESCHOOLERS: READ MY OTHER REVIEWS!

At the end of 2008, I attended a public lecture by the former US Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor at a local college. One concern she raised in her speech was the fact that Americans are more and more ignorant of civics. She referred to a survey that revealed that a large number of Americans, including college graduates, could not name one of the sitting US Supreme Court justices. However, an equal or greater number knew the names of the judges on American Idol. The audience burst into a loud applause in agreement.

The Pocket Book of Patriotism is a tribute to America's "contributions to humanity, the eternal optimism and energy of her people, [and the ideals] ... in which successive generations of Americans have placed their faith" (p.5). It lists important dates and events that define America from the pre-colonial times to the present. The list is interspersed with memorable quotes from different American personalities. I enjoyed learning little facts such as that a Haitian immigrant founded Chicago and that Morocco was the first country to official recognize American Independence. The former fact makes one think of how fortunes have reversed for Haiti; the latter is rather surprising given the current air of mutual suspicion between the Muslim world and the West, including the USA.

As a matter of organization, the book has two parts. The first part chronicles American and world history. Part 2 reproduces, in whole or in part, texts essential to American life. Together the two parts represent a significant and good civic lesson, especially for young native-born and/or new immigrants. Highly recommended.

Amavilah, Author
Modeling Determinants of Income in Embedded Economies
ISBN: 1600210465

This book contains a lot of the basics, from our founding documents to important speeches. It serves as a compact quick reference for folks who are already familiar with American history. Anyone new to that history will have a hard time understanding the context of the contents of this book.

This is a compact "encyclopedia" of American History and a great gift item for history buffs or just to keep as a quick reference book. Love the famous speeches and the way the book is laid out with American facts vs. Abroad. We're using it as a 4th of July gift!

According to the book jacket, this book "retells the thrilling story of America from an unabashedly traditional, proudly patriotic point of view." The book contains speeches, songs, poems, and more that were written in honor of the country. The book bills itself as being "free of political correctness of any stripe," and it does deliver on that promise. As far as retelling the history of America, it falls a bit short. This is a short book, and it cannot contain all the speeches and documents from American history. I just was disappointed in some that were left out.

Washington's farewell address to his men? Not in there. Reagan's "Tear Down This Wall" speech? Nope. Jefferson's "Wall of Separation" letter to the Virginia Baptists? Absent.

The Declaration of Independence is included, though it is only excerpted. It's really not that long a document-I'd have liked to have seen the whole thing. Surely there was room. The entire Star Spangled Banner is not included, either-just the first verse. Nobody remembers the rest of the poem anymore.


But the hazard of doing a short book like this is that things will be left out, and everyone will be upset about some document or song that is not included. I did really appreciate the timeline of American history, with events in US history listed alongside what was going on in the rest of the world. I think that is a valuable resource, and one that many Americans would do well to pay attention to. The flag code and etiquette is also something that many forget about, so its inclusion is appreciated-I just wish that the history of the flag had been included in the book, rather than just having selected flags appear on the frontispiece.

On the whole, this is a good book. I think that anyone who is studying American history will appreciate the things that are included in the book, and those who are looking for a basic book on American patriotism will not be disappointed.

I really wanted to like this book; I truly did. At a time when too many Americans define patriotism to include encouraging our enemies to defeat our troops in battle so they can take political advantage of the situation, real patriotism needs all the reinforcement it can get. Though Jonathan Foreman's motives seem sincere, his book is a disaster, not worth the money or the time.

To begin with, at 9 inches by 6 inches, this "Pocket Book" isn't, and at 96 pages, it isn't much of a book. Worse, more than half of these few pages are taken up by a "Timeline of American & World History". Such an item would have its place in a general history book, but all it does here is to reduce the space available for "Patriotic Texts & Essentials". In fact the table of contents actually states "All texts excerpts except where noted". Well, DUH, with only 22 pages available, they'd have to be! (I've seen giveaway pamphlets on patriotism with more contents).

So here is what you get under said Patriotic Texts & Essentials. Under "Speeches, Charters, & Significant Documents" you get two clauses from the Magna Carta, part of the Mayflower Compact, the passage about "A City on a Hill", the paragraph beginning "These are the times that try men's souls.", part of the Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the passage including "To Bigotry No Sanction", the entire Gettysburg Address, two paragraphs from Lincoln's second inaugural, Wilson's "Safe for Democracy" paragraph, FDR's "Four Freedoms" fragment, the "Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women" paragraph, Ike's entire D-Day address, and parts of Kennedy's inaugural, King's "I have a dream" speech, Reagan's Pointe du Hoc speech, and one paragraph from Bush's "Forward Policy of Freedom" speech... all crammed into 13 pages.

As for the rest, we get parts of 10 songs in 7 pages, parts of 3 poems in 2 pages, a 1 page list of presidents, a 1 page list of the order of the states joining, 2 pages of quotes on patriotism (11 total quotes), 2 pages about medals for valor, 2 pages on flag tradition & etiquette, and 1 page with the Naturalization Oath and the Pledge of Allegiance, the latter printed with brackets around the phrase "under God" so as to offend everyone. Six flags depicted on the endpapers complete the debacle.

One of the reasons I'm so angry is because of what might have been. In a few hundred pages of small print in a mass-market-paperback-sized, cheaply bound hardback, one could have produced a truly useful, comprehensive collection of complete (or at least more complete) speeches, charters, significant documents, songs, and poems, plus pages and pages of quotes, with plenty of room for that timeline, in a package that truly WOULD fit in the pocket, for about the same price. Instead we get what should have been a giveaway pamphlet. I was thinking I might buy Sterling's similar The Pocket Book of British Patriotism: The History of Great Britain and the World, but at only 64 pages for a country with a LOT more history, I'm assuming it is even worse.

Parents, are you concerned that your children are not being taught the valuable lessons of patriotism and the rich history of America? Of course you are or else you wouldn't be considering this book. THE POCKETBOOK OF PATRIOTISM by Jonathan Foreman is not a bad place to start. I say it's not bad, because it certainly could have been better.

I love the premise of this book. It presents a small amount of information regarding American heritage in the form of speeches, song and verse that is sure to inspire the reader. There is also a wonderful section devoted to our Congressional Medal of Honor recipients. Contained also is a timeline of American history, as well as an introduction to each of our presidents. All good stuff, to be sure, but why stop there? The dust jacket promises a retelling of the history of America and there is simply too much vital information omitted here to uphold that claim.

Don't get me wrong, this is a great little book. But when I see a book with a title like this one has, I expect more. When it comes to American patriotism, how can you limit your work to less than 100 pages? How can you include the Red Sox winning the World Series but not include Washington's farewell address to his troops, or James Otis sending us down the road of independence when he challenged the British Writs of Assistance? Critical events such as these simply must be included!

Nevertheless, there is much to learn here, especially for anyone confined to the limited offerings of public education. Dear Mr. Foreman, please add a couple of hundred pages to this and send me a copy! I love the premise and would love to see this work further developed.

Monty Rainey
www.juntosociety.com