From School Library Journal
Jane Halsall, McHenry Public Library District, IL
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 10-12. The History Firsthand series presents excerpts from period documents, organized under broad subject headings and introduced by a paragraph of background. Each book includes a few black-and-white illustrations. The Civil War covers secession, early victories, military service, the home front, turning points, and the end of the Confederacy. Letters, journals, and memoirs are major sources for the excerpts. For those who acknowledge that the victors have written the history books, here's an opportunity to provide a bit of balance for library collections. Sixties Coun terculture offers writings from famous figures of the period--among them, Betty Friedan, Abbie Hoffman, Timothy Leary, John Lennon, and Malcolm X. There are also firsthand accounts documenting events such as campus revolts and peace marches. Baby boomers may choke on a few of the editor's generalizations ("They [boomers] grew up in a decade that belonged to the young, where their every whim and desire was indulged"), but the overview is interesting reading, and some of the excerpts are excellent. A few selections include language that may be objectionable, though a more sanitized approach would not accurately represent the era. Carolyn Phelan
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