Grade 7 Up-Almanac provides a good overview of the background to, conduct of, and the continuing legacy of the Vietnam War. Chapters are arranged either chronologically or thematically, with clear headings and subheadings. Biographies profiles 60 people from the era, including political and military leaders, journalists, authors, protestors, soldiers, and civilians. Primary Sources, the strongest title of the set, draws on letters, speeches, excerpts from memoirs, and reminiscences from a wide spectrum of participants and leaders. The Hillstroms have incorporated recent scholarship but the real strength here is the inclusion of so many points of view. The books feature captioned black-and-white photos, many of which are among the best known of the era. Sidebars provide additional information, and each chapter, biography, or primary source has a bibliography, a real help for researchers. Although these books will provide students with outstanding report material, they are so well written they could be recommended to general readers. A comprehensive, objective resource.
Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, MO
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
This resource offers students and history buffs coverage of topics, people, and events related to the Vietnam War. The segments--Almanac, Biographies, and Primary Sources--make up the Vietnam War Reference Library ($155 [0-7876-4882-5]).
Almanac combines early history from the colonial period, U.S. involvement, and the war years and continues through the reestablishment of diplomacy and trade in recent years. Arranged chronologically, each of the 17 chapters includes "Words to Know" and "People to Know."
Biographies focuses on 60 important figures, including military and political leaders (Spiro Agnew, Ngo Dinh Diem, Pol Pot), activists (Daniel Berrigan, Jane Fonda), writers (Le Ly Hayslip, Tim O'Brien), and prominent veterans (Ron Kovic, John McCain) on both sides of the conflict. Most of these are arranged alphabetically, but some sidebars highlight other people. All are listed in the complete index at the end of both volumes. A picture of each personality accompanies the informative text.
Primary Sources presents 13 full or excerpted speeches and writings "that reflect the painfully diversified points of view on the war." Among them are excerpts from a letter Ho Chi Minh wrote to the editor of the American magazine Minority of One in 1964; Walter Cronkite's editorial following the Tet Offensive in 1968; and James Stockdale's 1984 memoir, In Love and War. Each excerpt includes background material to provide context. Unfamiliar terms and their definitions fill sidebars, along with other relevant information and photographs.
The numerous sidebars, photographs, and maps enhance the text through all four volumes. Each volume is indexed and has additional bibliographies and glossary helps. A paper cumulative index for all three titles is available free when the entire set is purchased. The individual titles can stand alone, but the complete set gives an all-encompassing picture of the time period.
This set is highly recommended for the junior- and senior-high-school libraries and public libraries. It gathers, in a readable format, information that deserves attention from adults who lived through this time period, as well as the student who needs information about the Vietnam War. RBB
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