There are so many books on so many aspects of the history of the United States, offering such a wide variety of interpretations, that students, teachers, scholars, and librarians often need help and advice on how to find what they want. The Reader's Guide to American History is designed to meet that need by adopting a new and constructive approach to the appreciation of this rich historiography.
Each of the 600 entries on topics in political, social and economic history describes and evaluates some 6 to 12 books on the topic, providing guidance to the reader on everything from broad surveys and interpretive works to specialized monographs. The entries are devoted to events and individuals, as well as broader themes, and are written by a team of well over 200 contributors, all scholars of American history.
Biography
PETERJETERJ. PARISH
"Offer[s] an invaluable service by summarizing and evaluating the major works in American history clearly and understandably." -- College and Research Libraries
"An easily accessible and highly useful resource for all kinds of readers of American history... Recommended for public and academic libraries." -- Booklist/RBB
"Recommended to all academic libraries." -- Reference Reviews
"The format is uniformly logical and helpful, while the articles have been so seamlessly edited that they appear to have been written by one person... Historians with an appetite for historiography will find the Reader's Guide indispensable." -- Times Literary Supplement
"Those students who take the seemingly extra time to consult this will save themselves time in the long run and make prudent choices among the books available to them as they carry on independent study." -- Rettig on Reference
"An important reference tool that will be greatly appreciated by undergraduate, graduate, and professional historians alike. It is strongly recommended for all libraries with collections in American history." -- American Reference Books Annual
"Together the essays and reading lists provide a useful starting place for undergraduate study and research.The booklist can be useful in checking college library holdings." -- Choice
