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| Topic: History |
9:51 am EDT, Sep 27, 2004 |
Americans seem to have forgotten what an ill-advised war can do to the United States. More than three decades after it was published, David Halberstam's "The Best and the Brightest" should still be required reading. Powell, Then and Now |
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The Man Who Shocked The World |
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| Topic: History |
12:30 pm EDT, Jun 11, 2004 |
The creator of the famous "Obedience Experiments," carried out at Yale in the 1960s, and originator of the "six degrees of separation" concept, Stanley Milgram was one of the most innovative scientists of our time. In this sparkling biography, Thomas Blass captures the colorful personality and pioneering work of a social psychologist who profoundly altered the way we think about human nature. A brilliant portrait of an eccentric visionary scientist who revealed the hidden workings of our very social world. The Man Who Shocked The World |
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Narcotic Culture: A History of Drugs in China |
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| Topic: History |
11:34 am EDT, Jun 11, 2004 |
To this day, the perception persists that China was a civilization defeated by imperialist Britain's most desirable trade commodity, opium -- a drug that turned the Chinese into cadaverous addicts in the iron grip of dependence. Britain, in an effort to reverse the damage caused by opium addiction, launched its own version of the "war on drugs," which lasted roughly sixty years, from 1880 to World War II and the beginning of Chinese communism. But, as Narcotic Culture brilliantly shows, the real scandal in Chinese history was not the expansion of the drug trade by Britain in the early nineteenth century, but rather the failure of the British to grasp the consequences of prohibition. Narcotic Culture: A History of Drugs in China |
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The Making of Revolutionary Paris |
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| Topic: History |
11:23 am EDT, Jun 11, 2004 |
The sights, sounds, and smells of life on the streets and in the houses of eighteenth-century Paris rise from the pages of this marvelously anecdotal chronicle of a perpetually alluring city during one hundred years of extraordinary social and cultural change. An excellent general history as well as an innovative synthesis of new research, The Making of Revolutionary Paris combines vivid portraits of individual lives, accounts of social trends, and analyses of significant events as it explores the evolution of Parisian society during the eighteenth century and reveals the city's pivotal role in shaping the French Revolution. With an eye on the broad social trends emerging during the century, the narrative focuses on such humble but fascinating aspects of daily life as traffic congestion, a controversy over the renumbering of houses, and the ever-present dilemma of where to bury the dead. The Making of Revolutionary Paris |
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| Topic: History |
11:15 am EDT, Jun 11, 2004 |
"Twentieth-Century Sprawl" explains important -- and largely unexamined -- changes in the American landscape. An illuminating look at how highways have dramatically transformed American communities, aiding growth and development in unsettled areas and undermining existing urban centers. The book takes a "follow the money" approach to show how government policies -- from as early as the 1890s -- subsidized the spread of cities and fueled a chronic nationwide dependence on cars and roadbuilding, with little regard for expense, efficiency, ecological damage, or social equity. As federal, state, and local governments invested in toll-free highways, Americans moved in unprecedented numbers to newly accessible open land on the urban periphery. The consequence was the collapse of center cities, ballooning municipal debt, and rapidly increasing air pollution, not to mention profound changes in American society and culture. Twentieth-Century Sprawl |
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Statue Of Liberty National Monument |
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| Topic: History |
10:02 am EDT, Jun 4, 2004 |
Located on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty was a gift of international friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States and is one of the most universal symbols of political freedom and democracy. Statue Of Liberty National Monument |
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| Topic: History |
9:59 am EDT, Jun 4, 2004 |
Pierre-Charles L'Enfant was a French-born engineer, architect, and urban designer who designed the basic plan for Washington, DC. L'Enfant studied art under his father at the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in Paris from 1771 to 1776, when he enlisted in the American Revolutionary Army. In recognition of his services, Congress made him a major of engineers in 1783. In 1784, L'Enfant settled in New York City, where he gained recognition as a talented city planner, architect, and engineers. George Washington formed a friendship with L'Enfant during the war and did not hesitate to engage him when L'Enfant sought the job of planning the nation's new capital. At the time of his selection, the flamboyant and headstrong L'Enfant was 36 years old. He arrived in what would be Washington, DC in March of 1791 to begin his preliminary survey. His work would be like "turning a savage wilderness into a garden of Eden," he wrote. L'Enfant's plan for Washington is universally considered America's most notable achievement in municipal planning. The L'Enfant plan was one of true genius, monumental in every sense of the word. Reminder to Americans: the French designed your capital, people. The L'Enfant Plan |
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| Topic: History |
9:48 am EDT, Jun 4, 2004 |
France in the Revolution, a 26 chapter work by James Breck Perkins. From the introduction, circa March 1911: On all this, the author of the present work has much to say that should be remembered, and never, perhaps, has the question of how and why what happened could take place, been so clearly put before the American reader. "Public opinion became, at the last, the most potent factor in controlling the decision of the French government ... It was the popular enthusiasm for American liberty which penetrated the council chamber and influenced the ministers in their decision, even if they failed to recognize such a motive." Would France keep her word, and, if success was attained, reserve for herself nothing on a continent two thirds of which had been hers? She would, and did, keep her word. Relationships can be hard work, but they are worth it. France in the Revolution |
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| Topic: History |
9:42 am EDT, Jun 4, 2004 |
Expédition Particulière was the codename given to the French expeditionary army sent to help the American Revolution during 1780 to 1782. Its contribution was essential to the American-French allied victory at Yorktown in September 1781. The French were received at first with some trepidation, but the expedition's exceptional discipline and professionalism quickly became popular. The skillful leadership and professional wisdom of Jean Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, the commander of the French land army, were vital in advising General Washington and in guiding the 'end-game' strategy that implemented the Yorktown Campaign. Talk about your nation building ... Expédition Particulière |
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