Reading the Twentieth Century

Documents in American History

By (author) Donald W. Whisenhunt

Paperback - £61.00

Publication date:

16 August 2009

Length of book:

488 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9780742564770

The focus of Reading the Twentieth Century is on the role of the United States in the world in the twentieth century, after the nation became a major world player. Readings include public documents, memoirs, and media comments, many of which have never been published before. The book is structured in such a way that portions can be assigned to students, and the order of presentation is such that instructors can assign sections chronologically or thematically. Though highly informative, the editor's chapter introductions and the document head notes are brief, designed only to introduce the subjects so that the documents can speak for themselves.
Reading the Twentieth Century will be a valuable asset in any course on twentieth-century America. Looking at the century as a whole and identifying its common themes, Donald Whisenhunt has selected an extensive collection of thought-provoking primary documents. He provides brief, but highly effective, introductory notes for each and questions that will stimulate student thought and classroom discussion. There is plenty of substance in the documents to engage students in upper level and graduate courses.