Ioanna Boletsi
English 112B
Dr. Warner
10 May 2006
Annotated Bibliography: History that has shaken the world.
Non fiction books can undoubtedly shape young adult�s views concerning the reality of the world we live. They can help shaping their views on a political and sociological level; therefore I believe that, apart from comic books that are rather of entertaining value, every other non-fiction or information book should be carefully selected by the young adult, his family or his tutors.
Historical books,
in particular, should be scrutinized for the verity and credibility of the
events that they refer to. The reason is that although the young adults mind is
not exactly a blank slate, it seems that it is at this age that sociological,
and sometimes political ideologies are formed; we know how easily teenagers can
be manipulated under, for instance, the influence and false ideology of neo-Nazi
organizations, religious sects and racist groups. Family and the education
environment should be very careful when suggesting books of historical contain,
for exactly the same reason.
However if historical books are unbiased and report the history from a vantage point then I will argue that they can become enormously valuable for the young adults future character development, since among others they teach them to judge for themselves. Baring this in mind the selection of the annotated bibliography has been based on the following criteria: First of all, although some of the books are biographical or autobiographical they do not merely concentrate on the person the biography is about, but they provide us with a holistic view of the historical background. Secondly most of the books are told from the viewpoint of the people; they contain evidence from the witnesses of the events. Finally not all the selected books depict harrowing moments of human history; some of them should not be read in order to celebrate the human race.
There are two books that are particularly related to the already mentioned obscure moments of the human race, the ones that should never be forgotten or excused: The Equiano�s Interesting Narrative, an account of an African in slavery and If this a Man, the story of the survival of a man in the notorious Auschvitz. I suggest the later as an alternative to �Anne Franks Diary�, since I believe that it is not strong enough. I strongly believe that some books, in order to be really informative and valuable they have to be harsh; as harsh as the living conditions of these dehumanized, by humans, people. They are both books that I have personally read while young and I still remember the impact that they had on me. I believe that the shock and the pain I felt is the main reason behind the fact that I never became a victim of any false ideology. Therefore they deserve to be the centerpiece of the annotated bibliography that follows.
Brown, D. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West. New York, NY: Holt & Co., 1991.
This well known book is a record of the displacement of the Indian Tribes from their lands and the consequent confinement to reservations between the years 1860 and 1890 which saw one of the most horrendous genocides on earth. The book not only depicts the harrowing events chronologically, but it also devotes different chapters for the different tribes. The sources for the historical events are official archives of the meetings between the Indian tribes and the U. S. A map shows the location and dates of the main actions. Archival photographs, bibliography maps with locations and dates index are included. Unlike other histories related to this particular issue, the book presents the events from the point of view of the people that suffered: the Indians. But what is more significant, especially for the young adult readership, is that the book illustrates the humanity and reason expressed by the American Indian spokesmen (during the treaty councils), which defies previous depictions of the native people as savages, thus highlights the severity of the atrocities.
Rhodes,
R. The Making of the Atomic Bomb, New
York: Simon & Schuster, 1986
This
Pulitzer prize-winning book (1989) by Rhodes is an expansive overview of the
birth and growth of nuclear physics that climaxes in the destruction of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is divided into three parts: the rise of nuclear
physics from 1895 to 1939, wartime work on the atomic bomb in the U.S. and
Germany, and the three detonations (the Trinity test and the bombings in
Japan). The author�s compelling account, emphasizing the actions of remarkable
characters and the impacts of world-shaking events, makes this one of the
outstanding books on the bomb. The book can be very informative for young
adults because it can provide them not only with the events in Hiroshima and
Nagashaki, but an overall story of the birth of the most powerful force on the
planet.
Illustrated by the original patent drawing from The British Library's extensive collection, this attractive book chronicles the history of the 100 most important, innovative and memorable inventions of the 19th century. The vivid picture of the Victorian age unfolds as inventions from the ground-breaking-such as aspirin, dynamite, and the telephone-to the everyday-like blue jeans and tiddlywinks-are revealed decade by decade. Together they provide a vivid picture of Victorian life. Along with informative descriptions of how the inventions and their patenting came about, the lives of the inventors and their circumstances provide entertaining insights into this world. It is definitely an important book since it highlights the fact that among the events that shook the world some of them, the inventions of the 19th century for example, are not to be condemned, but celebrated.
Zinn,
H. People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present, New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2003
A People�s History of the United States is the only volume to tell America's story from the point of view of � and in the words of � America's women, factory workers, African Americans, Native Americans, the working poor, and immigrant laborers. Zinn shows that many of the United States of America greatest battles � the fights for an eight-hour workday, child-labor laws, health and safety standards, women's rights, racial equality � were carried out at the grassroots level, against bloody resistance. Covering Christopher Columbus's arrival through President Clinton's years in office as well as the 2000 election and the War on Terrorism, A People�s History of the United States, which was nominated for the American Book Award in 1981, features insightful analysis of the most important events in the history of the American nation, of a nation that creates and simultaneously shakes history and the world.
Mitch, F., Understanding September 11th: Answering Questions About the Attacks on America, New York: Penguin Group, 2002.
On September 11th, America was
attacked. But while we know what happened on that tragic day, many of us don't
understand why it happened. In this important book, Time magazine reporte Mitch
Frank clearly explains why and answers these essential questions. What happened
on September 11th? Who were the hijackers? - What is terrorism? What is Islam?
- Why does the Middle East matter to us? Why did the terrorists target the
United States? Why did we go after Afghanistan? Who are the Taliban? What is
Islamism? Who is Osama bin Laden? How has America changed since September 11th?
Filled with pictures, maps, and straightforward explanations, this is the book
that will enable young people to understand both the events of 9/11 and the
history leading up to it. September 11th is a part of history that the world
should know and never forget.
Severance, J. B. Gandhi, Great Soul, New York: Clarion Books, 1997
This biography encompasses both the �person� Gandhi and the
socio-historical framework of the era his legend represents. The author sets
the stage for his chronological narrative with an opening chapter on Gandhi's
legacy and concludes with a close-up of Gandhi with a young child. The book
introduces the young readership to Gandhi's message and provides a brief
overview of the mahatma's personal evolution as well as India's external and
internal struggles. Gandhi�s primary mission was to help the 350,000,000 people
of India free themselves from British rule. But he did so with dignity and
by using a non-violence stance that further influenced important people such as
Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King, Jr. Severance accounts Gandhi's
philosophy of ahimsa, or peaceful resistance, which led to independence for
India and later to the U.S. civil rights movement. A crisp, clean format
featuring many black-and-white photographs makes the book inviting and
illuminating.
Yu, C. Little Green: Growing up during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, New York: Simon and Chuster Children�s book Division, 2005
This memoir told in free verse poetry recounts Chun Yu's childhood experience until the age of 10, when Communist leader Mao died and the �revolution� ended. The strongest poems offer an authentic childlike insight into the ideals and contradictions of the cause. Xiao Quing, or Little Green, was born in a small city in China in 1966, at the dawn of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. What makes this memoir unique is the age of the author. A baby when the Red Guards first started roaming the streets her verses bring a different perspective to the subject than someone older at the time of the events. Because the turmoil, struggle, and separation her family experienced was all she ever knew, she takes it mostly in stride. She tells her story in free verse poetry containing little snippets of information about her daily life and perceptions of the world. Young adults nowadays more than ever should learn about the history of china during the 20th century, since this country has grown into a financial giant, which will probably influence the rest of the world in the proceeding decades more than ever before.
Primo Levi, If this is a Man and The Truce, UK: Penquin Books, 1979
If this is a Man and The Truce is the two part biographical account of 24 year old Jewish chemist Primo Levi�s detainment in the notorious Auschwitz and his return to Italy after his liberation by the allied forces. There is no exaggeration and no invention of facts, just an accurate depiction of the truth and the everyday life in the hands of the Nazi apparatus. The realistic descriptions can only be compared to hell on earth. The Nazis calculative and inhumane methods soon turned the new camp inmates into demoralized and disposable slaves, useful until they were ready to be exterminated in the gas chambers and crematoria. Yet, several inmates regardless the hunger, cold fear and humiliation managed to survive. Some of them including Primo Levi, chose to keep the �experience� alive as a warning against the terrors of fascism. Nowadays, the revival of Neo-Nazi groups, makes these memoirs more useful than ever. It is recommended that young adults read this �shocking value� book, in the hope that in so doing they will shield themselves with a negative disposition against fascism.
In this famous autobiography, written in 1789, Olaudah Equiano records his kidnapping from Nigeria when he was still an adolescent, and his eventual life in slavery. He graphically depicts the horrors of the Middle Passage and the treatment of the slaves as inanimate objects by the plantation owners and the slave keepers. Nevertheless his special qualities as a person were fortunately noticed by his owner, a Quaker merchant, who allowed him to buy his freedom with a lifetime�s savings. Whilst emancipated, Equiano, traveled the world including the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and the Poles, and participated actively to the abolition movement in freedom. The book although a narrative is a real story, stripped from the sensations of historical fiction. It gives justice not only to the slavery issue, but also to the type of benevolent masters who furthered the anti-slavery cause, But what is more, the narrative became the precedent for anti-slavery literature written by former slaves themselves, with profound impact on the abolition.
Salmon,
M. The Limits of Independence: American Women, 1760-1800, (The Young
Oxford History of Women in the United States, Vol 3), New York: Oxford
University Press, 1998.
This book focuses not on dates, treaties, and battles, but on the cultural and social circumstances that shaped history. The second half of the 18th century saw a handful of English colonies transform themselves into a nation. This process involved not only a revolution against the British crown but also the uniting of a diverse population; in addition to the English who made up the bulk of the population, Africans and continental Europeans joined in the creation of the new republic. Although tradition dictated that the independent male citizen was the most important actor in this drama, political leaders soon learned that the support of women was essential to the success of a republican form of government. Salmon demonstrates the new directions in women�s lives, including reforms in education that occurred during this era of experimentation. She also delineates the ways in which women�s lives remained constrained by the racial and cultural assumptions of the age, for while white women�s horizons expanded, Native American women and women of African descent suffered greatly.
Works
Cited
�Alsos: Digital Library for Nuclear Issues� . http://alsos.wlu.edu/information.aspx?id=145&search=Hiroshima,+Japan
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0712308814
http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?inkey=62-0060528427-0
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&endeca=1&isbn=0670035874&itm=2
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/039577179X?v=glance
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?isbn=0689869436&itm=1http://www.chunyu.org/reviews.htm
http://www.us.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/HistoryAmerican/Women/?ci=0195124014&view=usa