Explore the good, the bad, and the ugly of the United States history
Looking for the essentials of more than 200 years of United States history? Starting at the early civilizations, U.S. History For Dummies covers the growing pains of a new nation. Brush up on the major wars, from fighting against each other to fighting the world. And discover the major people and events that shaped the country. Stay in the know, with coverage of timely topics like climate change, Covid, and the January 6th Capitol riot. Then, when you're ready, challenge yourself with free online chapter quizzes. With history covering the start of the U.S. to the 2024 election, learn how this nation came to be what it is today.
Whether you're a history buff eager to delve into the history of the United States or a student searching for a guide to help them with their studies, U.S. History For Dummies has you covered with clear, easy-to-understand information.
In The Uncommon Life of Danny O'Connell, the author explores the life of Danny O'Connell, a player often overlooked in the annals of baseball history due to his status as a common card in the collecting world. O'Connell's story is much more than his on-field performance; it's a tale of the human spirit, embodying dreams, disappointments, and the unnoticed grandeur of an ordinary life.
Through an engaging narrative, the book offers a window into America's pastime during its Golden Era, providing insights into a time when baseball was not just a sport but a cultural cornerstone that shaped and reflected the American experience.
The work goes beyond the statistics and perceived value of baseball cards to delve into O'Connell's life, from his upbringing in Paterson, New Jersey, through his professional career marked by significant but underrecognized achievements, to his endeavors beyond baseball, including his talents in singing, shuffleboard, and public speaking.
The narrative weaves together baseball history, the evolution of sports memorabilia collecting, and a personal journey of rediscovery, challenging readers to reconsider the worth of an individual's contributions both on and off the field.
Far from a mere sports biography, the book is an homage to the everyday heroes of baseball and a critique of reducing complex lives to mere numbers or collectible items. It is a celebration of the overlooked and undervalued, urging a reevaluation of what makes a life uncommonly extraordinary.
Veteran journalist and historian Steve Wiegand takes readers across the post-Civil War Wild West. Wiegand introduces--or re-introduces--us to lawmen such as Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp and outlaws such as the Younger and James Brothers, as well as larger-than-life figures such as Buffalo Bill and George Custer. He details the stories of these real-life legends, the aftermath and legacies they left behind, and the innumerable myths frequently attributed to them. Juxtaposing their real lives with the often-outlandish accounts of their exploits, 1876 swings from lighthearted humor to cliff-hanger suspense. It also portrays how the Wild West's initial, tantalizing promise of fame and glamour often disintegrated.
But 1876 also offers readers a unique element noticeably absent from most Wild West books: historical context. Wiegand expands his contemporary spotlight on America's 100th birthday year to encompass what was going on in the rest of the country. On the very same day George Armstrong Custer was dying on a parched hill in southeastern Montana and immortalizing himself as both hero and villain, Alexander Graham Bell was at America's first World's Fair in Philadelphia, demonstrating his new invention--the telephone. At the same time Wyatt Earp was moseying into Dodge City to join the town's police force, Albert Goodwill Spalding was on a pitcher's mound in Chicago, establishing baseball as the national pastime and creating a sporting goods empire. And even as the James Boys and Younger Brothers were robbing banks, Democrats and Republicans were conspiring to steal the White House from the American voter. This book brings them all together in one place. Fueled by the author's childhood interest in cowboys, train and bank robberies, and high noon shootouts, and their portrayal in iconic TV shows, 1876 is a delightful homage to famous Wild West figures who, with media help, helped shape the American character.Don't miss a moment of U.S. history
The United States is undergoing a period of intense political and social change. From the rise of the Tea Party, to social media's effect on American life and politics, this new edition fills in the gaps of this Nation's story.
Award-winning political journalist and history writer Steve Wiegand guides you through the events that shaped our nation, from pre-Columbian civilizations to the 21st century. The explorers, the wars, the leaders, and the eras are all fully explored and explained, demonstrating how the past influences the future.
U.S. History For Dummies, 4th Edition makes U.S. history accessible for students and lifelong learners alike.
The Maryhill Museum of Art is located on 5,300 acres in the Columbia River Gorge. Miles from any sizeable town and surrounded by the gorge's spectacular scenery, Maryhill is an internationally recognized -- and undeniably eclectic -- repository of art that ranges from one of the nation's best Rodin collections to one of the world's largest assemblage of chess sets. It is, as The New York Times once described it, oddly fitting -- it brought the better works of man near one of the better works of nature.
Dancer, Dreamers, and the Queen of Romania is the story of the four widely disparate people whose lives intertwined in such a way as to lay the foundation for the museum. Loie Fuller was once the world's most famous dancer, who dreamed of becoming beautiful by creating beauty. Alma Spreckels was one of America's wealthiest women, who dreamed of being accepted for who she wanted to be rather than who she was. Sam Hill was a rich man who dreamed of becoming a great man. And Marie of Romania was a real-life queen who dreamed of being a fairy-tale queen.
And it is the story of those who followed them. These people nurtured and grew Maryhill from a fascinating oddity that Time magazine once called a top hat in the jungle to one of the relatively few U.S. museums accredited in every category by the American Alliance of Museums.
This is a book that will appeal to readers who like both biography and history, and will have particular appeal, but by no means be limited to, Western U.S. and Pacific Northwest audiences. It is side-street history in the tradition of Boys in the Boat, Unbroken, or Dead Wake. It will appeal to art lovers. It will also appeal to everyone who has visited or just passed by an inviting-but-oddly-located museum and wondered how it got there and who keeps it going.
This heretofore untold and remarkable story is narrated by a master wordsmith and historian. Steve Wiegand is the author or co-author of numerous books, including U.S. History for Dummies (Wiley), the 4th edition of which will be out in March 2019; Lessons from the Great Depression for Dummies (Wiley, 2009); The Mental Floss History of the World (Collins, 2008) and Papers of Permanence: The First 150 Years of the McClatchy Company (McClatchy, 2007).
Wiegand spent 35 years as a newspaper reporter and columnist for the San Diego Union-Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, and Sacramento Bee, and has published in numerous magazines and periodicals.