What do you think?
Rate this book
Smithsonian Visual Encyclopedia
American History: A Visual Encyclopedia
Uncover the key moments that shaped American history in this extensive history encyclopedia for children.
Get the background on the Battle of Yorktown and discover what started the American Revolution. Learn the legends of the Wild West. Relive the atmosphere of the "Roaring Twenties." Covering everything from the cultures of the first Native Americans right up to the events of the present day, American A Visual Encyclopedia is the ultimate reference tool for exploring the history of one of the most remarkable nations in the world.
Created in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution, American A Visual Encyclopedia gives detailed historical information and brings it to life with more than 750 photographs and paintings, plus extensive maps, charts, and state-specific information. Each double-page spread focuses on one aspect of the nation's history, be it the Civil War or civil rights, the Great Depression or the Moon landing. Complete texts of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution are included in the book for easy reference for classroom work or reports.
Perfect as both an irreplaceable homework help and a fascinating read, American A Visual Encyclopedia showcases the incredible journey the United States of America has made to become a major 21st century power.
Get the background on the Battle of Yorktown and discover what started the American Revolution. Learn the legends of the Wild West. Relive the atmosphere of the "Roaring Twenties." Covering everything from the cultures of the first Native Americans right up to the events of the present day, American A Visual Encyclopedia is the ultimate reference tool for exploring the history of one of the most remarkable nations in the world.
Created in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution, American A Visual Encyclopedia gives detailed historical information and brings it to life with more than 750 photographs and paintings, plus extensive maps, charts, and state-specific information. Each double-page spread focuses on one aspect of the nation's history, be it the Civil War or civil rights, the Great Depression or the Moon landing. Complete texts of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution are included in the book for easy reference for classroom work or reports.
Perfect as both an irreplaceable homework help and a fascinating read, American A Visual Encyclopedia showcases the incredible journey the United States of America has made to become a major 21st century power.
320 pages, Paperback
Published June 25, 2019
About the author
D.K. Publishing
7,331 books1,692 followersDorling Kindersley (DK) is a British multinational publishing company specializing in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 62 languages. It is part of Penguin Random House, a consumer publishing company jointly owned by Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA and Pearson PLC. Bertelsmann owns 53% of the company and Pearson owns 47%.
Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.
Source: Wikipedia.
Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.
Source: Wikipedia.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 14, 2023
American History: A Visual Encyclopedia (Smithsonian) by D.K. Publishing
(Part of the My Father’s World and Sonlight Homeschool Curriculums)
Overall, this is a well put together encyclopedic text book for American history. There are many good snapshots, literal and figurative, that show an easy to read and well organized presentation of events from 1000 AD to 2018. Some of the more common controversial points in American history are handled well; for example: slavery, incidents with Native Americans, and women’s suffrage.
There are also a few surprising positive takes; for example: not condemning Edward Snowden, actually mentioning Sherman’s “March to the sea” and total war on civilians in the Civil War, and acknowledging the United States as an “Empire.”
But there are numerous things that were left out, or presented in misleading ways that need to be addressed:
- There is a strange skewed perspective in the blurb on the Boston massacre, painting the victims as probable deserving antagonists. The event is described as a “mass shooting of innocent looking” patriots. When answering “what really happened” it states “the mob wasn’t completely innocent” as “they had been pelting the Redcoats with rocks and snowballs.” Seriously? Snowballs and rocks makes you not innocent, when the retaliation is a mass shooting?
- Benedict Arnold is described as “vain and sensitive”. A weird personal slight in an unbiased history book.
- It’s actually pretty balanced toward the civil war, presenting positions of both sides. Unfortunately it didn’t talk about Lincoln’s unconstitutional despotism. I recommend adding an explanation of his 1861 suspension of the writ of Habeas corpus, which imprisoned anyone for speaking against the war without a chance to see a judge. Also his statement to Horus Greeley on his reason for the war should always be included: “My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that.”
- The Philippine–American War is completely left out in the section about the Spanish-American War, and therefore the associated atrocities are not mentioned.
- It should be considered very suspicious that the creation of the Federal Reserve is not mentioned at all.
- It falsely claims that Germany sunk the Lusitania without warning and gives a passing mention that it “was known to carry war contraband.” In actuality, Germany circulated public warnings because they knew the US and British governments were secretly using the ship full of unsuspecting civilians to smuggle 173 tons of shells and rifle ammunition.
- In a section that asks “how much did government know about Pearl Harbor,” it says that historians reject that they knew anything, and that the US did decode Japanese messages about an attack “but Pearl Harbor did not seem a likely target.” On the other hand, I would suggest supplementing with information on the McCollum memo, that shows about a year prior, the US government’s intention to lead the Japanese “to commit an overt act of war,” through eight steps, one of which being the recommendation to place the “main strength of the navy in the Hawaiian islands.”
- The section on the Atomic bombings severely under represents the deaths and effects. The targeting of civilians is not considered, the lowest possible fatality count is presented alone, and the other devastating effects of radiation and utter destruction are neglected.
- Page 226 mentions about the Vietnam War, that “the president’s request (to congress for more power in Vietnam) was based on reports that North Vietnamese gunboats had fired on two U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin.” But it neglects to mention that the first attack left a single bullet in the US ship while multiple Vietnamese ships were completely destroyed, and the second destroyer attack was a completely fabricated event. It never happened.
- Page 256 falsely states that the fire at the Branch Davidian compound was “apparently set by the Branch Davidians”.
- Page 257 states that Clinton “improve(d) gun safety laws for minors” rather than phrasing it as an ‘increase in “gun safety laws”’.
- Page 259 states inaccurately that “Islamic fundamentalist groups”.. “hated America for its wealth and power as well as its support of Israel,” rather than mentioning the group’s declared hatred because of America’s military involvement in Arabic countries and Islamic holy lands, in addition to the support for Israel.
- The section on 9/11, on page 264, neglects to mention WTC Building 7, across the street from the towers, collapsing “from office fires”. The building’s free fall into its footprint, like the other two towers, is completely omitted.
- Page 265’s section on Osama Bin Laden says he targets the United States because of “American lifestyles and politics” and conveniently leaves out his actual constant references to US military involvements in Arabic lands.
- Page 267 diminishes the events at Guantanamo Bay as “accusations” of torture, rather than mentioning the release of horrific photos and grotesque testimonies.
- The section on the environment, Page 274, links the previous section that documents nearly 2 decades of natural disasters, to climate change.
Due to the quality of the paper, size and binding of the book, all of the shortcomings, and/or material that may be considered inappropriate for certain ages, is easily amended or edited.
Additional bonuses as an appendix is a copy of the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution and its Amendments, and the Gettysburg Address.
⚠️ Parental Warning ⚠️
Besides things that were neglected or not given proper attention, parents may want to know of additional pictures and topics that are included when considering the ages of the audience:
- There is a picture of a frozen Sioux cheif at Wounded Knee.
- “Gays and lesbians” are listed among the “undesirables” in concentration camps.
- Page 216 mentions hippies “engaging in ‘free love,’ which involved “switching sexual partners frequently. However, this practice spread diseases.”
- Page 217 references the obscene poem “howl” being popular.
- Page 225 mentions “gay bars”, the Stonewall riots, “gay rights”, and that the “gays and lesbians fought back.”
- On page 231, the Sex Pistols band is mentioned.
- Page 241 mentions aids and the gay community.
- Page 251, discusses Bill Clinton’s “affair”, “sexual harassment” accusation, and his “inappropriate relationship”.
- Page 254 mentions “same sex parents,” and “same-sex couples.
- Page 255 discusses issues over gay youth in The Boy Scouts, and a gay bias crime- because of “sexual orientation”. There is also a small section about an anti-homosexuality protest and the responders to the protesters dressed as angels.
- Page 261 mentions that the “supreme court ruling same sex marriages as valid in all states.”
- Page 277 discusses the Gay Rights Bill along with a picture of a gay male couple sharing a celebratory snuggle, while draped with an American flag.
(Part of the My Father’s World and Sonlight Homeschool Curriculums)
Overall, this is a well put together encyclopedic text book for American history. There are many good snapshots, literal and figurative, that show an easy to read and well organized presentation of events from 1000 AD to 2018. Some of the more common controversial points in American history are handled well; for example: slavery, incidents with Native Americans, and women’s suffrage.
There are also a few surprising positive takes; for example: not condemning Edward Snowden, actually mentioning Sherman’s “March to the sea” and total war on civilians in the Civil War, and acknowledging the United States as an “Empire.”
But there are numerous things that were left out, or presented in misleading ways that need to be addressed:
- There is a strange skewed perspective in the blurb on the Boston massacre, painting the victims as probable deserving antagonists. The event is described as a “mass shooting of innocent looking” patriots. When answering “what really happened” it states “the mob wasn’t completely innocent” as “they had been pelting the Redcoats with rocks and snowballs.” Seriously? Snowballs and rocks makes you not innocent, when the retaliation is a mass shooting?
- Benedict Arnold is described as “vain and sensitive”. A weird personal slight in an unbiased history book.
- It’s actually pretty balanced toward the civil war, presenting positions of both sides. Unfortunately it didn’t talk about Lincoln’s unconstitutional despotism. I recommend adding an explanation of his 1861 suspension of the writ of Habeas corpus, which imprisoned anyone for speaking against the war without a chance to see a judge. Also his statement to Horus Greeley on his reason for the war should always be included: “My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that.”
- The Philippine–American War is completely left out in the section about the Spanish-American War, and therefore the associated atrocities are not mentioned.
- It should be considered very suspicious that the creation of the Federal Reserve is not mentioned at all.
- It falsely claims that Germany sunk the Lusitania without warning and gives a passing mention that it “was known to carry war contraband.” In actuality, Germany circulated public warnings because they knew the US and British governments were secretly using the ship full of unsuspecting civilians to smuggle 173 tons of shells and rifle ammunition.
- In a section that asks “how much did government know about Pearl Harbor,” it says that historians reject that they knew anything, and that the US did decode Japanese messages about an attack “but Pearl Harbor did not seem a likely target.” On the other hand, I would suggest supplementing with information on the McCollum memo, that shows about a year prior, the US government’s intention to lead the Japanese “to commit an overt act of war,” through eight steps, one of which being the recommendation to place the “main strength of the navy in the Hawaiian islands.”
- The section on the Atomic bombings severely under represents the deaths and effects. The targeting of civilians is not considered, the lowest possible fatality count is presented alone, and the other devastating effects of radiation and utter destruction are neglected.
- Page 226 mentions about the Vietnam War, that “the president’s request (to congress for more power in Vietnam) was based on reports that North Vietnamese gunboats had fired on two U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin.” But it neglects to mention that the first attack left a single bullet in the US ship while multiple Vietnamese ships were completely destroyed, and the second destroyer attack was a completely fabricated event. It never happened.
- Page 256 falsely states that the fire at the Branch Davidian compound was “apparently set by the Branch Davidians”.
- Page 257 states that Clinton “improve(d) gun safety laws for minors” rather than phrasing it as an ‘increase in “gun safety laws”’.
- Page 259 states inaccurately that “Islamic fundamentalist groups”.. “hated America for its wealth and power as well as its support of Israel,” rather than mentioning the group’s declared hatred because of America’s military involvement in Arabic countries and Islamic holy lands, in addition to the support for Israel.
- The section on 9/11, on page 264, neglects to mention WTC Building 7, across the street from the towers, collapsing “from office fires”. The building’s free fall into its footprint, like the other two towers, is completely omitted.
- Page 265’s section on Osama Bin Laden says he targets the United States because of “American lifestyles and politics” and conveniently leaves out his actual constant references to US military involvements in Arabic lands.
- Page 267 diminishes the events at Guantanamo Bay as “accusations” of torture, rather than mentioning the release of horrific photos and grotesque testimonies.
- The section on the environment, Page 274, links the previous section that documents nearly 2 decades of natural disasters, to climate change.
Due to the quality of the paper, size and binding of the book, all of the shortcomings, and/or material that may be considered inappropriate for certain ages, is easily amended or edited.
Additional bonuses as an appendix is a copy of the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution and its Amendments, and the Gettysburg Address.
⚠️ Parental Warning ⚠️
Besides things that were neglected or not given proper attention, parents may want to know of additional pictures and topics that are included when considering the ages of the audience:
- There is a picture of a frozen Sioux cheif at Wounded Knee.
- “Gays and lesbians” are listed among the “undesirables” in concentration camps.
- Page 216 mentions hippies “engaging in ‘free love,’ which involved “switching sexual partners frequently. However, this practice spread diseases.”
- Page 217 references the obscene poem “howl” being popular.
- Page 225 mentions “gay bars”, the Stonewall riots, “gay rights”, and that the “gays and lesbians fought back.”
- On page 231, the Sex Pistols band is mentioned.
- Page 241 mentions aids and the gay community.
- Page 251, discusses Bill Clinton’s “affair”, “sexual harassment” accusation, and his “inappropriate relationship”.
- Page 254 mentions “same sex parents,” and “same-sex couples.
- Page 255 discusses issues over gay youth in The Boy Scouts, and a gay bias crime- because of “sexual orientation”. There is also a small section about an anti-homosexuality protest and the responders to the protesters dressed as angels.
- Page 261 mentions that the “supreme court ruling same sex marriages as valid in all states.”
- Page 277 discusses the Gay Rights Bill along with a picture of a gay male couple sharing a celebratory snuggle, while draped with an American flag.
Read
May 22, 2021Comprehensive Guide to American History. Each of the 18 chapters starts with a timeline. Then major events for each chapter are explained and visually presented through pictures. As others have stated this comprehensive guide is best suited for Middle and High School students. This retired American Lit teacher purchased this book for her 8th and10th grade grandchildren, who are studying American history. The encyclopedia gives the big picture, so more research can be done on each event.
June 1, 2023
Excellent visual representation of many events that have occurred in our history. It is a great introduction to a wide plethora of events that have shaped our country. It doesn't shy away from the ugly parts, but it also shares our successes too. Beautiful, inspiring and humbling pictures throughout.
August 11, 2020
Very basic since it's for children but still interesting and covers challenging topics. The "visual" part is very good.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews