Description:
*Starred Review* This seven-volume work follows the publication earlier this year of the two-volume Princeton Encyclopedia of American Political History. The CQ Press title covers the political development of the U.S. from 1500 to the present, dividing the history into seven eras. Each volume opens with an overview essay authored by the volume editor, followed by 100–110 signed A–Z articles that explore the people, events, policies, institutions, and movements that shaped the period. Major themes include domestic and foreign policy; economy, business, trade, and labor; civil rights and civil liberties; the three branches of government; elections and electoral politics; and political movements, parties, and groups. Unlike the Princeton Encyclopedia, which had no biographical essays, this work amply covers the individuals who shaped U.S. political history, from presidents and other political leaders to business and labor leaders, reformers and activists, religious and intellectual figures, and Supreme Court justices. Each article includes a bibliography and cross-references. Photographs, maps, and tables are used sparingly but effectively to enhance the text. Reader tools in volume 1 include a list of contributors; a list of entries by volume; a “Reader’s Guide,” which organizes the articles into 21 subject areas; a preface; and a cumulative index. Each volume includes a list of entries in that volume, the complete “Reader’s Guide,” and the cumulative index. There are a few oddities: for example, volume 1 contains one article titled American Revolution and a second called War of Independence. The articles are so similar that it is hard to discern why both were included. Despite minor quibbles of this sort, this work provides thorough, comprehensive coverage of a subject of enduring interest and importance. Highly recommended for school, public, and academic libraries and those interested in politics, government, and history. An online version of Encyclopedia of U.S. Political History is also available, and it can be purchased as a discrete e-book or as part of the CQ Press Electronic Library. --Janice Lewis.
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