AUGUST 2017 - AudioFile
Cannon has a story for every day of the year. Narrator Dan Woren gives the historical anecdotes the feel of a radio feature, like something listeners might have heard from broadcaster Paul Harvey. Some are about famous people like Martin Luther King, Jr. Others tell of less vital but still interesting events, such as the genesis of the emoticon. Other stories, including one on Abraham Lincoln's assassination and one on the events of 9/11, are told in multiple bites. The stories are occasionally broken up with an impression of a famous figure, such as Groucho Marx or John F. Kennedy, as their quotes are read. Whether listeners savor them over an entire year or devour them at once, they teach a little and entertain a lot. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
From the Publisher
"[ON THIS DATE] is rich in forgotten facts about celebrated patriots and unearthed tales of the daring and genius of ordinary Americans. Popular history at its very best, as entertaining as it is instructive, and a moving appreciation of the restless upstarts who carved a nation from the wilderness and made it the most successful enterprise in human history."—Senator John McCain
"ON THIS DATE shows the country as it really has been. It is also a love letter to America. [It] will give those who have been deprived of the experience the opportunity to fall in love with their country. For those who have been more fortunate, it will provide a chance to fall in love all over again."—RealClearPolitics.com
"A terrific book! America's rich history told as a daily heartbeat, not a dry list of dates. Everyone is here: the great and the forgotten, the heroic and the hilarious, artists, activists, inventors, adventurers, and more. A patriotic pageant, and a joy to read."—David Von Drehle, author of Rise to Greatness: Abraham Lincoln and America's Most Perilous Year
Library Journal
09/15/2017
Reaching back to 1739 (Stone River Slave Rebellion, June 17) yet staying current with a reference to the Broadway musical Hamilton (July 4), this title offers fascinating tidbits from across the U.S. political and social spectrum. Cannon (Washington bureau chief, RealClearPolitics.com; The Pursuit of Happiness in Times of War) dedicates about a page to each day, with subjects ranging from singer Johnny Cash (born February 26, 1932) to the Columbine High School shootings (April 20, 1999) to Wyoming territory extending suffrage to woman (December 10, 1869). Index not included. VERDICT Browsers will enjoy a daily dose of American history, from the relatively trivial to the inspirational, along with occasional photographs.
AUGUST 2017 - AudioFile
Cannon has a story for every day of the year. Narrator Dan Woren gives the historical anecdotes the feel of a radio feature, like something listeners might have heard from broadcaster Paul Harvey. Some are about famous people like Martin Luther King, Jr. Others tell of less vital but still interesting events, such as the genesis of the emoticon. Other stories, including one on Abraham Lincoln's assassination and one on the events of 9/11, are told in multiple bites. The stories are occasionally broken up with an impression of a famous figure, such as Groucho Marx or John F. Kennedy, as their quotes are read. Whether listeners savor them over an entire year or devour them at once, they teach a little and entertain a lot. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
