On This Date: From the Pilgrims to Today, Discovering America One Day at a Time

by Carl M. Cannon

Overview

Forget what you were taught in seventh grade-this riveting book takes readers down American history's back alleys and side streets.

From the arrival of the Mayflower through the 2016 election, On This Date explores five hundred years of American history, revealing a compelling tale for each day in the calendar year.

Drawing from Carl M. Cannon's popular RealClearPolitics' "Morning Note," On This Date is focused on fascinating -- and sometimes unknown -- stories behind specific dates in U.S. history: What inspired Abraham Lincoln to grow his famous beard, what Dwight Eisenhower really thought about playing football against the great Jim Thorpe, the legal grounds for the first American divorce, who wrote "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" -- and who profited from it.

Colorful yet authoritative, On This Date debunks some popular myths and celebrates America's forgotten heroes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781455542284
Publisher:	Grand Central Publishing
Publication date:	07/18/2017
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
File size:	20 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Carl M. Cannon is the Washington Bureau Chief of RealClearPolitics and a past recipient of the Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prize for Distinguished Reporting and the Aldo Beckman Award, the two most prestigious awards for White House coverage. Previous positions include Executive Editor of Politics Daily, Washington Bureau Chief for Reader's Digest, White House correspondent for both the Baltimore Sun and National Journal, a fellow-in-residence at Harvard University's Institute of Politics, and a past president of the White House Correspondents' Association.

He is the author of The Pursuit of Happiness in Times of War, co-author of Reagan's Disciple: George W. Bush's Troubled Quest for a Presidential Legacy with Lou Cannon, and Circle of Greed with Patrick Dillon. Carl was also a member of the San Jose Mercury-News staff awarded a Pulitzer Prize for the paper's coverage of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.

Editorial Reviews

"[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

From the Publisher

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.

Library Journal

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

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

AUGUST 2017 - AudioFile