While this book does provide a biography of Gandhi, it does not focus solely on his life. Half of the book provides the history of the group of conspirators who plotted and carried out the execution of “Mahatmaji.” Gandhi’s evolution as a proponent of nonviolent civil disobedience, from his time in South Africa to his return to British-controlled India, is juxtaposed with the growing movement for a Hindu controlled India. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was the leader of a group of Hindu nationalists who saw Gandhi’s vision of an independent India with freedom for both Muslims and Hindus as a betrayal of all Hindus. One of Savarkar’s followers, Nathuram Godse, decided that there was only one way to prevent Gandhi from further weakening India: Gandhi had to die, and Godse was willing to implement the solution. The book follows the conspirators through the assassination and the trial, and wraps up with more about Gandhi’s message and others who were inspired to action by it. The book is colorful; it includes many interesting sidebars, photos, and direct quotations from the major players in the events that occurred. Prime Minister Nehru’s speech to his nation after the assassination of Gandhi is included along with a few good ideas for a lesson connected to the speech. The book concludes with a timeline, a who’s who section with short biographies, a very short glossary, and a list of resources for further information. I see many uses for this book in the classroom to support both history and English curriculums and I highly recommend it.
Tag Archives: nonfiction
World War I: From the Lusitania to Versailles
The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand was the first step in what was to become a global conflict. When the United States entered the war on the side of the Allies, most believed that the “war to end all wars” would soon be over. This reference covers WWI from the sinking of the Lusitania to the Treaty of Versailles, beginning each chapter with an excerpt from a song, poem, letter or speech from the time. There are maps, photographs, posters and paintings throughout the book, but I was disappointed that there was so little primary source text material. The book ends with a timeline, glossary and a list of resources for further reading. I would only recommend this for 4-7th grades; it does not have the depth of information necessary for any kind of research at the secondary level.
Student Movements of the 1960s
Young women and men coming of age in 1960 were not, as a whole, worried about social hypocrisy or desirous of changing the economic, political, and social framework of the United States. The subsequent decade changed that. In Student Movements of the 1960s Alexander Cruden has brought together a selection of primary source documents [primarily speeches, manifestos and articles] which reflect a number of challenges that arose to the status quo.
What this set of readings does is reflect the voices of people who helped drive the politics of the era with their righteous indignation with the ways things were. For context, Cruden includes an interview with Jonathan Leaf who is quick to point out the reality of the sixties, that most young people were not protesters, poor, or feeling oppressed.
Anti-war protesters, women challenging gender roles, students dissatisfied with college rules and mores, and black power advocates all have a seat at the table in Cruden’s slender volume. Combined they represent a minority of voices from the era, but those that inspired and helped create an America different from the one they found in 1960.
Included also are representative voices of those who resisted or critiqued the change at the time. Together these pieces provide a rich tableau of perspectives of those who consciously tried to change this country a half century ago.
Harlem Renaissance Artists and Writers
The Harlem Renaissance, the period of time when art and literature of the African American culture flourished, is briefly explored in the preface of this book. The chapters are devoted to well-known artists and writers such as Duke Ellington, Langston Hughes, and Josephine Baker, in addition to others with whom I was not familiar such as Aaron Douglas, Arna Bontemps, and Alain LeRoy Locke. I was disappointed that there were no excerpts of any of the authors’ works or reproductions of the artists’ works. There were photographs of the people profiled and further resources.
Recentering the Universe: The Radical Theories of Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, and Newton
This book explains the history of the theories of the universe. Miller provides a short segment on Egyptian and Babylonian cosmology before exploring the Greek theories that eventually formed the basis for Christian thinking on the geocentric view of the universe. These views became so fixed in church doctrine that anyone questioning the theories was deemed a radical and an enemy of the church.
Miller does an excellent job explaining the theories of the scientists who have considered the nature of the universe over time: Anaximander, Aristotle, Ptolemy, Copernicus, Kepler, Brahe, Galileo, and Newton among others. The information is accessible even for those who are not well-versed in science. His emphasis, however, is on the courage the scientists of the Renaissance and later displayed in the face of condemnation by the church for their pursuit of knowledge. While many people are aware of Galileo’s trial, not as many know Copernicus, who died in 1543, was buried in an unmarked grave and the Catholic Church banned his book. His remains were not discovered until 2005 and he was finally given an honorable burial in 2010. Photographs, sidebars, a glossary and a list of additional resources provide even more information on the topic. This book was surprisingly interesting and would make a excellent addition to a school library’s nonfiction section.
The Kurds
This reference presents essays that discuss not only the historical background of the Kurds, but also the actions against Kurds in modern Turkey and Iraq. The first chapter provides the background information, including information on the Turkish Settlement Law and the actions of Saddam Hussein against Kurds. Chapter two presents essays about several controversies, such as whether Hussein’s actions constituted genocide, whether the Kurds should be granted an independent state, whether Turkish actions against Kurds constitute genocide and more. The third chapter recounts personal experiences, such as a Turkish American Kurd who was tortured in Turkey, a Kurdish politician’s first impressions of Hussein in his early days of power, and others who experienced atrocities at the hands of Hussein and his forces. I don’t think many of our students know about the persecution of Kurds, and I think fewer understand the root of the problems; this book does a good job explaining it. There are exercises at the start of each chapter, including analysis of data and political cartoons, writing prompts and group activities. The reference includes a timeline, maps, and lists of websites and books for further information. I see this as an excellent addition to a high school library, both for students looking for more information on genocide or teachers interested in developing a lesson/unit on the topic, particularly one supported by primary source documents.
The Taliban
This volume focuses on three topics related to the Taliban: the power of the Taliban, the relationship between the Taliban and Afghanistan’s drug trade, and how the United States should deal with the Taliban. Each section provides at least four viewpoints on the topic, as well as questions to consider as you read each essay. After each essay restates the main argument made and poses questions to help the reader evaluate the argument asks how the next author would respond to the argument, what other facts the reader would need in order to This book takes a complex topic and makes it comprehensible even if it is a little simplistic in scope. There are photographs, maps, charts, and political cartoons that prevent the book from being too text-dense. Included at the end of the book are basic facts about the Taliban and organizations to contact and sources for more information.
D-Day: The Normandy Invasion
This reference is an excellent source of information on the invasion of Normandy, from the planning and preparation to the launch and what happened after. The photos, maps and text boxes add interest to the text. In addition to the basic information, there are interesting details, such as what the D in D-Day stands for, Enigma and the Code-Breakers, and Douglas Fairbanks and the Beach Jumpers. Like all the editions in this series, D-Day: The Normandy Invasion includes a timeline, glossary, essential facts and additional resources.
The Great American Dust Bowl
“A speck of dust is a tiny thing.” That is how Don Brown begins his story of the “Dirty Thirties” in graphic novel form. He provides information I never knew – fences for miles were decorated with dead snakes because it was said dead snakes would bring rain – enhanced by wonderful illustrations. While there are a few spots of green and blue in the illustrations at the beginning of the novel, most of the images are in brown tones. The author keeps the story moving, provides interesting details, and uses panels crafted to create just the right mood. An excellent addition to any middle or high school library.
Favorite Words of Famous People
When I picked this up, I assumed it would be the favorite quotations of famous people. But it is not quotations; it is literally favorite words. Yo-Yo Ma’s favorite words are “genuine” and “incredible;” Ann Landers’ is “chocolate” and she is not the only one. Gene Kelly loves “plethora” and Penn Gillete loves “ruckus.” Several people chose “yes.” If the book were simply a list of favorite words, it would be rather dull. However, almost all of the famous people supplied a story about why they love these words. Some love them because of the sound of the words; others because of their meaning. My favorite favorite word – cartoonist Jules Feiffer’s – “Duck!” – provided complete with drawing.