The American Patriot's Almanac: Daily Readings on America by William J. Bennett and John Cribb, is on sale for $9.99 again this weekend (to commemorate the anniversary of 9/11, I suppose). Amazon had this same book on sale last July 4th, but I skipped it then due to the price. I think I'll pick it up this weekend, as I have some gift certificate money burning a hole in my pocket and it looks like a very interesting read - a devotional/reader that has a different US history lesson for each day.This is a Thomas Nelson publication, the religious publisher out of Nashville, TN, but the general sense I get from the reviews is that although matters of faith (and how they relate to the founding of the country) are mentioned, it does not have an overtly Christian slant (one or two even seemed disappointed it did not have a heavier religious slant). I suspect many of the reviewers were part of the TN book review program (I am, but missed this one), but still there is only one review that gives it less than four stars (that one complained about the book cover having blank inside flaps). Several of the books that I know were on this program did not do so favorably, even if the reviewers did get the books at no cost.
The Hardcover
is selling for $21.77 and the info there says it is 608 pages. It would no doubt make a great gift for any history buff (or homeschooler) that doesn't have a Kindle (an even nicer gift would be a Kindle
or Kindle DX
with this book preloaded, but that might be a bit extravagant for most gift-givers).Book Description
365 reasons to love America!
The fife and drum of history mark the time of each passing day. And within their cadence, personalities, conflicts, discoveries, ideas, and nations peal and fade. American history is no different. From the starving time of Jamestown during the Winter of 1609, through the bloody argument of the Civil War, and to today, the United States is a tale best told one day at a time.
Best-selling author and educator Dr. William J. Bennett is a master of the story that is the United States. And in The American Patriot's Almanac, Bennett distills the American drama into three hundred sixty-five entries-one for each day of the year. Fascinating in its detail and singular in its grasp of the big themes, Bennett's Almanac will make anyone a fan of history, assembling even some of the most obscure details. Even better, it will make of everyone a patriot.
About the Author
Dr. William J. Bennett is a best-selling author, educator, and speaker. Host of the top-ten nationally syndicated radio show Bill Bennett's Morning in America, he is also the Washington Fellow of the Claremont Institute. Serving as secretary of education and chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities under President Reagan and director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy under President Bush, today Bennett is a regular contributor to CNN and has contributed to America's leading newspapers, magazines, and television shows. He is the author and editor of seventeen books, including The Book of Virtues, The Death of Outrage, and the New York Times bestseller, America: The Last Best Hope (Volume I). John Cribb is president of the Palmetto Creative Group, a Communications firm. His previous work includes co-authoring The Educated Child (with William J. Bennett and Chester E. Finn), co-editing The Human Odyssey, and developing on-line history courses. During the Reagan administration, he served at the Dept. of Justice and the Dept. of Education.
