THURSDAY: Don't Know Much about History

I originally picked this up last fall when I found out I was going to be teaching history. I wanted a resource that would give me a quick background for whatever I was going to cover. This book was perfect! No matter what topic we were covering, or what questions my students asked, I could look the topic up in this book and get just enough information to fill in the gaps. I learned new things about Teddy Roosevelt and about the Civil War - things I don't remember from high school or college. Between my classes with my students, and the things I learned from this book, I found history interesting. If you read the reviews on Amazon, it is a mixed bag. Some question Davis' research and "gaps" in his information. If you want a serious commentary on an era of history, there are better options. But if you are just looking for a quick overview and a starting point or a nice resource for the home library, this could be a good choice for you. It is "meaty" at almost 700 pages, but easy to read.