The Pocket Book of Patriotism

By Jonathan Foreman and Dashka Slater

Book Overview

What does it mean to be a patriot? This U.S companion to the runaway British blockbuster, T he Pocket Book of Patriotism , will tap into our national pride. Written by distinguished journalist and historian Jonathan Foreman along with George Courtauld, the author of the original, this small but richly informative timeline highlights key moments in U.S history, and simultaneous happenings abroad. More than just a list of important dates, it provides memorable quotes and speeches from major figures, excerpts from patriotic songs, and specific U.S. facts and trivia. From the Revolutionary War to Ground Zero, from "Give me liberty or give me death" to "I have a dream," The Pocket Book of Patriotism is instructional and inspirational for every citizen.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1402729901
• ISBN13: 9781402729904
• Release Date: October 2005
• Publisher: Sterling
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 0.83 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.8" x 0.5" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Easy read, but very informative

I bought this book as a gift for someone else and ended up having to buy myself a copy because I found it so intriguing. Its very simple and straightforward. I love that it shows a history of amerca next to a world history.

The Pocket Book of Patriotism

This is a compact "encyclopedia" of American History and a great gift item for history buffs or just to keep as a quick reference book. Love the famous speeches and the way the book is laid out with American facts vs. Abroad. We're using it as a 4th of July gift!

A rare find among this type of book

This book is a breath of fresh air in a time when it seems everyone is publishing a book on patriotism that is actually just a thinly disguised xenophobic and often inaccurate portrayal of history cleaned of all errors and restated in a way so as to present their views of how American history should have been. Author Jonathan Foreman instead presents a timeline of American and world history without commentary except for the occasional insertion of quotes from people of that time period. In Part two there are several pieces excerpted from the writings of various historical figures and related to patriotism, thoughts of the founding fathers, songs, flag etiquette, etc. This is the basics of American civics that are no longer taught in many schools. A true introduction to patriotism in its finest form instead of the blind nationalism often seen today, The Pocket Book of Patriotism is highly recommended.

Every American Man, Woman and Child Should Have One!

We use this book DAILY in our homeschool! This book is actaully a very thorough timeline of world history, not just American history. The American timeline is presented in a side-by-side parallel to the "Abroad" timeline. In addition to all of this valuable information, there is also the history of our flag, important speeches and documents, patriotic songs and poems, lists of American presidents and states- in the order of their joining the Union. Best of all- it is UNBIASED information everyone needs to know about the world! HOMESCHOOLERS: READ MY OTHER REVIEWS!

Great reference with healthy perspective

In 2005, The Harris Poll conducted a survey that showed less than a quarter of American citizens had a basic--and I do mean basic--understanding of how the federal government is structured. Thus, it's very likely that any person reading this view lacks the basic information for meeting the duties of responsible citizenship. This book offers a means to correct that problem, if you are such a person. In another 2005 incident, an honors student in college did not know which came first--the Vietnam War or the French-American War. Part of the blame lies in the alleged "news coverage" spewed by American television networks and other sources of disinformation--how are young people supposed to learn the truth in a barrage of sensationalism and extremely biased "reporting?" But it goes deeper than the television problem--too few citizens have a handy reference for reviewing and later referring to seminal events in American and World history, and so they find it nearly impossible to sort fact from fiction. This book solves that problem. Aside from the introduction, this book has no narrative. So, it's a quick read. Most of it consists of a highly informative timeline--something I've often wanted but did not have, until now. This timeline consists of two columns on each page. The left column is for events in American history, while the right is for events in world history. It's illuminating to see these laid out side by side, for any given year. Being a history buff myself, I looked hard for some failure or error in this timeline. I didn't find one. After the timeline, the book offers a "Part Two," which contains the following information: *Speeches, charters, and significant documents *Lyrics of patriotic songs *Poems and verse *A listing of United States Presidents along with their dates of service *The states, listed in the order in which they joined the union *Quotations on patriotism *Medals of valor and what they mean *Flag traditions and flag ettitiquette *Oaths and pledges It's interesting to note that the author draws a distinction between nationalism and patriotism. It's also interesting to note that Foreman is no knee-jerk, wide-eyed, flag-waving fanatic. The book gives a bit of perspective with his short bio.

What a Great Little Book! Everyone Should Have a Copy.

"The Pocket Book of Patriotism" is a beautifully presented little book containing many of the "essentials" that every American child and adult should become familiar with. I say "little" because it only has 96 pages; yet those pages are full of information that, if taken to heart, ought to make we Americans proud. What a resource to have readily available in a format that can be carried in a backpack, brief case, purse, or even a child's lunch box! Jonathan Foreman, the man who put this valuable contribution together, describes the book (better than I can) in his Introduction: "It is not a textbook, still less an encyclopedia. It is a celebration of this country. Without whitewashing America's past (true patriotism acknowledges America's sins and flaws) it celebrates America's history, her contributions to humanity, the eternal optimism and energy of her people. Above all it celebrates the documents in which successive generations of Americans have placed their faith." And that's exactly what it does and what it delivers. In my view, this "little" book should be placed in the hands of every American schoolchild, not to be "read" as one would a novel or ordinary nonfiction book, but to be perused occasionally for thoughtful reflection and accessible for immediate reference when one needs the information contained therein. So, what is "contained therein"? Here, briefly, is a list of some of the contents: 1. A selective timeline of historic events (beginning in 30,000 B.C.! and continuing until 2005 A.D.). Also, little-known facts which place America's chronology in the context of key world events, interspersed with fascinating quotes by important figures. Incidentally, I am happy to relate that one of my favorite quotes is included: the famous (to some "infamous") statement that Barry Goldwater made during his presidential bid that got virtually all Democrat and many Republican noses out of joint. However, Goldwater was correct then and subsequent history has, I think, shown him to be correct. (Sorry, you'll have to read the book to see what quotation I'm referencing.) 2. Excerpts from key speeches, charters, and significant documents of American history, with highlights from the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. Every American, at the very least, ought to be familiar with the first paragraph and the first sentence of the third paragraph of the Declaration of Independence. Furthermore, I would think it desirable that every American child be able to recite the Preamble to the Constitution. I have found that many Americans can't even recognize its placement among our core documents. That's a shame. 3. Excerpts and lyrics from classic patriotic songs and poems. It is an unfortunate fact that our public schools have virtually ignored or forgotten the famous songs and poems of America and no longer expose students to them. The author has included a few favorites of mine -- Emerson's "The Concord Hymn," Longfellow's "Paul Reve