Eyewitness: American Revolution (Eyewitness Books)

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful full-color illustrations and photos!
Review: All the DK Eyewitness books are page after page of photos, with lots of good info packed in. Since there aren't many photos from the American Revolution era, more paintings and drawings are used here, but they are all very detailed and colorful. Items which I've heard about but never seen before, such as Spanish silver coins that the Colonists would literally cut in half to make change, are shown in close-up. Very educational for kids, and adults!

Rating:
Summary: I learned so much!
Review: This book shows such a variety of artifacts from the Revolutionary War, it's just amazing! All of the photographs and illustrations are very clear and it makes it easy to really understand what things were like back then.

Rating:
Summary: Like going to a museum on the American Revolution
Review: This DK Eyewitness book on the "American Revolution" makes for a nice supplement for young students who are studying the subject in history class. There is certainly basic information about the battles of Breed's Hill, Saratoga, and Yorktown, as well as looks at the Declaration of Independence, symbols of freedom, spies and traitors, George Washington, and other topics, but the primary attraction here are the period illustrations and historic artifacts presented, most of which come from the extensive collection of the Smithsonian Institution. There is something to be said for a 1766 Williamsburg teapot that declares "No Stamp Act" or the 1775 proclamation by King George III that declared the American colonies to be in rebellion. You will also find photographs of the first British flag ever captured by an American force, the oldest American fighting vessel in existence, and the designs of both the original Purple Heart and the Seal of the United States. Beyond that there are portraits of all of the major figures, both political and military, on both sides, and dozens of other things you could only see in a museum. All of the photographs have informative captions, provided by author Stuart Murray, that really help make reading this volume just like taking a tour of a museum. Young readers should get a basic understanding of the history of the American Revolution from their textbook before they enjoy flipping through the pages of this wonderfully illustrated volume.

Rating:
Summary: Like going to a museum on the American Revolution
Review: This DK Eyewitness book on the "American Revolution" makes for a nice supplement for young students who are studying the subject in history class. There is certainly basic information about the battles of Breed's Hill, Saratoga, and Yorktown, as well as looks at the Declaration of Independence, symbols of freedom, spies and traitors, George Washington, and other topics, but the primary attraction here are the period illustrations and historic artifacts presented, most of which come from the extensive collection of the Smithsonian Institution. There is something to be said for a 1766 Williamsburg teapot that declares "No Stamp Act" or the 1775 proclamation by King George III that declared the American colonies to be in rebellion. You will also find photographs of the first British flag ever captured by an American force, the oldest American fighting vessel in existence, and the designs of both the original Purple Heart and the Seal of the United States. Beyond that there are portraits of all of the major figures, both political and military, on both sides, and dozens of other things you could only see in a museum. All of the photographs have informative captions, provided by author Stuart Murray, that really help make reading this volume just like taking a tour of a museum. Young readers should get a basic understanding of the history of the American Revolution from their textbook before they enjoy flipping through the pages of this wonderfully illustrated volume.