Sunday, January 28, 2007

George Washington's World

by Genevieve and Joanna Foster

This is the first of Genevieve Foster's World of... books, where the author not only recounts the life of a famous person, but also takes a look at what was happening around the world during their lifetime. In this case we get a peek into the world between the years of 1732 and 1799. It's an engaging book. Ms. Foster presents the information in a nice, storytelling style. I also enjoyed the illustrations, though they vaguely reminded me of the early Wonder Woman comics. The one odd thing about the copy I read is that it had been "expanded" in 1997 by Genevieve's daughter, Joanna. While the extra information, adding the contribution of non-white guys, makes for a richer book, you can sort of see the "seams" of the expansion. The flow between those sections and the older material doesn't always go smoothly. I think it becomes especially notable when slavery is mentioned. In some parts, a person's slaves are mentioned as a matter of course, in others, the notion of slavery is roundly condemned. But that's a small blemish in an otherwise excellent book. Whether it's for your kids or yourself, take time to check it out.
LibraryThing link

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