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THE KOREAN WAR

Name: THE KOREAN WAR
Author: R. Conrad Stein
ISBN: 0-89490-526-0

'THE FORGOTTEN WAR'

by R. Conrad Stein ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 1994

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Stein (The Mexican Revolution: 1910-1920, p. 485), who served in the Marines not long after the Korean War, paints a detailed picture of that war and the reaction to it in the US. Unlike its popular predecessor, WW II, or its despised successor, Vietnam, the ``police action'' in Korea went almost unnoted by the American public, despite its enormous number of casualties and the ferocity of its battles. After General MacArthur's initial successes, such as the Inchon landing and the quick strike into North Korea, the war became a series of deadly battles for inches of territory—a virtual stalemate. At that time an Oregon newspaper purposefully ran the same story about Korea two days running to prove how uninterested the public had become in war news; not one subscriber commented on the duplication. When one Chicago Marine returned from Korea, a neighbor commented that he hadn't seen him around for a while and asked if he'd been out of town. Today, Korea is a footnote in history, known more from the popular movie and TV series M*A*S*H than from the classroom, which is why Stein's well-written account is so necessary. Occasionally dry reportage is more than compensated for by the wealth of interesting information presented here. (Maps; chronology; chapter notes; further reading; index; b&w photos) (Nonfiction. 10+)

Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1994

ISBN: 0-89490-526-0

Page Count: 128

Publisher: Enslow

Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 1994

Categories:

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT HISTORY

A QUEER HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

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A QUEER HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

by Michael Bronski ; adapted by Richie Chevat ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 11, 2019

Though not the most balanced, an enlightening look back for the queer future.

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An adaptation for teens of the adult title A Queer History of the United States (2011).

Divided into thematic sections, the text filters LGBTQIA+ history through key figures in each era from the 1500s to the present. Alongside watershed moments like the 1969 Stonewall uprising and the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s, the text brings to light less well-known people, places, and events: the 1625 free love colony of Merrymount, transgender Civil War hero Albert D.J. Cashier, and the 1951 founding of the Mattachine Society, to name a few. Throughout, the author and adapter take care to use accurate pronouns and avoid imposing contemporary terminology onto historical figures. In some cases, they quote primary sources to speculate about same-sex relationships while also reminding readers of past cultural differences in expressing strong affection between friends. Black-and-white illustrations or photos augment each chapter. Though it lacks the teen appeal and personable, conversational style of Sarah Prager’s Queer, There, and Everywhere (2017), this textbook-level survey contains a surprising amount of depth. However, the mention of transgender movements and activism—in particular, contemporary issues—runs on the slim side. Whereas chapters are devoted to over 30 ethnically diverse gay, lesbian, bisexual, or queer figures, some trans pioneers such as Christine Jorgensen and Holly Woodlawn are reduced to short sidebars.

Though not the most balanced, an enlightening look back for the queer future. (glossary, photo credits, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 14-18)

Pub Date: June 11, 2019

ISBN: 978-0-8070-5612-7

Page Count: 336

Publisher: Beacon Press

Review Posted Online: March 12, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019

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TEENS & YOUNG ADULT HISTORY | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT NONFICTION

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ALEXANDER HAMILTON, REVOLUTIONARY

by Martha Brockenbrough ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 5, 2017

With the demand for all things Hamilton still strong, this will resonate with many teen readers.

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Over 200 years after his death in a duel with former Vice President Aaron Burr, founding father Alexander Hamilton’s story is a major player in popular culture.

Brockenbrough begins her narrative with a list of the contradictions of Hamilton’s life and then sets out to describe many of them in detail. Hamilton’s wretched childhood and struggles for survival and an education set a tone that depicts him as the consummate self-made man whose flaws damaged both his political career and personal life. Hamilton’s courtship and marriage to Elizabeth Schuyler, a daughter of one of the country’s most influential families, is a key part, along with prominent figures from American history. Sometimes the intricacies of Revolutionary War strategy and Constitutional Convention maneuvering slow things down, making the pace uneven. However, tidbits about Hamilton’s role in the episode with Benedict Arnold and his close relationships with fellow soldier John Laurens and his sister-in-law Angelica Church are intriguing. The story is targeted to an older audience than Teri Kanefield’s Alexander Hamilton: The Making of America (2017), so the sex scandal that derailed Hamilton’s political career is part of the story, as is, of course, the duel that ended his life. After the epilogue, the volume includes information on 18th-century medicine, attire, and warfare among other contextualizing topics ; the volume will be illustrated with archival material (not seen).

With the demand for all things Hamilton still strong, this will resonate with many teen readers. (timeline, source notes, bibliography, index) (Biography. 12-18)