Monumental Milestones
Book Reviews
Lane Educational Service, January 2008
On Cuban Missile Crisis: The Cold War Goes Hot
This hardcover book has historic pictures of world leaders and events that help the reader to understand the cold war beginning with end of World War II and the mistrust between The United States and Russia. The book goes on to explain the events between Russia, Cuba and Europe that lead to The Warsaw pact. How The Soviet Union secretly installed missiles in Cuba with nuclear warheads that could destroy America and how then President Kennedy confronted Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev at a summit in Austria. With nuclear war a possibility this book accurately expresses the tension as the two nations posture for war, but ultimately strike a deal to disarm the warheads in exchange for a guarantee that America would not invade Cuba. I found this book to be very easy to understand and clear in recalling the events that shaped the Cold War. I am rating this book a 4, excellent choice.
Lane Educational Service, January 2008
On Top Secret: the Manhattan Project
This is one topic in a series called Monumental Milestones: Great events of modern times. This one begins with the bombing of Pearl Harbor and ends with the bombing of Hiroshima. There are many full page sidebars to give context to the main ideas involved as well as information on individuals important to the development of the atomic bomb. There is a chronology, timeline, chapter notes, and a list of both print and internet resources included.
Lane Educational Service, January 2008
On Scopes Monkey Trials
This title in the Monumental Milestones: Great Events of Modern Times series is the perfect size for report writing. The FYI pages, which are a signature of many of the Mitchell Lane series, include information about Darrow and Bryan and even the movie “Inherit the Wind”. Given that evolution is still a hot button issue, this could be a useful source of information. A chronology, timeline, index and chapter notes with web references add to the books value as a jumping off point for research.
School Library Journal, April 2006
On The Cuban Missile Crisis: The Cold War Goes Hot and The Story of the Attack on Pearl Harbor
These titles make first-rate alternatives to the numerous same-topic volumes available for this audience. Supported by frequent, relevant photographs and maps, as well as generous lists of recent and classic multimedia resources, both books combine absorbing narratives with sharp cause-and-effect analysis. Seeing the Cuban missile crisis as a gambit rooted in Khrushchev's belief that Kennedy "wasn't very tough," Whiting describes the tense diplomatic back-and-forthing in detail (during which Kennedy does come off as indecisive), then closes with a poker-faced note about the fact that Castro has outlasted every other world leader of his day. In Pearl Harbor, the author not only covers the attack in detail, but he also highlights a series of turning points-from Matthew Perry's electrifying 19th-century visit to Tokyo to "five of the most decisive moments in the history of warfare" during the battle of Midway, which also turned the tide of the war in the Pacific. Single-page sidelights illuminate such historical byways as the brief, seldom mentioned "takeover" of a tiny Hawaiian island by a downed Japanese pilot, further broadening the appeal of these well-founded assignment titles.
School Library Journal, February 2007
On An Overview of World War 1 and The Scopes Monkey Trial
Considering the complexity of the topics, these titles do a remarkable job of presenting brief, understandable discussions. Five chapters each conclude with an FYI page featuring a person or topic, such as "The Battle of Jutland" (World War I) and "Drugstores as Social Centers" (Scopes Trial). Vintage photos add interest.
School Library Journal, November 2006
On The Watergate Scandal and The Sinking of the Titanic
Watergate traces the events that lead to Nixon's impeachment and resignation beginning with the start of the Vietnam War. Titanic chronicles the ship's fated voyage from design to destruction. While this topic is not new, Whiting offers a good introduction to the tragedy. He incorporates the new findings currently being argued, such as whether or not the sinking was due to the ship's design flaws or human misjudgment. Short chapters and the small trim size will appeal to readers who shy away from longer "report" books. However, the sophistication of the content (Watergate is particularly challenging as there are many players to keep straight) and the high reading level will put these titles outside of the range of less proficient readers. Overall, these are good supplemental purchases to round out collections.
Booklist, October 2005
On Disaster in the Indian Ocean: Tsunami 2004
This slim but dense volume in the Monumental Milestones: Great Events of Modern Times series emerges from the author's personal trip to Indonesia after the December 26, 2004, catastrophe, "where he witnessed the devastation firsthand and spoke to dozens of survivors." Primary-source accounts, many taken from Torres' own interviews, chillingly recreate the tsunami's initial strike, its chaotic aftermath, and the challenges of recovery. Photos and sidebars break up the text; end matter includes a time line, source citations for quotes and an earnest author's note.
