Don't Know Much About American History

April 1, 2003
Using his highly successful q&a formula and proceeding chronologically, Kenneth C. Davis adds to his series for young people with Don't Know Much About American History, illus. by Matt Faulkner. Readers may be surprised to learn, for example, that the ratification of the constitution was not "a sure thing," requiring nine of the 13 states' approval (Virginia and New York were two of the holdouts) or that 17 African-American men were elected to Congress between 1869 and 1876. Sidebars, brief bios, copious quotes and Faulkner's pen-and-inks keep the design lively.

November 26, 2012
Davis’s latest historical reference explores the presidency as an institution and the individual lives of the men who have served as America’s commander in chief. The book’s shifts between narrative and encyclopedic elements would likely have presented a solo reader with a serious challenge in maintaining fluid narration. Luckily, the collaboration between Arthur Morey, Kirby Heyborne, and Mark Bramhall does just that. In performing the book’s main narrative, Morey adopts the tone of a kindly professor, balancing the seriousness of the subject with the need to engage with his audience. When pronouncing the historical judgments of Davis, Morey lets his voice rise and fall to convey the heights of successes and the depths of failures. Heyborne and Bramhall also turn in solid performances—among the highlights are the “Fast Facts” and “Presidential Voices” segments. A Hyperion hardcover.