Visiting Our Past: America's Historylands

by National Geographic Society, Ross Bennett (Editor)

Our main highways to the past remain what they were in the pre-electronic age before photography, before radio and our books and our landscape." In these words historian Daniel J. Boorstin, Pulitzer laureate and Librarian of Congress, keynotes the unforgettable adventure of Visiting Our Past. In the rich colors of more than 400 illustrations and the lively writings of Dr. Boorstin and seven other author-historians, you experience a compelling odyssey that sweeps from shore to shore, from border to border in search of America's historylands

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Historical

400 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

The National Geographic Society (NGS), headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations in the world.
Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical conservation, and the study of world culture and history. The National Geographic Society's logo is a yellow portrait frame—rectangular in shape—which appears on the margins surrounding the front covers of its magazines and as its television channel logo. Through National Geographic Partners (a joint venture with The Walt Disney Company), the Society operates the magazine, TV channels, a website, worldwide events, and other media operations.

Reviews

[Cindy Dyson Eitelman · Rating 3 out of 5]

So lavishly illustrated you can use it as a coffee table book, but a lot of good history reading too. I checked it out of the library in order to build up my list of places to go sometime, which is supposed to give me hope and ambition and make the future seem possible even if not always pretty. It wasn't perfect for the purpose but it was pretty good. For me, they didn't go "off the beaten path" nearly enough.

It's limited in scope to the places where Europeans came, conquered, settled and battled. The colonies, both northeast and southwest, are well covered; as is the Lewis and Clark expedition, the western migration, and the civil war. The trail of tears warrants a single sentence, which is a shame because I'd wanted to locate some of the migration routes and walk them, if possible. But the Oregon trail is covered in great detail. A lot of places that aren't historically significant--to Americans of European ancestry--are passed by. But I'll get those elsewhere.

And the pictures--fabulous!

[Dee Renee Chesnut · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another book that has been on my home library shelf until I retired and had the time to completely read the text instead of only enjoying the pictures.
It makes for great armchair traveling and provokes some ideas for future vacations.

[Brandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

National Geographic Society's "Visiting Our Past: America's Historylands" is a great history book with a lot of colorful photographs of historical attractions as well as historical artwork. On the negative side, I've visited some of these sites during my school years and such and it is rather sad how some of these sites have deteriorated in just the years since this book was published.

Overall, this book is a great addition to a reference library or for a history lover's collection.

[Oasix21 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book travel across the United States.

[Marcie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome non fiction US history book. Also nice pictures.