Taking Sides: American History, Volume I

by Larry Madaras, James M SoRelle

This debate-style reader is designed to introduce students to controversies in American history through readings that reflect a variety of viewpoints. Each issue is framed with an issue summary, an issue introduction, and a postscript. Taking Sides is supported by our student Web site, Dushkin Online (www.dushkin.com/online/).

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Textbooks, Education

448 pages, Paperback

First published May 28, 1999

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't quite what I expected. It's designed primarily to be used as a textbook. It that capacity, it has some potential. The editors do a good job of emphasizing that history is not just a set of facts, but also involves interpretation of the facts. They also draw on essays that offer a range of historical methods to give students a better idea of how historians approach questions. Each "controversy" is introduced with some contextual material and summed up with a solid historiography. At times the editors are a bit one sided in their critiques of the two "opposing" views. I put "opposing" in quotation marks because the two essays selected for each controversy didn't always fit the imposed dichotomy. There were a few essays that barely addressed the question to which they were connected, or did so only tangentially. All-in-all, however, the book serves as a good starting point for looking at different interpretations of history and how to critique them.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an exercise in critical thinking for older students. It was an excellent resource for my son's AP U.S. History debates. So I picked it up and read it. Interesting topics and discussions. Some better than others, but then isn't that the point?