Most Popular Books by Stephen G. Hyslop

By the time Abraham Lincoln asserted in 1858 that the nation could not “endure permanently half slave and half free,” the rift that would split the country in civil war was well defined. The origins and evolution of the coming conflict between North and South can in fact be traced back to the early years of the American Republic, as Stephen G. Hyslop demonstrates in Building a House Divided, an exploration of how the incipient fissure between the Union’s initial slave states and free states—or those where slaves were gradually being emancipated—lengthened and deepened as the nation advanced westward. Hyslop focuses on four prominent slaveholding expansionists who were intent on preserving the Union but nonetheless helped build what Lincoln called a house divided: Presidents Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, and James K. Polk and Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois, who managed a plantation in Mississippi bequeathed by his father-in-law. Hyslop examines what these men did, collectively and individually, to further what Jefferson called an “empire of liberty,” though it kept millions of Black people in bondage. Along with these major figures, in all their conflicts and contradictions, he considers other American expansionists who engaged in and helped extend slavery—among them William Clark, Stephen Austin, and President John Tyler—as well as examples of principled opposition to the extension of slavery by northerners such as John Quincy Adams and southerners like Henry Clay and Thomas Hart Benton, who held slaves but placed preserving the Union above extending slavery across the continent. The long view of the path to the Civil War, as charted through the Jeffersonian and Jacksonian eras in this book, reveals the critical fault in the nation’s foundation, exacerbated by slaveholding expansionists like Jefferson, Jackson, Polk, and Douglas, until the house they built upon it could no longer stand for two opposite ideas at once.

This elegant narrative edition of Neil Kagan''s best-selling Eyewitness to World War II offers incredible first-person stories and amazing moments of heroism, providing new context and perspective on history''s greatest conflict. The unforgettable story of World War II is told through the words of those who lived it--both on the battlefield and the home front--creating a dramatic tapestry of the wartime experience. Personal writings and recollections of Roosevelt, Hitler, and Patton, as well as letters composed by soldiers at battle and diaries of women serving in the military at home, present an absorbing narrative that tells the entire history of the war from several perspectives. In this absorbing reader''s edition, a carefully curated selection of memorable, significant photographs and illuminating maps from the 2012 book accompanies the revised text. Comprehensive and compelling, this finely wrought book is as gift-worthy as its predecessor.

Draws on eyewitness accounts to tell the story of the fabled Santa Fe Trail For nearly half a century, the Santa Fe Trail served as an avenue of exchange, where transactions ranged from friendly give-and-take to guarded trade to lethal attempts to settle scores. In 1846, the trail became the means for American seizure of Mexican territory--yet the economic and cultural exchanges continued even in the midst of war. In Bound for Santa Fe, Stephen G. Hyslop draws on eyewitness accounts to retrace the journey from Missouri to New Mexico, weaving together nearly one hundred accounts by scores of people who traveled the trail.

History comes alive in this engaging and lavishly illustrated chronicle, which spans world events and people from ancient times to the 21st century. The voices of the great and humble speak to us through songs, documents, edicts, poetry, letters, menus, and even graffiti, revealing each era''s conflicts, daily life, arts, science, religion, and enduring influence. Interactive design focuses on the tangible artifacts of history, and magnificent illustrations--including period art, archival photographs, and expertly rendered scenes of long-ago events--bring vivid immediacy and eye appeal to every colorful spread. With its unique emphasis on voices from the past, its competitive price point, and its inviting, innovative design, Eyewitness to History is poised to be THE pick for value-minded customers looking for an absorbing take on world history.

California’s early history was both colorful and turbulent. After Europeans first explored the region in the sixteenth century, it was conquered and colonized by successive waves of adventurers and settlers. In Contest for California, award-winning author Stephen G. Hyslop draws on a wide array of primary sources to weave an elegant narrative of this epic struggle for control of the territory that many saw as a beautiful, sprawling land of promise. In vivid detail, Hyslop traces the story of early California from its founding in 1769 by Spanish colonists to its annexation in 1848 by the United States. He describes the motivations and activities of colonizers and colonized alike. Using eyewitness accounts, he allows all participants—Native American, Spanish, Mexican, and Anglo-American—to have their say. Soldiers, settlers, missionaries, and merchants testify to the heroic and commonplace, the colorful and tragic, in California’s pre-American history. Even as he acknowledges the dark side of this story, Hyslop avoids a simplistic perspective. Moving beyond the polarities that have marked late-twentieth-century California historiography, he offers nuanced portraits of such controversial figures as Junípero Serra and treats the Californios and their distinctive Hispanic culture with a respect lacking in earlier histories. Attentive to tensions within the invading groups—priests and the military during the Spanish era, merchants and settlers during the American era—he also never loses sight of their impact on the original inhabitants of the region: California’s Native peoples. He also recounts the journeys of colonists from Russia, England, and other countries who influenced the development of California as it passed from the hands of Spaniards and Mexicans to Americans. Exhaustively researched yet concise, this book offers a much-needed alternative history of early California and its evolution from Spanish colony to American territory.

Author James Robertson, one of America''s most respected Civil War scholars and storytellers whose weekly talks about little-known people and events of the Civil War aired for 15 years on National Public Radio, brings history to life here in a collection of unexpected and true stories revealing the events that took place as great events unfolded. He explores such gripping subjects as the post-battle horrors of the wounded, the destruction of Robert E. Lee''s aura of invincibility, and the invention of a new way to remove the wounded from the battlefield. In addition, an introductory overview of the Civil War traces the major events of the conflict year by year. Painstakingly researched and deeply personal, this ebook offers a unique reading experience for the millions of Civil War buffs and all those interested in the previously untold stories behind this great chapter in America''s past.

Prelude to war, 1941: Blitzkrieg -- Prelude to war, 1943: war in the Pacific -- 1942-1944: breaking Hitler''s grip -- 1944-1945: victory over Germany -- 1943-1945: defeating Japan.

En este impactante libro de National Geographic, Stephen G. Hyslop y Neil Kagan proponen una perspectiva diferente de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, al poner al descubierto las vidas ocultas de agentes secretos y jefes de redes de espionaje, las actividades de ejércitos secretos, el funcionamiento de máquinas de cifrado, la evolución de la guerra psicológica y la creación de propaganda negra y de estrategias y armas secretas.

Más allá de lo que significó la Segunda Guerra Mundial para la historia, el conflicto tuvo una enorme escala humana que la sustentó. Gracias a este espectacular libro ilustrado, National Geographic da voz a muchas de las personas que vivieron en primera persona la contienda, tanto grandes nombres como protagonistas anónimos que lucharon en el campo de batalla. Un libro único que ofrece una nueva dimensión de un periodo que marcó a fuego a la humanidad.

In this one-of-a-kind atlas, scores of archival maps and dozens of new maps trace the battles, political turmoil, and great themes of America''s most violent and pivotal clash of arms.

Buffalo Bill Cody heralded the closing of the frontier by reassuring Americans that they would never be too civilized to beat the braves and bullies of the world at their own game.

Esta obra compreende toda a história da humanidade, desde os primeiros passos em busca da civilização até o nascimento do século 21. Contém mais de 200 ilustrações e mapas coloridos; Sinopses rápidas das principais guerras, religiões e conquistas do homem; Biografias curtas dos exploradores, artistas, líderes, cientistas e inventores mais importantes do mundo; Linhas do tempo informativas, com datas-chave.

Bundel verhalen, sagen, mythen en legenden over spoken en geesten in en om het water. Bevat vele kleurige afbeeldingen van tekeningen en schilderijen uit collecties over de hele wereld. Vanaf ca. 13 jaar.