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History General

An American History Album

The Story of the United States Told Through Stamps

by (author) Michael Worek & Jordan Worek

contributions by Terrence McCaffrey

Publisher
Firefly Books
Initial publish date
Sep 2012
Category
General, Stamps, General
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781554073900
    Publish Date
    Sep 2012
    List Price
    $39.95
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781770851207
    Publish Date
    Sep 2012
    List Price
    $29.95

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Where to buy it

Out of print

This edition is not currently available in bookstores. Check your local library or search for used copies at Abebooks.

Description

A unique record of the history of the United States.

Throughout its history, the United States has celebrated its achievements, honored its heroes and recorded its history by issuing beautiful commemorative postage stamps. These stamps tell us about the discovery and settlement of the land; advances in transportation and communication; the wonders of the American wilderness; and the accomplishments of political, military and civic leaders who served the republic and shaped its future. Created by the United States Post Office to honor significant events and important people, these stamps offer us a unique and proud look at America's history.

An American History Album takes a look at the stories behind these miniature works of art-why they were issued and who or what they honor. Created by some of the best artists and finest engravers of their day, these stamps fashion a visual portrait of the history, values and accomplishments of the United States. Through their research for this book the authors identified more than 50 major themes of the American story that have been commemorated in stamps.

An American History Album will appeal to history buffs, stamp collectors, educators, art enthusiasts and general readers. It serves as a graphic reminder that the American dream, as crafted in the Declaration of Independence and the American Constitution, remains alive and well.

Here are just some of the stories told inside An American History Album:

  • Columbus' Epic Voyage
  • The Pilgrims and the Puritans
  • The Louisiana Purchase
  • Into the Wilderness
  • The American Revolution
  • The War Between the States
  • Remember the Alamo
  • The Settlement of the West
  • The Transcontinental Railroad
  • Building the Global Village
  • The Great Depression
  • The Second World War
  • The Story of Flight
  • The Cold War in America
  • Putting a Man on the Moon
  • The Office of the President
  • Protecting the Wilderness
  • The Story of the Flag
  • America's Armed Forces

The themes include:

  • Heritage and Values: the ideas, symbols, beliefs and institutions that make America unique
  • Discovery and Exploration: how the New World was discovered and the 13 colonies were established
  • Neighbor Against Neighbor: how the Revolutionary War and the War Between the States shaped the nation
  • Manifest Destiny: how the pioneers pushed westward across the wilderness to reach the Pacific
  • Transportation and Communication: how ships, canals, railroads, automobiles and the telegraph tied the early nation together
  • The Greatest Generation: the profound effect of the Great Depression and World War II on a nation and its spirit
  • These United States: a brief look at each state and the postage stamp that honors it
  • The Art of the Stamp: a fascinating look at how stamp subjects are chosen and designs created

About the authors

Michael Worek is an editor, publisher and author whose books include An American History Album, My Fellow Americans and Nobel: A Century of Prize Winners.

Michael Worek's profile page

by Jordan Worek ; photographs by Bill Horsman

Jordan Worek's profile page

Terrence McCaffrey's profile page

Editorial Reviews

The hardcover book is a work of art. The stamps, brilliantly reproduced in spectacular color, were chosen on the basis of subject matter, the beauty of design, and the authors' personal preferences. While each stamp holds its own statement, the album as a whole reflects ways in which American values have shifted and priorities changed since 1847. And it reflects which values and priorities the government that issued these stamps wanted to promote.... I encourage you to get this 208-page book.

Global Stamp News

This large-format book gives us a fascinating angle on U.S. history and culture by homing in on the wondrous little worlds conveyed in commemorative U.S. postage stamps.... With the stamps rendered in wonderful detail, readers are treated to the equivalent of a close-up tour of a miniature art gallery.... This book will be catnip for stamp collectors and history buffs. Highly recommended for school and public libraries.

Library Journal

Public libraries should...consider purchasing this beautiful book for its circulating collection.

American Reference Book Annual

This look at America's aspirations, challenges and achievements as depicted on commemorative postage stamps is delivered in elegant layouts... Almost every stamp is substantially enlarged to show details and they are thematically organized... Historical highlights span centuries [and] the first-class packaging and presentation could prompt tourists at Washington's Union Station to step across the street and visit the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, the main source for the stamp images in this beautiful book.

Publishers Weekly

The stamps are used not to narrate the history of the country, but to celebrate its virtues.

BookNews

Stamp enlargement of the 19th century issues enables the reader to appreciate the art of the engraver, studying the stamp design rather than looking for the flaws, while the book itself is a valuable and interesting guide to American history, an example on a grand scale of Social Philately.

The London Philatelist Vol 118 No 1366

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