Jarnow, Jesse

Traces the process and influences behind the writing of Mark Twain's novel, Huckleberry Finn, which was published in the late nineteenth century and has been banned frequently since then for his use of racial epithets or simply for being coarse.

Examines the history of communication in the United States, particularly the technological advances of the late nineteenth century that improved transmission speed from weeks or months to hours or minutes.

A biography of Cincinnati Reds' catcher, Johnny Bench, who won ten Gold Glove awards and hit almost 400 home runs in his sixteen-year career in the major leagues.

An illustrated overview of socialism that describes its origins and major figures and events in its history, especially in its strains in Russia and the U.S.

Profiles the life and career of patriot Patrick Henry from his childhood in Hanover County, his early legal career and supporter of colonial rights, and involvement in the war for independence including an examination of his famous "Give me Liberty" speech to the second Virginia Convention in 1775.

Chronicles the development of railroads, steel, and oil as moneymakers in nineteenth-century America, describing their impact on labor practices and everyday life in the U.S.