public opinion

Presents a comprehensive look into the life and reputation of American patriot, statesman, and inventor, Benjamin Franklin during the early days of the American Revolution, and examines the impact he had on both American and French society.

On the anniversary of President John Kennedy's assassination,celebrated political scientist and analyst Larry J. Sabato--himself a teenager in the early 1960s and inspired by JFK and his presidency--explores the fascinating and powerful influence Kennedy has had over five decades on the media, the general public, and especially on each of his nine presidential successors. A recent Gallup poll gave JFK the highest job approval rating of any of those successors, and millions remain captivated by his one thousand days in the White House. For all of them, and for those who feel he would not be judged so highly if he hadn't died tragically in office, The Kennedy Half-Century will be particularly revealing. Sabato reexamines JFK's assassination using heretofore unseen information to which he has had unique access, then documents the extraordinary effect the assassination has had on Americans of every modern generation through the most extensive survey ever undertaken on the public's view of a historical figure.

Examines the nature of Hitler's appeal and reveals the role his charisma played in his success by investigating the social, psychological, and historical aspects that helped form his personality.

Contains an in-depth look at the Kennedy family during John F. Kennedy's presidency, focusing especially on his wife and children, and explores the impact of photography and the media on Kennedy's public image and persona.

Examines the life and military experiences of nineteenth-century Italian revolutionary leader, Giuseppe Garibaldi.

Traces the popular culture obsession with the memory of Elvis Presley.

Presents a comprehensive examination of the classic 1930 painting "American Gothic" by artist Grant Wood, describes how it came to represent traditional American values, and how it was later used in television, politics, advertising, and popular culture.