American Originals
by By Bredhoff, Stacey and Carlin, John W. (FRW)
Category: History , United States , General

This companion to a traveling exhibition consists of lovely (though sometimes too small) reproductions of 51 of the nation's most historically significant and compelling documents such as Harriet Tubman's pension claim for her service during the Civil War, Susan B. Anthony's indictment for illegal voting, a notebook page recording the first controlled and self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction, and Richard Nixon's letter resigning from the presidency from the collection of the National Archives and Records Administration. Each document is accompanied by a brief explanation of its meaning and context. In spite of the smallness of some images, the work is nicely designed; it includes many photos and illustrations (but is not indexed). Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)