Reference Reviews

Reference for Students

The American Revolution. By John Davenport. Detroit, Mich.: Lucent Books Thomson Gale, 2007. 1 vol. 104 p. $31.20. ISBN 10: 1-59018-939-6; ISBN 13: 978-1-59018-939-9.

Students who need the American Revolution reduced to 100 pages will find this reference book a good starting point before launching into a more in-depth study. The two-page timeline, “Important Dates at the Time of the Revolution,” begins with the 1756 Seven Years War and ends in 1783 with the first successful hot-air balloon flight. The introduction sets the stage for the conflict and includes a very small facsimile of the Declaration of Independence. Chapter titles include “Sugar and Stamps, 1763-1766,” “From Townsend to Tea, 1767-1773,” “A Rebellion in Massachusetts, 1773-1775,” “Victory, Defeat, and a Declaration, 1775-1776,” “South from Saratoga, 1777-1779,” and “The Road to Yorktown, 1780-1781.” The book also includes an epilogue, “Novus Ordo Seclorum —a New Order of the Ages, 1781-1789.” Throughout, sidebars and inset boxes offer additional information. Color maps and mostly black and white illustrations are included. Useful for students who need a quick summary or who need a quick review before beginning their research.