"Annals of America" -- HELP please!

I think I have the set, well look for it this afternoon

Thanks, Dys! I look forward to hearing about it.

You want a 20-volume book?
Are you crazy?

Lots of pictures, McTag!! (But no plot.)

Gee whiz, I bought that set at my library book sale a couple of weeks ago for $6.00. I got it to go with the 1992 Encyclopedia Brittanica that I bought for $20 (they're both in blue leatherette). I can hardly believe this set is worth so much... did you check eBay? The book dealers passed it by and it sat on the table until the very end of the sale. I bought it because it was in such great shape, matched the encyclopedia, my son likes history and it was going to be given away anyway. I'm a sucker for a book and volumes of books are even better.

It is the story of America, told by the people who lived during the time. The first chapter, for example, is a report written by Columbus, the next is by somebody named Sparke who is describing the wonders of Florida. Each chapter is a verbatim (but not facsimile) reproduction of what the editors considered to be a "telling" moment (ie. a report, letter, or document) in the history of the continent. A little dry for my taste, but I think my son will enjoy it.

The entries start with a brief statement of the significance of the chapter and include the original source for reference. The entries seem to be rather short. There are quite a few illustrations, all in b&w. This is a 20 volume set from 1976... according to abebooks, I'm missing two soft-cover volumes: one being the introduction to the series, the other, an index. Luckily, the annals are in chronological order.

What else do you want to know?

Well in that case Piffie, maybe it would be quite interesting then.

Maybe, McT, but I prefer my illustrations in color.

Is it entirely primary sources, Piffka?

Yes, I've been doing an online search and have found an $80 set -- best so far!

Tartarin -- <smile> Well, there are twenty volumes and I haven't checked them all... but it appears to be all from primary sources. In many cases they seem to be excerpts. Have you looked at this?

Encyclopedia Brittanica Store

It is a fairly complete description of the latest edition.

Piff -- That link didn't work for me but I think it's probably the same site I went to first for a description.

There was something about the way the guy who recommended it described it that made me think it was all primary material, carefully organized, each vol (except the first) covering only a small span of time. He made it sound as though it was endlessly useful for reference, and also a great pick-and-choose read...

The excerpts do seem to be carefully chosen and it is grouped by time. The first volume covers a lot of ground. Let me look at the last one...

Volume 20 covers 1974-76 and starts with a description of the time "bracketed by the dissolution of the Nixon presidency and the beginning of the Carter presidency..." The first chapter is entitled "Listen Mr. Nixon... " and is an editorial from the May 9th edition of the Chicago Tribune. The next chapter is most of the ruling by Warren E. Burger in the case the United States vs. Richard M. Nixon. Chapter 3 is the articles of impeachment.... and so it goes.

Really pretty interesting, even for a non-history buff. I went onto abebooks (where you probably checked) and you could buy single volumes for not too many $$ which would give you a better idea... or your library might have the set. Gee, I'm glad you mentioned this though. Now I feel like I'm giving my son a much nicer gift.

Yes, I looked at the Abe array (that's where I usually shop)(well, and EBay) and figured that to get the entire set vol by vol, with shipping costs for each rather than all, I'd be paying a whole lot more. BTW, the guy who was on NPR said Vol 4 about the actual Revolution is a no-putter-downer!!

Thanks, Piffka, for taking a good look at yours. Pretty much what I hoped they be. Now, waiting for that lottery win...!

It just occurred to me to call Larry McMurtry's place in north Texas mañana -- I was there about three weeks ago and he has EVERYTHING and the stuff he sold me was cheap, cheap, cheap. Let's see if he's got a set... That's a book store (well, there are five or six) I'd HIGHLY recommend a visit to!

That is a bookstore I would LOVE to go to...

In fact I think we should have an a2k meet there, but, of course, after I win the lottery.

I'm not sure where one would meet there, Osso. Boone the dog and I checked out the park and it's full of sand burrs. Remember "Last Picture Show" -- that's where it was shot only the actuality is much bleaker, emptier! Of course one could meet in the City of Wichita Falls, just to the north. Oh boy...

I think we talked about this in conjecture once before and you said there's no motel or perhaps nothing much.

Seems - not to make it sound like a goldmine, which I wouldn't want it to be - but a nice place to hang around for two or three days, given an adequate b + b, and a grocery store... the odd Hopper coffee shop.

Well, McMurtry is savvy enough to do that if he wanted to, probably he doesn't.

Well, between this set and the other amazing find I got, Ancient Law, by Maine, I feel like I'm giving my son a fabulous Christmas. Too bad he wanted a car.

*I* would like to go to Larry McMurtry's bookstore, too, if I could just dare to cross the border into scary Texas. Maybe Osso & I should rent an RV....

Don't forget, if you're looking in secondhand bookshops, I'm looking for an American book now out of print called "The Art of the Wood Butcher".

Its a paperback (1960s?) book about homemade cabins in the woods, dens, and all that kind of hobbyist woodworking- a bit artistic, in a rustic way, building treehouses and cabins and stuff. Kind of escapist.

If anyone sees that, I would be pleased to hear about it.

McTag -- I've been adding that to every search I've made (and I make a lot!!) since you first posted that. No luck. Lots of blind alleys. If I were back in New England (the land of wood butchers including college dropouts!), I bet I'd find it.