National Geographic Eyewitness to the 20th Century

Using photographs, maps, charts, and time lines, this comprehensive volume portrays this century’s incredible events and developments from the Wright Brothers’ first flight to Neil Armstrong’s walk on the moon, up to the events of today. Organized conveniently by decade, each section begins by highlighting a prevailing issue of the day—America and Big Business, Women’s Suffrage, the 1924 Immigrations Restriction Act, the Great Depression, the Atomic Age, McCarthyism, Civil Rights, the Explosion of Mass Culture, the Rise of Conservatism, and the End of the Cold War. The 20th century brought forth the most dramatic advances ever made in a single century. No one tells it better than National Geographic Society.

This is a rich compilation of photographs, essays, and timelines, breaking the 20th century up into decade-long sections such as "The Age of Big Business" (1900 to 1909) and "Challenging the Establishment" (1960 to 1969). A number of respected scholars (including what feels like the entire Yale history department) have produced the historical essays, while National Geographic experts deliver articles on topics such as "Adventure and Exploration," "Mapping Our World," and "Earth's Forces." The brief items in the timeline section try to maintain a balance between "history" and "popular culture"; thus, 1969's articles include information on Chappaquiddick, the Manson family, Northern Ireland, Woodstock, and Joe Namath.