ACRL College & Research Libraries News

Association of College & Research Libraries

New Publications

George M. Eberhart is senior editor of American Libraries; e-mail: geberhart@ala.org

The Alamo: An Illustrated History,by George Nelson (114 pages, 2d ed., 1999), fills an important gap in Texas history by showing the changing features of San Antonio’s Alamo and Alamo Plaza. Nelson’s bird’s-eye drawings of what the mission looked like in 1745, 1785, and 1836 are based on detailed research, and he includes many drawings and photographs that document its evolution from the Texas Revolution to the present. One interesting discovery he made was that the distinctive bell-shaped parapet of the Alamo (not present during the battle) may actually have been commandeered or stolen by the U.S. Army from the nearby Mission San Jose during repairs in about 1850— sometime after it appeared on Alamo drawings, a similar structure was no longer visible above an arched walkway at San Jose. $27.95. Aldine Publishing, HC 32-109, Uvalde, TX 78801. ISBN 0-9659159-0-5.

More details of the struggle for an independent Texas are found in the Encyclopedia of the Alamo and the Texas Revolution, by Thom Hatch (229 pages, December 1999), a comprehensive compilation of facts, biographies, and battles. $55.00. McFarland and Co. ISBN 0-7864-0593-7.

Ancient Infrastructure: Remarkable Roads, Mines, Walls, Mounds, Stone Circles,compiled by William R. Corliss (406 pages, October 1999), is the first volume in a series devoted to archeological mysteries. This book focuses on unusual or anomalous ancient structures. Each anomaly is rated in terms of the quality of the reported data and the degree to which it deviates from accepted historical or scientific norms. The vast majority of examples are taken from archeological, historical, and anthropological journals and books. Corliss examines such antiquities as non-European menhirs and dolmens, unusual shafts and tunnels, stone circles as eclipse predictors, enigmatic mound complexes, huge stone spheres, the roads of Chaco Canyon, and precision-fit stone walls. $24.95. The Sourcebook Project, P.O. Box 107, Glen Arm, MD 21057. ISBN 0-915554-33-X.

The Battle of Kursk,by David M. Glantz and Jonathan M. House (472 pages, October 1999), uses German and newly released Russian sources to evaluate the greatest tank battle in history and shows how the Red Army, suffering staggering losses, ground to a halt the seemingly invincible German armored divisions. In July 1943 when British and Americans were landing in Sicily, the Russians were delivering a catastrophic blow that “meant an end to blitzkrieg in a strategic and operational sense” and certainly paved the way to an Allied victory. Appendixes, documents, notes, and bibliographic sources constitute the final 166 pages. $34.95, University Press of Kansas. ISBN 0-7006-0978-4.

Cutthroat: High Stakes and Killer Moves on the Electronic Frontier,by Stephen Keating (326 pages, November 1999), tells the story of Rupert Murdoch’s 1997 attempt to break the cable-TV monopoly by partnering with a satellite-TV concern nicknamed Deathstar that would deliver hundreds of channels, Internet access, and retail services to millions of subscribers. The plan fizzled because of the shrewd maneuvering of TCI “robber baron” John Malone, who neutralized the attack by selling his corporation to the phone company. Cable rates and content take many hits in this well-documented expose of the telecommunications industry, which is gearing up again over the Internet. $32.50. Johnson Books. ISBN 1-55566-252-8.

Elephant Story: Jumbo and P. T. Barnum under the Big Top,by Les Harding (129 pages, January 2000), provides the details of the life and death of Barnum’s 12-foot-tall attraction—the largest elephant ever exhibited—for his “greatest show on earth.” In addition to Jumbo’s biography, Harding offers background on Barnum’s life, the history of elephants in circuses, and a list of other famous elephants. $25.00. McFarland and Co. ISBN 0-7864-0632-1.

Encyclopedia of Christmas,by Tanya Gulevich (729 pages, December 1999), contains nearly 200 entries on the history, legends, customs, symbols, and worldwide observances of this holiday. Find out about the symbolism of the holly and the ivy, the making of the Nutcracker ballet, what Christmas in Ecuador is like, the Shetland fire festival Up Helly Aa, the first Christmas card in 1843, and the Yule goat that brings Scandinavian children presents. A handy guide with a substantial bibliography. $48.00. Omni-graphics. ISBN 0-7808-0387-6.

Fire in the Sky: Comets and Meteors, the Decisive Centuries, in British Art and Science,by Roberta J. M. Olson and Jay M. Pasachoff (369 pages, October 1999), examines the little-recognized flowering of astronomical art between the first telescopic discovery of a comet in 1680 to the spectacular return of Hailey’s comet in 1910. The illustrations are especially informative because of the apparent drop in frequency of bright comets since the 19th century (not to mention decreased visibility). Well-illustrated with 160 paintings, photos, drawings, and other works of art by astronomers and artists, both amateur and famous, the authors have made an important contribution to the history of art and science. $29.95. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-63060-6.

In case you missed it first time around, check out as a companion piece The Heavens on Fire: The Great Leonid Meteor Storms, by Mark Littmann (349 pages, updated, November 1999), a paperbound version timed to coincide with the much-anticipated Leonid shower. One of the most impressive astronomical displays in modern history, the November 13, 1833, shower inspired an intensive scientific study of meteors, spearheaded by Yale College Professor Denison Olmsted; by the time of the next major storm in 1866, astronomers were well on the way to realizing that fragments from a comet were responsible. Littmann covers both the history and the science with a well-written clarity. $19-95. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-77979-0.

The Psychology of the Internet,by Patricia Wallace (264 pages, November 1999), demonstrates that people’s behavior in real life often is completely different in cyberspace. She begins to chart Net psychology by examining the development of an online persona, then moves on to role-playing, the group dynamics of MUDs and chat rooms, flaming and other aggressions, the establishment of friendships and romances, pornography, Internet addiction, support groups, and online harassment. Based primarily on surveys and sociological studies, the book is even-handed about the Net, neither sounding alarms about evil nor jumping on a techno-soapbox. Wallace offers some advice on using the Internet responsibly in the last chapter. $24.95. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-63294-3.

Smokestacks and Skyscrapers,edited by David Starkey and Richard Guzman (538 pages, August 1999), brings together extracts from the prose and poetry of authors associated with Chicago. Beginning with Father Marquette’s 1674 journal entry written when he was at the mouth of the Chicago River, the anthology includes writings of Jane Addams, Frank Lloyd Wright, Carl Sandberg, Ben Hecht, Nelson Algren, Karl Shapiro, Gwendolyn Brooks, Angela Jackson, Mark Turcotte, and many others. A good place to experience the gritty realism of the Chicago style. $19.95. Loyola Press. ISBN 0-8294-1013-9. ■