Ferguson Rebecca N. - The handy history answer book

An attorney and author who works as First Amendment Scholar for the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University, David L. Hudson Jr. writes regularly on the Supreme Court as a contributing editor to the American Bar Associations Preview of U.S. Supreme Court Cases. He also teaches several classes at the Nashville School of Law. He is the author of more than 25 books, including The Rehnquist Court: Understanding Its Impact and Legacy (Praeger, 2006), and Visible Ink Presss The Handy Supreme Court Answer Book, The Handy Law Answer Book, and The Handy Presidents Answer Book. He is a graduate of Duke University and Vanderbilt Law School.

I would like to thank Roger Jnecke of Visible Ink Press for his vision and for giving me another writing opportunity in the Handy series. I have enjoyed immensely working on this book, as well as The Handy Supreme Court Answer Book, The Handy Law Answer Book, and The Handy Presidents Answer Book. Once again, I had the privilege of working with expert editor Kevin Hile, who improved the manuscript. I also would like to thank my beautiful wife, Carla Hudson, for her excellent research skills and her unwavering support. I would also like to thank my students at Nashville School of Law and Vanderbilt Law School.

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Please visit the Handy series website at www.handyanswers.com.

Copyright 2013 by Visible Ink Press

This publication is a creative work fully protected by all applicable copyright laws, as well as by misappropriation, trade secret, unfair competition, and other applicable laws.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, or website.

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Managing Editor: Kevin S. Hile

Art Director: Mary Claire Krzewinski

Typesetting: Marco Di Vita

Proofreaders: Chrystal Rosza and Sarah Hermsen

ISBN 978-1-57859-372-9

Cover images: iStock.

Cataloging-in-publication data is on file at the Library of Congress.

Printed in the United States of America

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My favorite subject throughout my schooling was historyAmerican history, modern European history, Russian history, ancient history. The name of the course didnt matter as long as it was history. I couldnt absorb enough information. Little did I know as a middle-school student or high-school student that I would be fortunate enough to work on a history book for the Handy series.

I am a big believer in Roger Jneckes Handy series. I love the format, the accessible FAQs with enough depth to satisfy neophytes and the more learned. This book was a change for me. I wrote from scratch The Handy Supreme Court Answer Book and The Handy Law Answer Book. I incorporated an entirely different format for the second edition of The Handy Presidents Answer Book and wrote much of that book, though much of Roger Matuzs great first edition was retained. This book was different, as Rebecca Ferguson wrote an exceptional Handy History Answer Book. The format was not changed for the book. My task was more updating than revising. I sincerely hope I have done my part to ameliorate what, in my mind, was already an exceptional work.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes once wrote that a page of history is worth a volume of logic. In The Handy History Answer Book you will find hundreds of pages of history on nearly every human endeavor for thousands of years. There are chapters on wars, politics, sports, music, art, inventions, disasters, and much more.

I truly hope you enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed updating and adding to Fergusons great work.

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