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Frequently Asked Questions A. “Living history,” by most accounts, refers to places and experiences that immerse people in history - making real through direct exposure what otherwise can only be imagined through books, lectures, museums and films. A substantial portion of the recommendations in our book, America's Living History-The Early Years, are National Parks, National Monuments and State Historic Sites. Six have been designated as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. Many others are privately operated attractions, made exceptional because of the hard work and commitment of proud, dedicated Americans. Think of places like Mesa Verde, Jamestown Settlement, Plimoth Plantation, Williamsburg and Mount Vernon as examples. top^ A. We were picky about the places we chose to showcase. Here is a partial list of their qualifications: 1. The destinations are as historically accurate and complete as possible, based on archaeological findings and historic records. Attention has been given to not only the buildings, furnishings and personal items but also the gardens, farm fields and livestock. 2. Where possible, the sites have history-based activities, re-enactments and other special events. Staff members typically include individuals in period clothing who share information through third-person discussions or first-person portrayals. 3. They show many aspects of early American life - community, household, agriculture, arts and crafts, business, public affairs and military actions. Every effort is made by them to replicate historical reality in fun and interesting ways. 4. The historical atmosphere is superior. Excluded are amusement parks and sites that have not properly restored or maintained their properties. Conventional museums also have been excluded because they display their collections out of context with real-life use. However, we could not resist a few “museum plus” destinations, whose exceptional exhibits include creative re-creations and historic buildings. top^ A. We hear this question frequently and simply cannot answer it. No single place stands out above all others. When creating the book, we made a point of showcasing a broad group of favorite destinations. Each site is special in its own way and provides exciting insight into America's remarkable early heritage. To help our readers make their own choices, we have organized the destinations by region (including maps) in the introduction and by field of interest within each chapter. What are our favorite Indian sites? You'll find about 60 recommendations in the chapter on America's Native Peoples? How about our favorite religious sites? Again, you'll find about 60 in the chapter on Religious & Secular Groups. What about military places? We've organized a sizable group by subject - the French & Indian War, Revolutionary War and War of 1812. And...well, altogether there are 300 sites in the book to tantalize you. top^ A. This is not a textbook - we want your reading to be easy and fun. However, we do recognize that many of our readers look back on their history education with foggy memories or are just beginning to discover the pleasure of learning about America's past; so we have provided some important background information. Each chapter of the book opens with a two-page historical perspective. In addition, we have inserted sidebars about special-interest subjects throughout the book. Because of their brevity, these sections are necessarily incomplete. Our intent is not to teach history but to enhance your enjoyment. Those of you who travel can learn much more at the destinations themselves, simply by asking questions. Living history interpreters welcome the opportunity to share their knowledge and hands-on experiences. top^ A. We have visited about 500 historical attractions in the U.S. during the past few years. Why so many? You could call us fanatical, but there was a method in our “madness” - we wanted to identify the best attractions among a very sizable number nationwide. We did extensive advance research (with general guidebooks, the Internet, fellow travelers, historical societies, history books, etc.) to narrow down the possibilities. Still, there is no substitute for first-hand exposure. Surprisingly, many sites that were highly praised by others did not meet our standards. Some turned out to be too broad in scope to be appropriate for this book. Still others were too small or incomplete. We selected only the premier destinations to feature in America's Living History-The Early Years. top^ A. In addition to visiting the historical sites, we asked the historians/managers at featured destinations to review our content for accuracy and completeness. In some cases, specialists at state and national organizations also participated. There was no obligation or cost to any of them - we simply wanted to ensure that everything was fairly stated and up-to-date for our readers. All of their comments were incorporated. top^ A. Frankly, space was an issue. We didn't want to produce a 600-page book. As it is, America's Living History-The Early Years covers a long span of time - from the development of widely varied Indian cultures, to the discovery and domination of our land by European powers, and finally to the emergence of an independent nation. It ends for the most part in the early 1840s, before the concept of Manifest Destiny extended America's reach from the Atlantic to the Pacific. To us, these early years were America's most formative years. top^ A. Absolutely not. We could certainly have saved a lot of money printing the book overseas. However, we're Americans, talking about America. All the printing and production was done in the United States. Any other questions? Please feel free to email us - RedCorralPub@aol.com | ||||
What do you mean by the term “living history”? What criteria did you use in making your recommendations? How much history do you include in the book? How many historical destinations did you visit yourselves? How did you go about ensuring the accuracy of your book? Why did you focus on the early years and not all of America's living history? Did you print this 500-picture book overseas, as is common with books that have lots of photographs? | ||||
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