National Geographic - 1001 PEOPLE WHO MADE AMERICA

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Who's Who of Personalities Who Have Shaped Our Country WASHINGTON (Jan. 19, 2007)--Who are the pivotal figures in American history that have helped shape our country and who we are as a people? In a new book from National Geographic, 1001 PEOPLE WHO MADE AMERICA (National Geographic Books; ISBN-13: 978-1-4262-0052-6; Feb. 20, 2007; $19.95), historian Alan Axelrod looks at all areas of our collective past to profile personalities famous and infamous, virtuous and notorious, who have made America what it is today. This handy, concise reference offers an astonishingly diverse list of people, from George Washington to George W. Bush, Jesse James to Al Capone, Sojourner Truth to Martin Luther King, Stonewall Jackson to Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley to Edgar Allan Poe, Crazy Horse to Helen Keller, John Jacob Astor to Bill Gates. "Among the people who made America, some were great, some were good, others just lucky, and some downright bad, mistaken, unfortunate, and even evil. But they all merit inclusion in this book because what they did, what they made, what they thought -- and what they caused others to do, make, or think -- shaped our nation and who we are today," writes Axelrod. The makers of America include the roster of notables we all recognize, like Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln, as well as figures from culture and pop culture, from the underworld of crime, from the civil rights struggle, from politics, sports, entertainment, business, literature and art. Also profiled are the country's most influential record breakers, including the best, the worst, the greatest and even the meanest. The book's scope begins long before there was a United States or even a place called America and also includes people who may have been born or lived elsewhere, but who made a contribution to who we are today. The earliest featured personality is Bjarni Herjulfsson, the first European to lay eyes on the New World in 986. Modern-day entries include Madonna and Flight 93 hero Todd Beamer. Arranged alphabetically, 1001 PEOPLE WHO MADE AMERICA serves up history in lively, accessible bits. Each entry in this compendium of personalities gives a concise explanation of the figure's historical significance. Most entries are less than 100 words. Axelrod's writing is packed with information and insight, giving readers a deeper understanding of what it means to be an American. The appealing design and easy-to-read format invite browsing and make this book a great gift for history buffs and all thoughtful Americans. 1001 PEOPLE WHO MADE AMERICA is a companion volume to Axelrod's popular "1001 Events that Made America" (National Geographic Books, 2006). He has also written two BusinessWeek bestsellers on great leaders, "Patton on Leadership" and "Elizabeth l, CEO," as well as numerous other books on history, including "What Every American Should Know About American History," "The Penguin Dictionary of American Folklore" and "Encyclopedia of the American West." A veteran of more than 20 years in publishing, he lives in Atlanta.