That's Not in My American History Book by Thomas Ayres | Teen Ink

That's Not in My American History Book by Thomas Ayres

May 31, 2011
By SaddleShoeGal PLATINUM, Granite Canyon, Wyoming
SaddleShoeGal PLATINUM, Granite Canyon, Wyoming
23 articles 42 photos 71 comments

Favorite Quote:
"History is the key to the future"--Melinda Emerson
"Never tell the truth to those unworthy of it"--Mark Twain


"That's Not in My American History Book" is a collection of stories lost in the pages of history. The book is split up into five parts, each on different topics, from "Stories Lost Between the Pages" to "America's Forgotten Heros." The stories offer new insight on what really happened in our country's past. Events were never as they are written in our history textbooks; they are either based loosely on the truth, changed to be in our favor, or even outright lies. "The sad truth is today's students learn very little history," Thomas Ayres writes.

"Who were the first people to fly?" is a question that many students are asked in school. The answer teachers are looking for is Orville and Wilbur Wright, because that is what they were taught. Not many people know that the Wright Brothers were no the first to accomplish flight; it was really Gustave Whitehead in 1901. Few know about his great achievement because he was not looking for fame or fortune, he just wanted to see what would happen. This if the first of 50 stories Ayres tells us.

From the Declaration of Independence to Franklin Delano Roosevelt; from turn-of-the-century terrorism to the Wild West, "That's Not in My American History Book" contains facts that only a handful of people know. You will never get bored with this arrangement of little-known events from America's past. Anybody who is interested in history should read this book. One does not even have to read the whole book, only the stories they are interested in while gazing at the table of contents. It is a good book, and I would recommend it to anybody. "By no means is the material contained herein definitive history. It is anecdotal history, written more for the entertainment than deep scholarly analysis."


The author's comments:
I really do recommend you read this book, it is really interesting! It was suggested to me by a teacher at school, and I really enjoyed it!

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