History is Where "Here" Happened....

I normally provide reviews for Christian books being put forward by Christian publishers; however, I have broken away from that rut in this instance.  Given my educational background in history (BA and MA), I took the opportunity to read and review a book written by Andrew Carroll -- Here is Where:  Discovering America's Great Forgotten History.  If you are looking for a book filled with citations that relied upon primary sources, well, this is not the one for you.  If you are, however, looking for a pleasurable read where you will learn a great deal, then, by all means, grab this book and read it.

The author's intent was to find "forgotten history," and he defines that by people or events that do not have historical monuments for the particular events he covered.  He criss-crossed the nation in finding these events and would always attempt to get to the exact place where that history occurred.  Even if it was a vacant lot at the corner of a street or the remnants of a historical home that rested in poison ivy infested woods.  Along the way, he runs into some issues with the US military and FBI, but I will not spoil that for you by providing any more details.

At more than 400 pages, it does not feel that way when you read it.  The rationale is quite simple -- Carroll has a gift of written expression and he uses it deftly throughout the entire book.  You will discover how a prisoner created a "super gun" that would help win World War 2.  You see a rather odd way that the founders of the Mayo Clinic gain interest in medicine.  You hear about the irony of all ironies involving the Booth and Lincoln families.

He categorizes his discussions along major topics, but my favorite - by far - was the section on Burial Plots.  My interest comes from my own historical studies of wandering old cemeteries that dot the eastern part of North Carolina.  The way we treat our dead and remember them says a great deal about who we are in the present.  Forgetting them means that we miss the future that they helped craft.

Get this book.  Read this book.  Enjoy this book.

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 25:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.