This compelling book makes readers think about the Vietnam War in a different way. It asks tough questions, such as if there was any benefit to a war that not only killed millions but also divided America, split generations, and created a rift between America and the rest of the world. With dynamic spreads featuring pictures and easy-to-follow text, this book will inspire readers not only to study history but also to ask the all-important critical questions about the past so that we don’t make the same mistakes.

This compelling book makes readers think about the Vietnam War in a different way. It asks tough questions, such as if there was any benefit to a war that not only killed millions but also divided America, split generations, and created a rift between America and the rest of the world. With dynamic spreads featuring pictures and easy-to-follow text, this book will inspire readers not only to study history but also to ask the all-important critical questions about the past so that we don’t make the same mistakes.

After such a destructive and costly war, few would have anticipated the important, positive global changes that came after World War II. However, this title takes a tour of all the ingenious innovations that came in the wake of that war. A brief recap of the conflict provides context before the text explores the advances made in weaponry, medicine, and international cooperation. Attention is given to many of the challenging debates that arose postwar, including conflict between newly independent nations and the rise of the Cold War, fueling critical thinking about the impact-positive and negative-of adversity.

The immediate legacy of World War I, the first truly global conflict, was devastation, loss, and tragedy. However, a century later, we still benefit from many of the indirect results of the war, including life-saving medical advances and popular consumer items like tea bags and wristwatches. This thought-provoking volume tackles its title question by examining the causes and effects of World War I. Readers learn how the “Great War” precipitated social, cultural, political, and medical strides even as it claimed lives and livelihoods. The narrative’s balanced perspective encourages readers to think deeply about the positive and negative effects of war.

The Cold War was a conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union that partly manifested itself as a race to conquer space. The Soviet Union launched the first satellite into orbit in 1957, while twelve years later the United States put the first humans on the moon. Some of the many technological feats required for space travel trickled down into everyday life, such as satellite television, bar codes, and joysticks. This resource highlights innovations that arose from the Cold War, demonstrating how this long conflict helped shape today’s world in some positive ways.

While the Great Depression was indisputably a difficult period in American history, it did lead to certain developments that we still benefit from today. One for the most significant examples of this is Social Security, which helps a whole generation of retired Americans. The book offers a clear, concise description of the Great Depression—including both its causes and its effects. Chapters focus on different aspects of the period, including culture, the arts, and science and technology. The dynamic design features posters and photographs from the Depression era. This informative, multifaceted history of the period brings the Great Depression to vivid life.

Based on classified documents and interviews, argues that American acts of violence against millions of Vietnamese civilians during the Vietnam War were a pervasive and systematic part of the war.