In the seven decades from its establishment in 1775 to the commercialization of the electric telegraph in 1844, the American postal system spurred a communications revolution no less far-reaching than the subsequent revolutions associated with the telegraph, telephone, and computer. This book tells the story of that revolution and the challenge it posed for American business, politics, and cultural life. During the early republic, the postal system was widely hailed as one of the most important institutions of the day. No other institution had the capacity to transmit such a large volume of information on a regular basis over such an enormous geographical expanse. The stagecoaches and postriders who conveyed the mail were virtually synonymous with speed. In the United States, the unimpeded transmission of information has long been hailed as a positive good. In few other countries has informational mobility been such a cherished ideal. Richard John shows how postal policy can help explain this state of affairs. He discusses its influence on the development of such information-intensive institutions as the national market, the voluntary association, and the mass party. He traces its consequences for ordinary Americans, including women, blacks, and the poor. In a broader sense, he shows how the postal system worked to create a national society out of a loose union of confederated states. This exploration of the role of the postal system in American public life provides a fresh perspective not only on an important but neglected chapter in American history, but also on the origins of some of the most distinctive features of American life today. Table of Contents: Preface Acknowledgments The Postal System as an Agent of Change The Communications Revolution Completing the Network The Imagined Community The Invasion of the Sacred The Wellspring of Democracy The Interdiction of Dissent Conclusion Abbreviations Notes Sources Index Reviews of this book: "[A] splendid new book...that gives the lie to any notion that 'government' and 'administration' were 'absent' in early America." DD--Theda Skocpol, Social Science History "This well-researched and elegantly written book will become a model for historians attempting to link public policy to cultural and political change...[It] will engage not only historians of the early republic, but all scholars interested in the relationship between state and society." DD--John Majewski, Journal of Economic History "The strength of the book is...the author's ability to untangle the thousands of social, political, economic, and cultural threads of the postal fabric and to rearrange them into a clear and compelling social history." DD--Roy Alden Atwood, Journal of American History "Richard R. John provides an insightful cultural history of the often-overlooked American postal system, concentrating on its preeminent status for long-distance communication between its birth in 1775 and the commercialization of the electric telegraph in 1844...John effectively draws upon government documents, newspapers, travelogues, and contemporary social and political histories to argue that the postal system causes and mirrors dramatic changes in American public life during this period...John focuses his study on the communication revolution of the past, yet his meticulous analysis of the complex motives forming the postal institution and its policies relate to such current controversies as those that surround the transmission of information in cyberspace. These contemporary disputes highlight the power of the government in shaping the communication of the people. John privileges the postal institution as the reigning communication system, yet he links it with the developing ideology of the nation, and the scope of his study ensures its value--in the disciplines of communication studies, literature, history, and political science, among others--as a history of the past and present." DD--Sarah R. Marino, Canadian Review of American Studies "Spreading the News exemplifies the kind of sophisticated and nuanced research that US postal history has long needed. Richard R. John breaks from the internalist, antiquarian tradition characteristic of so many post office histories to place the postal system at the centre of American national development." DD--Richard B. Kielbowicz, Business History "[John] presents a thoroughly researched and well-written book...[which will give] insight into the history of the post office and its impact on American life." DD--Library Journal "It is surely true that in Richard John the post has had the good fortune to have found its proper historian, one capable of appreciating the complex design and social importance of the means a people use to distribute information. He has also accomplished the impressive feat of gathering together the pieces of a postal history present elsewhere as so many tiny fragments. John has drawn into a coherent design the stories of postal patronage, the decisions about postal privacy, the incidents along post roads used by others as illustrative anecdotes. John's work has inspired in him a deep appreciation for the accomplishments of the post." DD--Ann Fabian, The Yale Review "John's book explains how the letters and newspapers sent through the post were really the glue that held the early 13 states together and that embraced additional states as the nation expanded westward...It is a splendid attempt to show the importance of mail service in the years before the telegraph or the telephone made at least brief news transmission possible. The postal system of the 19th century really was a factor, perhaps the major factor, in making the United States one nation." DD--Richard B. Graham, Linn's Stamp News "This book traces the central role of the postal system in [its] communications revolution and its contribution to American public life. The author shows how the postal system influenced the establishment of a national society out of a loose union of confederated states. Richard John throws light onto a chapter in American history that is often neglected but sets up the origins of some of the most distinctive features of American life today...The book is a comprehensive study on an important American institution during a critical epoch in its history." DD--Monika Plum, Prometheus [UK] "John has produced an original, well-documented, and thoughtful study that offers alternative and enticing interpretations of Jacksonian policies and public institutions." DD--Choice

Explore 13 billion years of history in the comfort of your own home! Journey through time and discover how some of the world's greatest events unfolded. From the Big Bang all the way through to the digital age, this incredible visual encyclopedia for children shows you just about everything that has ever happened in history. Witness history come alive as you travel through more than 130 stunning timelines. Packed with fantastic photographs and illustrations, along with informative text and fun facts. The history book covers the rise and fall of empires to ground-breaking scientific breakthroughs and inventions that changed our lives. This educational book is an imaginative way of illustrating world history for children age 8 and over. Throughout the pages, your child will get to meet the most bloodthirsty pirates of all time and discover what happened during the storming of the Bastille. It's a fantastic book for young readers with a natural curiosity about history around the world. Find your place in the world and understand where you fit in. Whether you want to discover the history of cinema, fashion, aviation, or espionage. There is something for everyone in this glorious guide through global history! The History of Everything... Ever! This fascinating reference book tells the story of a diverse range of subjects throughout history in an easily digested graphic format! After your kids dive into this book, you'll never hear them use the words "history" and "boring" in the same sentence again. Take a trip back in time! This history book covers the following eras: - Prehistory: Before 3000 BCE - The Ancient World: 3000 BCE - 500 CE - The Medieval World: 500 - 1450 - The Age of Exploration: 1450 - 1750 - The Age of Revolution: 1750 - 1914 - The Modern World: After 1914

News in Public Memory brings together a team of international experts to investigate the media-transmitted history of the twentieth century as it exists in the memories and minds of people living in diverse cultures across the globe. This book compares media-related childhood memories across three generations in nine countries. Results reveal that events of the past century are not only historical «facts» but have become substantial elements of a new global collective memory that has been integrated into generational identity worldwide. The global approach of this research encourages the idea that the world is an interconnected whole, but it also helps to advance a better understanding of the different perceptions of global and local news as they emerge from various cultural angles and geographical regions.

"Mohamed Choukri (1935-2003) is one of the most important writers of modern Moroccan literature. Illiterate until the age of 20, he grew up speaking darijah, the spoken dialect of Moroccan Arabic, and spent his childhood in extreme poverty in Tangiers. After learning to read, he wrote works that changed modern Arab literature. His works include characters based on people he knew who lived in worlds rarely featured in literature. At the same time, he connected with the writers Paul Bowles (an early translator), Tennessee Williams, and Jean Genet, among many others. Faces, published in Arabic in 1996 and never before translated into English, is the third in his most famous trilogy, weaving together autobiography and fiction. His novel invites the reader to experience the places and events of his life through the eyes of a local, and paints a picture of daily life for all kinds of people. Like in life, he describes gritty events; abject poverty, prostitution, violence, sexual revelry, deprivation, and abuse almost casually. It is through these topics and his storytelling style that Choukri reflects on human nature, love, and kindness. He elevates and humanizes those undergoing poverty, places the blame for the violence they undergo squarely on colonial forces and then the resulting postcolonial government, and emphasizes the importance of community and collaboration. "I saw that writing could also be a way to expose, to protest against those who have stolen my childhood, my teenage-hood and a piece of my youthfulness," said Choukri. "At that moment, my writing became committed." His vivid portrayals of marginalized people, considered a taboo, led to censorship from 1983 to 2000 and a cultural backlash in the Arab world, which resulted in Faces being published late and not being translated before his death. Elbousty's elegant translation stays faithful to Choukri's writing and promises to remind readers of his importance and to bring him attention not just in Morocco but in discussions of contemporary Arab literature around the globe"--

With recent headlines around fake news from world leaders and around presidential elections, Twitter and other social media platforms being pressured to detect and label misinformation posted on their platforms, as well as misinformation around COVID-19 and its vaccine, the world has seen an increase in protests, policy changes, and even chaos surrounding this information. This spread of misinformation, when left unchecked, can turn fiction into fact and result in a mass misconception of the truth that shapes opinions, creates false narratives, and impacts multiple facets of society in potentially detrimental ways, indicating a need for the latest research on how the devastating impacts of this trend, how to discern facts from misinformation, as well as more information on technological advancements in fake news detection The Research Anthology on Fake News, Political Warfare, and Combatting the Spread of Misinformation is a compilation of the most comprehensive, previously published, and highly cited research from prestigious institutions including Columbia University and Stanford University, USA, which focuses on understanding fake news, how it spreads, its negative effects, and current solutions being investigated. While highlighting topics such as fake news, trending conspiracy theories, media distrust, political warfare, and detection methods, this book is ideally intended for practitioners, stakeholders, researchers, academicians, and students interested in the continuing surge of fake news and its, at times, dangerous results.