"The five volumes of A History of American Magazines constitute a unique cultural history of America, viewed through the pages and pictures of her periodicals from the publication of the first monthly magazine in 1741 through the golden age of magazines in the twentieth century"--Page 4 of cover.

From the colonial era to the onset of the Civil War, Magazines and the Making of America looks at how magazines and the individuals, organizations, and circumstances they connected ushered America into the modern age. How did a magazine industry emerge in the United States, where there were once only amateur authors, clumsy technologies for production and distribution, and sparse reader demand? What legitimated magazines as they competed with other media, such as newspapers, books, and letters? And what role did magazines play in the integration or division of American society? From their first appearance in 1741, magazines brought together like-minded people, wherever they were located and whatever interests they shared. As America became socially differentiated, magazines engaged and empowered diverse communities of faith, purpose, and practice. Religious groups could distinguish themselves from others and demarcate their identities. Social-reform movements could energize activists across the country to push for change. People in specialized occupations could meet and learn from one another to improve their practices. Magazines built translocal communities—collections of people with common interests who were geographically dispersed and could not easily meet face-to-face. By supporting communities that crossed various axes of social structure, magazines also fostered pluralistic integration. Looking at the important role that magazines had in mediating and sustaining critical debates and diverse groups of people, Magazines and the Making of America considers how these print publications helped construct a distinctly American society.

Uncle Sam. The Gibson Girl. Some of America's most memorable images made their debuts on the covers of magazines. During the Golden Age of the American magazine cover, the corner newsstand was a veritable gallery for some of the country's leading illustrators, artists, and cartoonists. This volume showcases over 200 remarkable covers from publications as diverse as Saturday Evening Post, Harper's Bazaar, Fortune, Good Housekeeping, and Vanity Fair. 280 color illustrations.

Showcases the discovery, settlement, and development of the western territory, from the Appalachians to the California coast. The book chronicles the full story, from 1800 to 1950. This exciting volume profiles the explorers, settlers, and fortune-seekersas well as Native Americansand how they shaped the West. More than 900 amazing images, hundreds in color, with rich, detailed captions. More than 90 sidebars on such wide-ranging topics as the Texas Revolution, the Oklahoma land rush, and the Dust Bowl. In addition, "eyewitness" sidebars offer vivid, first-hand accounts from those who lived through the West's most pivotal events. A 1,400-item timeline captures all significant moments and developments of the American West.