Synopses & Reviews
A fully illustrated graphic adaptation that offers a new look at the Gettysburg Address, the bloody battle that prompted it, and the Civil War
Most of us can recall "Four score and seven years ago," but much of what we know about this historic speech, and what it has to say about the Civil War itself, has been lost since we left grade school.
The Gettysburg Address offers a revolutionary way to experience Lincoln's masterwork. Striking at the underlying meaning of Lincoln's words, it uses the Address to tell the whole story of the Civil War. We see how bitter seeds sown by the Founding Fathers sprouted into a bloody war, and ultimately blossomed into the progress and justice of the Civil Rights era. The book depicts pivotal events that led to the upheaval of the secession crisis, the crucial Battle of Gettysburg, and the conflict's still-unfolding legacy with firsthand accounts from Americans from all walks of life: slaves, soldiers, citizens, and, of course, Abraham Lincoln himself—the most transformational president in U.S. history.
Writer Jonathan Hennessey and illustrator Aaron McConnell illuminate history with vibrant, detailed graphics and captions that will give you a fresh understanding of this vital speech, which defined America's most tragic war and marked a new path forward.
Review
Praise for The United States Constitution: A Graphic Adaptation:“The coolest thing since Schoolhouse Rock.” Rachel Maddow
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“A sweet, quick, thoroughgoing history of the U.S. Constitution . . . Youd be hard-pressed to find a better primer for bringing the kids, foreigners and forgetful in your life up to speed.” Cory Doctorow
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“Intelligently written, lushly illustrated . . . Hennessey interweaves the Framers intent with contemporary battles over constitutional law, while McConnell colors history with masterful strokes. A civics lesson no one should miss.” Village Voice (A Best Book of 2008)
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“Avoiding the didactic, the book succeeds in being both consistently entertaining and illuminating . . . A fine introduction to U.S. legal history.” Publishers Weekly
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“Before Obama is sworn in as the next U.S. president in January, let Hennessey and McConnells The United States Constitution: A Graphic Adaptation be your refresher course.” Charles Moss, PopMatters
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“[A] must-read graphic novel treatment of the history, meaning and evolution of the United States Constitution. It should be a staple of every high school history class.” Jonathan Valania, Phawker
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“We the people can now appreciate our nations founding document unpacked into easy-to-follow explanations enriched with stick-in-your-mind visuals . . . A surprising and effective accomplishment; highly recommended for all collections. Buy multiples for kids, teens, and adults.” School Library Journal (starred review)
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“Aaron McConnells illustrations are brilliant in their effectiveness of depicting complex themes and ideas in discernable ways. The style is reminiscent of the political cartoons of yore and his use of iconography is clever and informative.” Chris Wilson, The Graphic Classroom
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“Engaging, provocative and deftly nuanced. ... This second collaboration by Hennessey and McConnell again finds them probing the implications of history through incisive analysis and compelling art.” Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
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“An excellent work. … Not a simplification but a detailed and nuanced analysis of Lincolns famous speech” Library Journal (starred review)
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“A stellar nonfiction graphic novel. ... McConnells detailed and highly textured art. ... shows the variety of class-based, racial, and historical perspectives creating the mismatched lenses through which Americans view their own history.” Booklist
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“A very nuanced historical argument…” < i=""> Slate <> Political Gabfest
Synopsis
The Gettysburg Address: A Graphic Adaptation is a full-color illustrated look at Abraham Lincolns most famous speech, the bloody battle of the Civil War that prompted it, and how they led to a defining point in the history of America.
Most of us can recall “Four score and seven years ago,” but much of what we know about Abraham Lincolns oration has been forgotten after high school.
Using Lincolns words as a keystone, and drawing from first-person accounts, The Gettysburg Address shows us the events through the eyes of those who lived through the events of the War, from soldiers to slaves.
Writer Jonathan Hennessey and illustrator Aaron McConnell illuminate history with vibrant, detailed graphics and captions that deliver a fresh understanding of this vital speech.
Synopsis
This graphic novel tells the story of young Ben Franklinandrsquo;s quest for moral perfectionandmdash;and relies primarily on his own words to do so! Adapted from The Autobiography and using additional text from Poor Richardandrsquo;s Almanac, readers are visually transported into Ben Franklinandrsquo;s world of printing presses, quills, and beer steins. Franklin undertakes an experiment to try and live out thirteen andlsquo;virtuesandrsquo; and achieve moral perfectionandmdash;with mixed results.
About the Author
Julian Hanshaw is an award-winning animator and illustrator based in England. He has written two graphic novelsandndash;The Art of Pho and Iandrsquo;m Never Coming Backandndash;and received the Observer/Comica graphic short story prize for his work, andquot;Sand Dunes and Sonic Booms.andquot;
Daniel Harmon is the editorial director at Zest Books, as well as a longtime editor of pop culture projects for a variety of publishers. A former staff writer at Brokelyn.com, his essay about Tommy Wiseauandrsquo;s film The Room was published in the anthology Cult Pop Culture. He is the author of Super Pop!: Pop Culture Top Ten Lists to Help You Win at Trivia, Survive in the Wild, Make It Through the Holidays, and the graphic novel The Young Ben Franklin.