American History 
Individual Textbook Overview Pages

Each evaluation sheet includes the following general information about each text:

• Text Title
• Text Publisher
• Author and date of publication

• Total number of points on our weighted point scale
• Total number of words
• Number of index citations
• Number of visuals
• Rank in category which denotes the standing of each text within a given category and is used throughout the study as a reference number on graphs, charts etc.
• Overall rank indicates a text's standing among all of the books included in this survey.
• Percentile score viz-a-viz the best text in the category
• Percentile score viz-a-viz the best text in the survey (the highest ranking text each category and the overall best text each represent 100% so each text would be a percentage of that total).

If we found biases, errors, or inconsistencies, we listed them as well.

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Most of the coverage was on the Korean War. The date of the final event of the war was incorrectly given as 1952 rather than 1953.

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Word count was the highest, yet points were 5% lower; indicating that much of the information on Korea is given in a non-Korea-specific context.

Index rating was remarkably low for a text with so much information on Korea. Points for the index were cut in half because the index was not annotated. Visuals were average.

Showing originals of historic statements was very good (p. 457).

*On non-Korea-related issues, we noted that former Secretary of Agriculture, Ezra Taft Benson, former President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was written "Egan Taft Benson". Close, but no cigar, nor even a small tobacco subsidy.

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This text is an apparent updated version of the one we labeled AH14. There is a similarity in title and authors. This adds one author to the two in the 1986 text. This text rates higher in all categories except visual where they cut back by one.

The term "four little dragons" makes its appearance here, indicating current coverage of economic and trade issues.

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As well as this text rated, the only coverage of Korea was for the Korean War. No mention of Korean-Americans, economic ties or other possible topics.

The statement on page 490, "Japan's former colony" may suggest that Korea had always, or for a long, long time, been the colony of Japan. A better statement would be a more precise statement -- "...Korea which had been a colony of Japan for thirty-five years..." or "... since 1910...".

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The shooting down of the KAL airliner is mentioned as well as coverage of the Korean war. The latter was covered in virtually all texts, but the former was mentioned in only a few.

This is later edition by the same authors of a text titled A History of the United States since 1861. This edition improved in points, by placing more information on Korea in context, even though it included fewer words on Korea. See the 7th Ranked Text.

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This is an older edition of the previous text, by the same authors.

This text received fewer points than its predecessor although it had more words. The coverage was not concentrated in sections devoted to Korea.

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The text treats Korean immigrants well calling them "well educated" and stating that they contribute to U.S. high-tech industries.

This book is also up-to-date in that it explains that many Korean-owned businesses were targeted during the L. A. riots.

Overall this is a very solid text that is as interesting as it is factual.

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On the positive side, the Korean War was given its own section in Chapter 30.

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Errors or Inconsistencies:

It appears odd, also on page 716, to have South Korean casualties grouped with the North Koreans and Chinese because the South was on our side allied against the other two on the other side.

Page 687 says the war started on June 24, 1950. Technically, the U.S. was notified that the North came across the line on Saturday evening, the 24th of June. But in reality it was Sunday morning in Korea -- the 25th. Therefore to say the attack started on the 24th is extremely ethnocentric. One could say the U.S. was notified on the 24th, but it was the 25th where the attack actually took place. This may have particular importance for those who speak Korean, in that the Korean War is literally translated as the "June 25th War".

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Korea is given its own section in the table of contents. Successful Korean-Americans are recognized and Korean immigration is treated positively. The number of Korean-Americans, however, 375,000, is very low for a 1990 text. The figure should be closer to 800,000 for 1990, over a million for 1994.

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The romanization given for Syngman Rhee should be Sihng Mahn REE not SiHNG Muhn Ree.

On the plus side, the Korean War was given its own chapter, which included a long excerpt from a Marine's wartime diary.

*This text provided an anomaly in our weighted-point scale. In most cases there is a positive correlation between total numbers of words and the points we gave. More points were given in cases where Korea was given its own chapter or section; less points when it was mentioned in regard to other countries in Asia. Here we counted all the words in the diary as words about Korea, when in reality Korea, itself, was mentioned very little. We gave it very few points, however, because it told little about Korea, its people, history, or culture. Thus this text has a very high rating for total words, but an ordinary rating for points.

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This text has a positive tone regarding Korean-Americans.

Errors or Inconsistencies:

The statement on page 702 that the North Korean invaded, "according to Korean Army reports" gives the unfortunate, and possibly unintended, implication that such may have not been the case.

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Unusual in the rating of this text was the high word count compared to an average point score. This text took the approach of spreading bits and pieces about Korea throughout the text without giving Korea its own chapter or section headings.

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Strong points include definite support of the South Korean position and good coverage of Korean history. Most American history texts cover the Korean War, but present nothing of Korea's history or background. This text is exception in that it presents post-war developments in Korea.

They attempt to be current on the situation in Korea, but if frankly portraying "rigged elections, corruption, martial law, press censorship, bribes" and the like, they short-change Korea for what has gone on since the democratic reforms of 1987. Such criticisms may have had their validity, but in a section the brings Korea up-to-date, without really being up-to-date, an inaccurate impression is given.

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In the table of contents, Vietnam gets it own chapter, but the Korean War is in a section labeled "Truman Survives His Critics" -- a classic example of misplaced values. Death and suffering in Korea take second place to American politics.

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The tone of this text is clearly on a simpler plane. One of the advisors is listed as a specialist in remedial education.

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Errors or Inconsistencies:

Page: 192 The text states that Korea became two separate nations after the war but the country was actually divided and had two separate governments two years prior to the war.

Page: 200 The text claims that MacArthur was released for wanting to send Chinese troops from Taiwan to the battle mainland troops.

Page: 200 The book says that the U. N. troops were pushed back to the 38th parallel by the Chinese where they stayed until the end of the war. Seoul actually fell and was retaken once more before the stalemate near the 38th parallel.

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On the Korean War, comparisons to the Vietnam War and implications that they were both equally unpopular is unfortunate and untrue.

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Index points were halved because the index was not annotated. Coverage of Korea tended to be spread over other topics rather than giving Korea is own headings or sections.

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A lackluster presentation on Korea with only a brief review of the Korean War and nothing more.

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Contains nothing more than a simple and brief overview of the Korean War. Nothing on historical background, or developments since the war. Nothing on Korean-Americans or current trade issues.

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Errors or Inconsistencies:

Page:325 The map on this page shows the capitol of South Korea but fails to show P'yongyang, the capitol of North Korea.

Page: 332 This page says that "Japan completely controlled Korea for fifty years beginning in 1894". The choice of the word "completely" in this instance is inappropriate. Although the Japanese began to exert strong influence in that year, complete control came in 1910 with the annexation of Korea.

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Errors or Inconsistencies:

Page: 649 The text claims that North Korea was "controlled" by the Soviet Union but is now left on its own after the former's collapse. This gives the impression that the north was controlled by the Soviets until their recent breakup. This is simply not the case. Although North Korea payed lip service to receive aid from the Soviets, they were never directly controlled by them.

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