(3) 4-6 Secret History series. From propaganda and intelligence to technology and courageous sacrifice, various ways in which conflicts are won or negotiated are examined in these books. Archival photographs combine with a busy but well-organized design to present an engaging perspective on these wartime efforts. Both reluctant readers and history buffs in need of a fresh approach to events will appreciate this series. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Secret History titles: The Cold War, World War I, World War II, and The War on Terror.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(4) YA Lives in Crisis series. This book presents a simplified but adequate narrative of the African-American slave trade, giving readers an overview of slavery and its effects. Topics include how the slave trade was born, grew, and flourished; slavery in the New World; the struggle for abolition; and the aftermath. The book is filled with sidebars and period photographs and drawings in a dense format. Resources, timeline. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Lives in Crisis series. In this densely designed volume, Grant discusses the events in America and Europe that led to the worldwide economic Great Depression. The factual approach recounts the hardships suffered as a result of the stock market crash and bank and crop failures. Numerous sidebars add interest but contribute to the crowded presentation. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Ideas of the Modern World series. The social and political movements against capitalism and for women's equality are given the long-view treatment, from their roots in the eighteenth century to the present. Significant events and influential figures in the movements are noted, albeit briefly. Numerous sidebars and captioned photos interrupt the flow of the straightforward texts but make the books accessible to browsers. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Ideas of the Modern World titles: Protesting Capitalism and Feminism.]

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) 4-6 History of Warfare series. Each volume examines various wars that occurred within a historical era or key battles within a particular war. Color maps, historical reproductions, and (frequently dark) black-and-white photographs supplement the dry texts, which also include information boxes that profile specific military officers, discuss forms of weaponry, or focus on the roles of women and minorities in certain conflicts. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) YA 20th Century Issues series. These books maintain an international focus and an optimistic outlook in their coverage of five long-standing social-justice issues. The series' primary interest is humanity, not ideas, a fact reinforced by the wealth of photos of people affected by each issue. Scattered throughout are boxed "key moments," as well as opinions, drawings, and propaganda posters that comment on the topic at hand. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) YA New Perspectives series. Tracing the history of the Berlin Wall--from its creation to its destruction--this insightful book explores the broader issues of communism's rise and fall in Germany and Eastern Europe. The pages are brimming with well-captioned photographs, firsthand quotes (which add personal perspective on the events), and sidebars that inform and expand the main text. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli

(4) 4-6 New Perspectives series. The title of this series is something of a misnomer, as the books are hardly original or different in their coverage of these calamitous twentieth-century events. Instead, the texts succinctly trace the history of each upheaval from earliest warning signs through its contemporary legacy, with copious sidebars containing interesting, if intrusive, information. Historical reproductions, photographs, and time lines supplement the volumes. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(4) 4-6 New Perspectives series. The title of this series is something of a misnomer, as the books are hardly original or different in their coverage of these calamitous twentieth-century events. Instead, the texts succinctly trace the history of each upheaval from earliest warning signs through its contemporary legacy, with copious sidebars containing interesting, if intrusive, information. Historical reproductions, photographs, and time lines supplement the volumes. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.