The Heritage of America
Henry Steele Commager and Allan Nevins
📚 Genre
Non-Fiction - American History / Source Documents
🏢 Publisher
Little, Brown and Company
📅 Publication Year
1939
🔢 ISBN
Not applicable for this vintage edition (pre-ISBN)
About This Book
A comprehensive anthology of American history told through firsthand accounts, diaries, letters, and speeches. The spine features striking historical illustrations of a Native American and a Puritan, with gold gilt titling on a dark background.
Book Details
Language
English
Pages
1152
Edition
First Edition / Early Printing
Series
Standalone volume
Target Audience
General Audience / Academic
Collector Information
Condition
Fair. Showing heavy wear along the edges and spine ends, fraying cloth, fading, and a white library classification mark written directly onto the spine (973 C).
Estimated Value
$10-$30
Rarity
Common. Widely printed and frequently found in used bookstores and libraries, though nice copies in original dust jackets are harder to locate.
Historical Significance
A landmark mid-20th-century compilation of primary source materials that helped shape how generations of students and the general public engaged with American history through the actual words of historical figures.
Collector Notes
This specific copy is an ex-library or institutional discard, as indicated by the spine call number, which significantly diminishes its collectibility and market value. Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight to prevent further degradation of the cloth spine.
Similar Books
The Annals of America by Encyclopedia Britannica; Documents of American History by Henry Steele Commager; A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn; The American Spirit by Henry Steele Commager
Notable Features
Includes historical illustrations on the spine, extensive source documentation compiled by prominent historians Henry Steele Commager and Allan Nevins.