ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 2 2 8 / C&RL News ■ March 2000 N e w P u b l i c α t i o n s tarrhbe E M.e orgGe The Alamo: An Illustrated History, b y G e o r g e N e ls o n ( 1 1 4 p a g e s , 2 d e d ., 1 9 9 9 ) , fills a n im p o rta n t g a p in T e x a s h is to ry b y s h o w in g t h e c h a n g in g f e a tu r e s o f S a n A n t o n io ’s A la m o a n d A la m o P la z a . N e ls o n ’s b i r d ’s - e y e d ra w in g s o f w h a t t h e m is s io n l o o k e d lik e in 1 7 4 5 , 1 7 8 5 , a n d 1 8 3 6 a r e b a s e d o n d e ta ile d r e s e a r c h , a n d h e in c lu d e s m a n y d ra w in g s a n d p h o to g r a p h s th at d o c u m e n t its e v o lu tio n fro m th e T e x a s R e v o lu tio n t o t h e p r e s e n t. O n e in te r e s tin g d is c o v e r y h e m a d e w a s th a t t h e d is tin ctiv e b e ll- s h a p e d p a r a p e t o f th e A la m o ( n o t p r e s e n t d u r in g t h e b a t t l e ) m a y a c tu a lly h a v e b e e n c o m m a n d e e r e d o r s t o l e n b y t h e U .S . A rm y fro m t h e n e a r b y M is s io n S a n J o s e d u rin g re p a ir s in a b o u t 1 8 5 0 — s o m e t im e a fte r it a p p e a r e d o n A l a m o d r a w i n g s , a s i m i l a r s tru c tu re w a s n o lo n g e r v is ib le a b o v e a n a r c h e d w a lk w a y at S a n J o s e . $ 2 7 .9 5 . A ld in e P u b lis h in g , H C 3 2 - 1 0 9 , U v a ld e , T X 7 8 8 0 1 . IS B N 0 - 9 6 5 9 1 5 9 - 0 - 5 . M o re d e ta ils o f th e stru g g le fo r a n i n d e p e n d e n t T e x a s a r e fo u n d in t h e Encyclopedia o f the Alamo a n d the Texas Revolution, b y T h o m H a tc h ( 2 2 9 p a g e s , D e c e m b e r 1 9 9 9 ) , a c o m p r e h e n s i v e c o m p ila tio n o f fa c ts , b io g r a p h ie s , a n d b a ttle s . $ 5 5 .0 0 . M c F a rla n d a n d C o . IS B N 0 - 7 8 6 4 - 0 5 9 3 - 7 . A ncient Infrastructure: Remarkable Roads, Mines, Walls, Mounds, Stone Circles, c o m p i l e d b y W illia m R. C o rlis s ( 4 0 6 p a g e s , O c t o b e r 1 9 9 9 ) , is t h e first v o lu m e in a s e r ie s d e v o te d t o a r c h e o lo g ic a l m y s te ries. T h is b o o k f o c u s e s o n u n u s u a l o r a n o m a lo u s a n c i e n t s tr u c tu r e s . E a c h a n o m a ly is r a t e d in te rm s o f t h e q u a lity o f t h e r e p o r t e d d a ta a n d t h e d e g r e e t o w h ic h it d e v ia te s fro m a c c e p t e d h is to r ic a l o r s c ie n tif ic n o r m s . T h e v a s t m a jo r ity o f e x a m p l e s a r e t a k e n fro m a r c h e o l o g i c a l , h is to ric a l, a n d a n t h r o p o lo g ic a l jo u r n a ls George M. Eberhart is senior editor of A m e r ic a n L ib ra rie s ; e-mail: geberhart@ala.org a n d b o o k s . C o rlis s e x a m i n e s s u c h a n tiq u itie s a s n o n - E u r o p e a n m e n h ir s a n d d o lm e n s , u n u s u a l s h a ft s a n d t u n n e l s , s t o n e c i r c l e s a s e c l i p s e p r e d ic t o r s , e n ig m a ti c m o u n d c o m p l e x e s , h u g e s t o n e s p h e r e s , t h e r o a d s o f C h a c o C a n y o n , a n d p r e c is io n - f it s t o n e w a lls . $ 2 4 .9 5 . T h e S o u r c e b o o k P ro je c t, P.O . B o x 1 0 7 , G l e n A rm , M D 2 1 0 5 7 . IS B N 0 - 9 1 5 5 5 4 - 3 3 - X . The Battle of Kursk, b y D a v id M. G la n tz a n d J o n a t h a n M. H o u s e ( 4 7 2 p a g e s , O c t o b e r 1 9 9 9 ) , u s e s G e r m a n a n d n e w ly r e l e a s e d R u s s i a n s o u r c e s t o e v a lu a t e t h e g r e a t e s t t a n k b a ttle in h is to ry a n d s h o w s h o w th e R e d A rm y , s u ffe r in g s ta g g e r in g l o s s e s , g r o u n d t o a h a l t t h e s e e m i n g l y i n v i n c ib l e G e r m a n a r m o r e d d iv is io n s . I n J u l y 1 9 4 3 w h e n B r i t i s h a n d A m e r i c a n s w e r e la n d in g in S icily , t h e R u s s i a n s w e r e d e li v e r in g a c a t a s t r o p h i c b l o w th a t “m e a n t a n e n d t o b litz k r ie g in a s tr a te g ic a n d o p e r a t io n a l s e n s e ” a n d c e r ta in ly p a v e d t h e w a y t o a n A l lie d v ic to ry . A p p e n d ix e s , d o c u m e n ts , n o t e s , a n d b i b lio g r a p h ic s o u r c e s c o n stitu te t h e fin a l 1 6 6 p a g e s . $ 3 4 .9 5 , U n iv e rsity P r e s s o f K a n s a s . IS B N 0 - 7 0 0 6 - 0 9 7 8 - 4 . Cutthroat: High Stakes and Killer Moves on the Electronic Frontier, b y S t e p h e n K e a tin g ( 3 2 6 p a g e s , N o v e m b e r 1 9 9 9 ) , tells t h e s to r y o f R u p e rt M u r d o c h ’s 1 9 9 7 a tte m p t t o b r e a k t h e c a b l e - T V m o n o p o l y b y p a r tn e r in g w ith a s a te llite -T V c o n c e r n n i c k n a m e d D e a th s ta r th a t w o u ld d e liv e r h u n d re d s o f c h a n n e ls , I n te r n e t a c c e s s , a n d re ta il s e r v i c e s t o m illio n s o f s u b s c r i b e r s . T h e p la n fiz z le d b e c a u s e o f t h e s h r e w d m a n e u v e r in g o f T C I “r o b b e r b a r o n ” J o h n M a lo n e , w h o n e u tra liz e d t h e a tta c k b y s e llin g h is c o r p o r a tio n t o t h e p h o n e c o m p a n y . C a b le ra te s a n d c o n t e n t ta k e m a n y h its in th is w e ll- d o c u m e n te d e x p o s e o f t h e t e le c o m m u n i c a t io n s in d u s try , w h i c h is g e a r i n g u p a g a in o v e r t h e I n te r n e t. $ 3 2 .5 0 . J o h n s o n B o o k s . IS B N 1 - 5 5 5 6 6 - 2 5 2 - 8 . mailto:geberhart@ala.org C&RL News ■ M arch 2000 / 229 Elephant Story: Jumbo and P. T. Barnum under th e Big Top, b y L e s H a r d in g ( 1 2 9 p a g e s , J a n u a r y 2 0 0 0 ) , p r o v i d e s t h e d e t a i l s o f t h e lif e a n d d e a t h o f B a r n u m ’s 1 2 - fo o t -t a ll a ttr a c tio n — t h e la r g e s t e l e p h a n t e v e r e x h i b ite d — f o r h i s “g r e a t e s t s h o w o n e a r t h . ” I n a d d i ti o n t o J u m b o ’s b i o g r a p h y , H a r d in g o f f e r s b a c k g r o u n d o n B a r n u m ’s l if e , t h e h is to r y o f e l e p h a n t s in c i r c u s e s , a n d a lis t o f o t h e r f a m o u s e l e p h a n t s . $ 2 5 .0 0 . M c F a r la n d a n d C o . I S B N 0 - 7 8 6 4 - 0 6 3 2 - 1 . Encyclopedia of Christm as, b y T a n y a G u l e v i c h ( 7 2 9 p a g e s , D e c e m b e r 1 9 9 9 ) , c o n t a in s n e a r l y 2 0 0 e n t r ie s o n t h e h is to ry , le g e n d s , c u s t o m s , s y m b o l s , a n d w o r l d w i d e o b s e r v a n c e s o f th is h o lid a y . F in d o u t a b o u t t h e s y m b o l i s m o f t h e h o l ly a n d t h e iv y , t h e m a k i n g o f t h e N u t c r a c k e r b a l l e t , w h a t C h r is t m a s in E c u a d o r is lik e , t h e S h e t l a n d f i r e f e s t iv a l U p H e l l y A a , t h e fir s t C h r is t m a s c a r d in 1 8 4 3 , a n d t h e Y u le g o a t th a t b r in g s S c a n d in a v ia n c h il d r e n p r e s e n t s . A h a n d y g u id e w ith a s u b s ta n tia l b ib lio g r a p h y . $ 4 8 .0 0 . O m n i- g r a p h ic s . IS B N 0 - 7 8 0 8 - 0 3 8 7 - 6 . Fire in the Sky: Comets and Meteors, the Decisive Centuries, in British Art and Sci ence, b y R o b e r t a J . M. O l s o n a n d J a y M . P a s a c h o f f ( 3 6 9 p a g e s , O c t o b e r 1 9 9 9 ) , e x a m i n e s t h e l it t l e - r e c o g n i z e d f l o w e r i n g o f a s t r o n o m i c a l a r t b e t w e e n t h e fir s t t e l e s c o p i c d is c o v e r y o f a c o m e t in 1 6 8 0 t o t h e s p e c t a c u l a r r e t u r n o f H a i l e y ’s c o m e t in 1 9 1 0 . T h e illu s t r a t io n s a r e e s p e c i a l l y i n f o r m a t i v e b e c a u s e o f t h e a p p a r e n t d r o p in f r e q u e n c y o f b r ig h t c o m e t s s i n c e t h e 1 9 th c e n t u r y ( n o t t o m e n t io n d e c r e a s e d v is ib ility ). W e ll-illu s tr a te d w ith 1 6 0 p a i n t i n g s , p h o t o s , d r a w in g s , a n d o t h e r w o r k s o f a rt b y a s t r o n o m e r s a n d a rtis ts , b o t h a m a t e u r a n d f a m o u s , t h e a u t h o r s h a v e m a d e a n im p o r t a n t c o n t r i b u t i o n t o t h e h i s to r y o f a r t a n d s c i e n c e . $ 2 9 .9 5 . C a m b r id g e U n iv e r s ity P r e s s . I S B N 0 - 5 2 1 - 6 3 0 6 0 - 6 . I n c a s e y o u m is s e d it fir s t t im e a r o u n d , c h e c k o u t a s a c o m p a n i o n p i e c e The H eav en s on F ire: The G reat L eonid M eteor Storms, b y M a r k L ittm a n n ( 3 4 9 p a g e s , u p d a t e d , N o v e m b e r 1 9 9 9 ) , a p a p e r b o u n d v e r s i o n t im e d t o c o i n c i d e w ith t h e m u c h - a n t i c i p a t e d L e o n id s h o w e r . O n e o f t h e m o s t i m p r e s s iv e a s t r o n o m ic a l d is p la y s i n m o d e r n h i s to r y , t h e N o v e m b e r 1 3 , 1 8 3 3 , s h o w e r i n s p ir e d a n i n t e n s i v e s c i e n t i f i c s t u d y o f m e t e o r s , s p e a r h e a d e d b y Y a l e C o l l e g e P r o f e s s o r D e n i s o n O l m s te d ; b y t h e t im e o f t h e n e x t m a jo r s t o r m in 1 8 6 6 , a s t r o n o m e r s w e r e w e l l o n t h e w a y t o r e a l i z in g th a t f r a g m e n t s f r o m a c o m e t w e r e r e s p o n s i b le . L ittm a n n c o v e r s b o t h t h e h i s to r y a n d t h e s c i e n c e w ith a w e l l- w r i tt e n c la rity . $ 1 9 - 9 5 . C a m b r i d g e U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s . I S B N 0 - 5 2 1 - 7 7 9 7 9 - 0 . T h e P s y c h o lo g y o f th e Internet, b y P a tr ic i a W a lla c e ( 2 6 4 p a g e s , N o v e m b e r 1 9 9 9 ) , d e m o n s t r a t e s th a t p e o p l e ’s b e h a v io r in r e a l l if e o f t e n is c o m p l e t e ly d if f e r e n t in c y b e r s p a c e . S h e b e g i n s t o c h a r t N e t p s y c h o l o g y b y e x a m i n i n g t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f a n o n l i n e p e r s o n a , t h e n m o v e s o n t o r o l e - p la y in g , t h e g r o u p d y n a m ic s o f M U D s a n d c h a t r o o m s , f la m in g a n d o t h e r a g g r e s s i o n s , t h e e s t a b l i s h m e n t o f f r i e n d s h i p s a n d r o m a n c e s , p o r n o g r a p h y , I n t e r n e t a d d i c t i o n , s u p p o r t g r o u p s , a n d o n l i n e h a r a s s m e n t . B a s e d p r i m a r ily o n s u r v e y s a n d s o c i o l o g i c a l s t u d ie s , t h e b o o k is e v e n - h a n d e d a b o u t t h e N e t, n e i t h e r s o u n d i n g a la r m s a b o u t e v il n o r ju m p i n g o n a t e c h n o - s o a p b o x . W a l la c e o f f e r s s o m e a d v i c e o n u s i n g t h e I n t e r n e t r e s p o n s i b l y in t h e la s t c h a p te r . $ 2 4 . 9 5 . C a m b r id g e U n iv e r s ity P r e s s . I S B N 0 - 5 2 1 - 6 3 2 9 4 - 3 . Sm okestacks and Skyscrapers, e d ite d b y D a v i d S t a r k e y a n d R i c h a r d G u z m a n ( 5 3 8 p a g e s , A u g u s t 1 9 9 9 ) , b r in g s t o g e t h e r e x t r a c t s f r o m t h e p r o s e a n d p o e tr y o f a u t h o r s a s s o c i a t e d w i t h C h i c a g o . B e g i n n i n g w i t h F a t h e r M a r q u e t t e ’s 1 6 7 4 jo u r n a l e n tr y w r itt e n w h e n h e w a s a t t h e m o u t h o f t h e C h ic a g o R iv er, t h e a n t h o l o g y i n c l u d e s w r i t i n g s o f J a n e A d d a m s , F r a n k L lo y d W rig h t, C a rl S a n d b e r g , B e n H e c h t , N e l s o n A l g r e n , K a r l S h a p i r o , G w e n d o l y n B r o o k s , A n g e l a J a c k s o n , M a r k T u r c o t t e , a n d m a n y o t h e r s . A g o o d p l a c e t o e x p e r i e n c e t h e g ritty r e a l i s m o f t h e C h ic a g o s ty le . $ 1 9 .9 5 . L o y o la P re s s . IS B N 0 - 8 2 9 4 - 1 0 1 3 - 9. ■ 230 / C&RL News ■ M arch 2000