The American Patriot's Almanac

Dr. William J. Bennett and John T. E. Cribb have put together a very nice collection of patriotic stories and information in The American Patriot's Almanac: Daily Readings on America, that remind us of the things that make America great. And the format is very handsome with decorative borders, lettering, and scrollwork that remind me of books from an earlier era when craftsmanship extended to publishing and families gathered in the evening for something other than watching television.

The focus is on patriotism, and each day of the year has a few paragraphs that describe an important historical event along with a short list of other notable events that occurred on that day. But it's not just a daily dose of inspiration, there are also numerous essays throughout describing such things as the history of the flag and other flags used during the Revolutionary War; guidelines and etiquette for handling the flag; how documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights came about, plus it includes those documents in their entirety. Also included are other great American documents such as the Gettysburg Address and Emancipation Proclamation, and essays on such topics as the Pledge of Allegiance and the faith of the founders, as well as various patriotic quotes, poems, and songs.

And for the most part, each daily reading is patriotic and inspirational, although a few (such as the story of the Bernie Madhoff scandal) seemed neither inspirational nor patriotic. But those appear to be in the minority here. And I was a little mystified at "Fifty All-American Movies" which included such "greats" as Will Smith's Independence Day and the recent The Princess and the Frog (fun, but “All-American?”) But overall, this is a wonderful book that is meant to be enjoyed by all ages, right down to children. (I received this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Booksneeze program.)