Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Exploring History from National Geographic

Randall Stephens

National Geographic has rolled out a new magazine, Exploring History, which promises readable and easily accessible essays and features on ancient to modern topics. The magazine has the polish of History Today, though it does not include the range of historians that HT does so well.

The first installment includes a cover story on Abraham Lincoln that delves into that giant's political career and his inner world. K. M. Kostyal presents the man who would become the 16th president as a contrarian:

Growing up in a land of hunters, he spurned hunting; in a land of overt religiosity, he was a skeptic and kept his beliefs private, in a frontier society preoccupied with physical labor, he disdained it, in an environment indifferent to education, he had a passion for learning; raised by farmers, he left the farm; in a rough-cut male culture, he didn't smoke, chew, curse, gamble, or drink; surrounded by slavery sympathizers, he opposed it.

Kostyal draws on the work of scholars and uses firsthand sources throughout and asks "What propelled Abe Lincoln from the obscurity of frontier life to leading the nation, and becoming the most written about president of the United States?" Like other articles in this inaugural issue, this piece could be used for undergrads in a history survey.

The Fall 2011 issue also includes essays on "Rome's War Machine," "The Rise and Fall of Moctezuma," "Joan of Arc--Beyond Belief," and "Birth of the Pyramids." Editor Anne Alexander writes "Just as National Geographic has been revealing the wonders of the world to readers for more than a century, this magazine will dig deep to unlock the mysteries of time, from the dawn of civilization to the modern era."

Richly illustrated and laid out with clean precision, Exploring History is a must have for history buffs, general enthusiasts, teachers, and professional historians.

8 comments:

monker1123 said...

Does any body know if his magazine is monthly or quarterly or how often it comes out?

konshoe said...

Just wanted to leave a link to my article on this magazine as a credit to referring to your blog.

http://bookunderthesun.blogspot.com/2011/11/exploring-history-national-geographic.html

Verna Hurley said...

A friend tried to buy a subscription for me for Christmas and was told the fate of the magazine was so uncertain subscriptions were not available. If true that is too bad. I thought the magazine's premiere issue was wonderful!

Anonymous said...

I just wrote a note to Nat'l Geo - think they're really missing the boat if they let a terrific magazine like this go by the wayside. It was fantastic!

Creag said...

Count us in with the same opinion. Very much enjoyed the premiere issue and searched the masthead for subscription information but to no avail. I so much hope they continue to publish Exploring History!

Anonymous said...

Best magazine I ever opened.....been trying to find out information to order a sub. Wud be willing to pay for 20yr up front......wonderful

Anonymous said...

Head's up; there's a new issue on the newstand with Ben Franklin on the cover that I bought today. I also tried to suscribe when I saw the premiere issue and hope this magazine publishes regularly

Cheer up, Old Bean! said...

I too have been looking to subscribe! I missed the first issue which is sold out but had the opportunity to read the second issue. I hope National Geographic keeps it up! I would love to receive it regularly!