Jim Rasenberger

"A sweeping, definitive biography of Samuel Colt--the inventor of the legendary Colt revolver (a.k.a. six-shooter)--which changed the US forever, triggering the industrial revolution and the settlement of the American West. Patented in 1836, the Colt pistol with its revolving cylinder was the first practical firearm that could shoot more than one bullet without reloading. For many reasons, Colt's gun had a profound effect on American history. Its...

Beginning with New York City's first ever New Year's ball drop, 1908 got off to a spectacular start. As the year went on, America witnessed President Teddy Roosevelt's Great White Fleet sailing around the globe, Henry Ford's unveiling of the Model T, and the Wright Brothers' year-end, history making longest recorded flight. Sandwiched between these events, great social changes were also occurring, as race relations deteriorated in the South and the...