This is a book review of The Pocket Book of Patriotism Written by Jonathan Foreman

When I was asked to review this book, I had no idea exactly what to expect. I was very pleasantly surprised. This little 96 page book is a treasure that should not be missed. There is something in this book for everyone. I read from cover to cover without stopping and enjoyed every page. There is no narrative as such, so it is a quick read.

The first 64 pages are a timeline of history from 30,000 BC to the present 2005. This timeline is presented in two columns, ‘Abroad’ and ‘The Americas’. Items listed in this timeline range from military battles, works of art and music, creation of nations, important people, and natural disasters, to name only a few. Anyone can memorize dates and events, but to see one event flow into the next gave me an amazing panoramic view of history in its entirety.

The last 32 pages are a wonderful compilation of speeches, patriotic quotations, oaths and pledges, medals, flag traditions, songs, poems and lists like Presidents, and States. I felt my heart fill with pride as I read these familiar words of the Declaration of Independence 1776, the Gettysburg Address 1863, The Four Freedoms (F.D. Roosevelt) 1941, and on to A Forward Policy of Freedom (G.W. Bush) 2003.

As I read through events in history, events in my own life were brought to mind. One example, 1700 BC the Code of Hammurabi becomes the law of Babylon. I was lucky enough to see and touch the Code on display in the Louvre in Paris, France. More recently, 2002 President George W. Bush speaking to Graduating West Point cadets, “If we wait for threats to fully materialize, we will have waited too long…” This is a must have reference book for all ages and it size and price make it a great stocking stuffer.