(2) YA Janusz Korczak was the pen name of Henryk Goldszmit (1878–1942), a Jewish doctor, author, and orphanage director who famously championed children's rights and who perished at the Treblinka extermination camp. Marrin explores the man's life, with various digressions into such topics as Polish history and politics, WWII, and the Jewish diaspora. Marrin both illuminates history and provides occasional respite from the unrelenting (and often vividly described) cruelty of the Holocaust. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(2) YA Between 1918 and 1920, three waves of a very aggressive influenza virus killed tens of millions of people. World War I was in full swing when the flu pandemic began, and it was abetted by the widespread movement of troops and limited medical knowledge. Marrin's narrative is enhanced by primary source quotations, black-and-white photographs, and maps, all revealing the toll the pandemic took. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2018

(2) 4-6 Marrin places his subject in a comprehensively broad context. The narrative opens briefly with a prologue set during Pearl Harbor, but then the author backtracks for several chapters, delivering a crash course in Japanese and Japanese American history, with a special focus on racism and the uneasy tension between liberty and security during wartime. Generous quotations and photographs are integrated throughout. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2017

(2) YA As much a commentary on modern times as it is on the past, this biography examines FDR's personal milestones (childhood, marriage, early political career, polio) as well as larger political events from the first half of the twentieth century (notably the Great Depression and WWII). Roosevelt emerges as something of an enigma, affable with the public while remaining aloof in private.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2015

(2) YA According to Marrin, John Brown's raid at Harpers Ferry helped "set the stage for the Civil War." The book begins with a chapter on Brown's life, then takes a broader look at the history of slavery; the final chapter comments on Brown's influence on the militant arm of the civil rights movement. Archival photographs round out an intelligent, important volume. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2014

(2) YA Marrin shows the evolution of Paine's opinions and the impact of his writing on both his contemporaries and on future generations. From Common Sense that united the American revolutionaries to The Age of Reason that opened up discussion of organized religion and Deism, careful contextualizing gives readers the opportunity to consider the philosophical beliefs that drove historical events. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2014

(2) YA Opening with a geology primer on the formation of oil and a brief overview of oil in ancient times, the narrative is most successful in describing the cycle of greed, wealth, politics, and war that drove modern civilization throughout the twentieth century and into the present. Marrin offers challenging insights and difficult questions that eschew simplistic explanations. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2012

(3) YA Marrin details the social, political, and economic forces surrounding the catastrophic Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911. The book isn't just about the disaster; copious historical context is presented with a high level of detail about various aspects of life for poor working immigrants. Archival photographs also help provide a sense of the times while putting faces to the tragedy. Websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Betty Carter

(3) 4-6 Although Marrin strays from his theme that the Dust Bowl of the 1930s was "the worst environmental disaster in American history," his detour, gratifyingly, covers a lot of interesting ground. The chronology of events is illustrated with dramatic archival photographs and a large number of sidebars that provide readers with background and context about the times. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Betty Carter

(2) YA This cradle-to-grave biography addresses TR's strengths, weaknesses, and ambiguities. What trumps every trait is Roosevelt's love of power, which led to his vision: "Get action, do things; be sane, don't fritter away your time; create, act." Marrin carefully and extensively details the social, political, and international conditions that reverberate in contemporary political life. Archival photographs and detailed documentation enhance the text. Reading list. Ind.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2008

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by C. B. Mordan. Nine fact-filled chapters enthusiastically present everything you'll ever want to know about rats...and some things you might not. Focusing on the relationship between rats and humans throughout history, Marrin also covers the rodent's evolution, physiology, social behaviors, characteristics, and habits. Well-placed sidebars contain additional ratty bits of information. The etching-like illustrations--black-and-white pictures accented with pink and dark red--are surprisingly effective. Reading list. Bib.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2006

(3) 4-6 This book traces the history of the American bison (buffalo) from the time when millions roamed North America, through their being hunted, to their near extinction, to today's conservation efforts. The readable text also highlights the historical and spiritual connection many Native Americans have with the creatures. Numerous archival and contemporary photographs and paintings add visual interest to this well-designed volume. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(2) YA Marrin gives readers an Andrew Jackson who is both a product and a shaper of his times. By deliberately showing Jackson's contradictions, he lets readers judge the worth of Jackson the man as well as measure the value of Jackson the general and president. Illustrated with archival photographs and appended with source notes, suggestions for additional reading, and an index.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2004

(2) 4-6 This atypical biography concentrates more on plot than on character. Such a focus produces an exciting story of exploration, adventure, and scientific inquiry about the man many consider the real-life model for Indiana Jones. Sepia-colored archival photos highlight both the extreme (panoramic scenes of the desert) and the mundane (scientists painstakingly uncovering fossils). Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2002

(2) 4-6 Marrin focuses on the virus's presence in the Western world; the devastation it wrought throughout European history; the incidences in which it wiped out native inhabitants of the Americas; and its impact in armed conflict. Jenner's medical contribution is expanded to the discovery of a larger truth: with a vaccine, humans did not have to accept disease as inevitable. The suggested reading list is geared to an adult audience. Ind.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2002

(2) YA The prologue sets the book's parameters: a reliable biography of a remarkable man and an examination of the social, economic, and political forces that shaped him. Familiar facts are given new vitality with additional information in a well-crafted, information-packed text that, despite its heavy cargo, sails smoothly along. A handsome design helps make the book accessible. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Mary M. Burns | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2001

(1) YA Marrin focuses his account on both the nature and substance of one man's resistance to and witness of his nation's ethnocide, hoping that readers will gain a "larger perspective on such continuing problems as racism, violence, and human rights." Without obscuring or intruding on the drama of either the man or his times, Marrin takes particular pains to share his process of acquiring and verifying information. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2000

(2) 4-6 A rare combination of scholarship and storytelling, Marrin's narrative is a portrait of an individual, an analysis of a lifestyle (distinguishing between buccaneers and pirates), and a political and social history. Particularly enlightening are the descriptions of Morgan's prowess as a leader and genius as a tactician. A well-designed tour into the past with a dynamic guide, this is addictive reading. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Mary M. Burns | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 1999