Famous Americans: A Directory of Museums, Historic Sites, and Memorials

This directory of 472 museums, monuments, and other sites associated with 409 famous Americans is divided into 26 chapters, with the subjects categorized by occupations or achievements. The primary entry for each person includes a brief, objective biographical sketch that summarizes his or her background, rise to prominence, and legacy. The last few paragraphs describe the related museum or monument, complete with address, contact information, and admission price. Articles for additional sites (there are 14 for George Washington alone) immediately follow the primary entry. Museum and other site descriptions are accurate, based upon this reviewer's visits to several of the venues. The occasional black-and-white photos that accompany the text are dark and, unfortunately, add nothing to the overall presentation. An appendix also lists sites by state. This book provides some useful information but is weakened by its organizational structure. Because the famous people are categorized, users must successfully identify the reason for the subject's fame before they can find the appropriate entry and, despite limited cross-referencing, in many cases will have to use the index to navigate. Additionally, much of this information can be easily found with simple online searches or even in Wikipedia articles about those covered.