This fully revised and expanded edition provides year-by-year coverage of events in American history, covering such things as international events; business and industry; transportation; science and medicine; arts and music; literature and journalism; religion; and many other topics. This second edition includes events through 2002; 24 overview essays covering key events and themes; 55 primary source documents; sidebars spotlighting biographic and demographic information; approximately 400 new images; and much more.'Gross's The American Years: A Chronology of United States History (CH, Sep'99) covers US history from independence to 1997. This updated edition 'makes the diversity of the American experience accessible in a chronology format.' From the Colonial era to 2002, this edition shows each year in American history in a two- to four-page spread. Events are organized by several categories, e.g., 'Arts/Music,' 'Business/Industry/Inventions,' 'Education,' 'Entertainment,' 'Literature/Journalism,' 'Science/Medicine.' A special category, 'Miscellaneous,' includes information on firsts in history, disasters, and special happenings. The set features black-and-white illustrations, drawings, and photographs. The second edition adds more than 20 overview essays, cites and describes 55 important primary sources, and adds 50 sidebars. A welcome addition to ready reference and history collections. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Public and academic libraries.' - B. L. Robinson-Jones, Chicago Public Library