Albert Marrin is a professor of history who, in more than twenty juvenile nonfiction books, has attempted to make the past accessible to young readers. In award-winning books such as 1812: The War Nobody Won, Cowboys, Indians, and Gunfighters: The Story of the Cattle Kingdom, and "Unconditional Surrender": U. S. Grant and the Civil War, he has created a tapestry of United States history by focusing on dramatic moments and famous personalities. With biographies of leaders and tyrants from Napoleon to Hitler, Marrin has also interpreted the events of a larger world stage for juvenile readers. Additionally, his several books on the First and Second World Wars provide well-organized introductions to many aspects of those struggles.

Chairman of the history department at New York's Yeshiva University, Marrin's books for young readers complement his academic duties and writings. One of his earliest such books, Victory in the Pacific, is indicative...