A History of America in Thirty-Six Postage Stamps

by Chris West

DISCOVER THE INCREDIBLE STORY OF AMERICA THROUGH ITS BEAUTIFUL AND DIVERSE POSTAGE STAMPS IN THIS EXUBERANT AND ALWAYS CHARMING HISTORY.

In A History of America in Thirty-six Postage Stamps , Chris West explores America's own rich philatelic history. From George Washington's dour gaze to the charging buffalo of the western frontier and Lindbergh's soaring biplane, American stamps are a vivid window into our country's extraordinary and distinctive past. With the always accessible and spirited West as your guide, discover the remarkable breadth of America's short history through a fresh lens.

On their own, stamps can be curiosities, even artistic marvels; in this book, stamps become a window into the larger sweep of history.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, The United States Of America, American History

352 pages, Hardcover

First published October 28, 2014

About the author

I grew up in a country village north of London. As a boy I filled endless notebooks with stories - not all of them finished! As a young man I played in various (unsuccessful) bands, then worked in the City of London. I studied philosophy and economics as a 'mature' student (though I wasn't very mature). After leaving uni I went backpacking in China, and wrote a book about that adventure which came out in 1991. Since then, writing has (along with family) been at the heart of my life, though I've had other jobs, too, largely in Marketing and PR, working with small businesses. In 2008, I found an old stamp album in the attic of my parents' old house, and became fascinated by the contents and the way they seemed to mirror history. Each stamp was a tiny, rectangular time machine! In the end, I had to write a book along these lines: A History of Britain in 36 Postage Stamps was the result. I have now done the same for the USA - a fascinating journey into American history (and a great pleasure to collect the nation's stamps). I live in North Hertfordshire with my wife and daughter.

a.k.a Christopher West|6453491].

Reviews

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really wonderful history of the United States of America, and a fabulous idea on how to go about framing it--without all the usual bluster and self-congratulation of so many other stamp histories. Stamps are fun!

"Stamps, even when trying to revisit history, can't help reflecting their own era" (236).

"(This story suggests an idea for a stamp issue: men who have prevented Armageddon. Colonel Petrov would be on it, as would the officers of submarine B-59 at the time of the Cuban crisis. Two other candidates for inclusion are Russian president Boris Yeltsin, who decided to ignore an off-track meteorological research rocket in 1995, and British singer James Blunt, who, as a young army officer, disobeyed an order to attack Russian troops during the 1999 Kosovo crisis.)" (257)

[Fallon Willoughby · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, let me say that I received this as an ARC from the author, via the First Reads program (which I love!).

If you do not know, ARC stands for Advanced Readers Copy, which also means that the book has not gone through it's final edit. There were a few grammatical errors that I found, but this should hopefully be caught, and really were nothing drastic. The other thing about this ARC, is that I did not get the colored pages of the stamps that it mentions on the back, which was truly depressing. I could however look them up on Google. There are no footnotes or endnotes - I do not know if he is really required to have them, I am just used to them - also the fact that he uses quotes very well.

I have a uniquely qualified background to review this book - I have a history degree. And as such, I must say that I really enjoyed it. The writing is wonderful, and Chris West's personality shows through, not only in the facts that he includes, but also in his asides, his personal opinions he includes, and his choices in what stamps to use. His wonderful sense of humor also shows in his writing. I imagine his own stamp collection is spectacular and I would love to see it.

When I first entered this contest I thought that it would be interesting to see just exactly how he writes America's history using stamps. It was actually a brilliant idea (On that note, he has a book just like this about Britain that I must get my hands on). For each time period, he picks a stamp which is at the beginning of the book, and then he goes through the time related to that. He mentions wonderful random facts that I never knew, but loved hearing, and also covered all the major things through America's history. For someone that wants a great read and to learn more about America, it would be the perfect book. It is amazing that something like a stamp, which is so small, can tell so much about our history and why it was produced.

He manages to use world history, the history of America, and pop culture altogether to give us a wonderful concise history of America itself, it's policies, politicians, and thriving, ever changing culture (melting pot?). The stamps tell wonderful stories, and the USPS itself has an interesting background in it's creation and culture. The different postmasters are also fun to learn about.

Some of the fun facts I learned all summed up: There was 1776 miles of transcontinental railroad, One set of parents posted their daughter to her grandmother, because they couldn't afford the actual train ticket, The Spanish Lady, origin of the phrase "the real McCoy," stamps and money were stolen at one point, "dead cat bounce," FDR married Theodore Roosevelt's niece, and when "under God" came into play. Of course there were many more, but these were the few that struck me the most.

My two favorite chapters were "The Rebel Yell" and "Bowling Alone." I also liked how he discusses the Trail of Tears, and continues to mention Native Americans throughout the book and their history within the United States. The Civil War is of course prominent, and I actually enjoyed learning about the South's president. He also continues to mention this, the death toll, and more. Civil Rights accurately is often discussed, as well as advances we have made (or more likely, not made) in that regard. This book is so all encompassing in 306 pages that I thought it could never work. Somehow, he does it.

One of my favorite lines: "The truth: history loves surprises, and never moves in straight lines, so nobody can predict these big evens with any certainty" (pg. 299), and "History has a delightful habit of surprising everyone, especially 'experts' (pg. 303).

Read it. Learn some great stuff. It's wonderful!

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was a fun read.

Starting with a copy of the actual English Stamp Act imprint, the author then takes the reader on a historical trip regarding what brought the 'stamp' about as well as what was occurring in America at the time all the way up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Along the way, he talks about the formation of the Postal Service, some of it's postmasters and how it has changed over the decades.

West attempts to bring a diverse selection of stamps - even when there was not many options available at the time. That George Washington has appeared on more postage stamps than anyone. The first black individual honored with a stamp was Booker T. Washington in 1940. The first woman was Martha Washington in 1913.

In fact, the first actual commemorative stamp was Abraham Lincoln, released in the year after his death. The next one had to wait until 1893 for the 400th Anniversary of Columbus' arrival in the Western Hemisphere. All others used before then were what-was-called definitives which are ordinary stamps available from the Post Office at all times.

Mr. West ends his history with the self-designed stamp from stamps.com that can commemorate any personal event or commentary that the individual may want to say (within reason).

There is an appendix of philatelic information on each of the stamps used (save the last one). Designer, date of issuance, how many were issued (if know) and for the early ones, how amny are available and what it may cost for the new and used examples to be added to a person's collection.

As I said, it's a fun and quick race through American history. He even talked about what was happening on the East Coast - US fight for independence - even while on the West Coast, Spanish were founding the mission that became San Francisco. I never even realized that San Francisco had such a long history in Las Californias.

2019-189

[Skeetor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
4.5 stars. This book is great for those who are looking for a fun-to-read overview of United States history via selected major events.
The author’s light humor and opinions make it a rather lively read for a history book. This a nice book even if your specific interests do not lie in stamp-collections (or history, for that matter). I have always loved stamps for their artwork alone, but the little-known facts relating to the stamps and to the postal service add so much more. I am looking forward to reading his book “A History of Britain in Thirty-Six Postage Stamps” (and any other country’s history he plans to visit in the same manner).

[Bill Donhiser · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a ARC copy from Goodreads. I entered the giveaway as I have been a stamp collector since I was around six years old and I always enjoy a good US history book I really enjoyed this book. History from another perspective. The first 35 chapters I enjoyed reading and picked up quite a bit of history I did not know before. If you are into stamp collecting or US History this book is well worth the time

[Doe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book free through Goodreads First Reads. As a stamp collector, I am accustom to dryly written philatelic material. This book was actually engaging with a nice flow of information throughout. It's possible this positive attribute is due to this book being more of peek into some of the little talked about aspects of American history, and less focused on postal history. It has a definite Brad Meltzer feel, and that's a plus.

[Mrspam4ever · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the history behind the different stamps and how and when the prices increased. I know it would have been expensive printing, but this book would be beautiful in color:) It was a nice giveaway from Goodreads that I will most definitely keep!

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable, easy read. Good overview of American history of the day and how it relates to stamps.

[Laurie Sytsma · Rating 5 out of 5]

You don't have to be a phylatalist to enjoy this book, but you do have to enjoy American history. Very easy, enjoyable reading.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris West’s book, "A History of America in Thirty-Six Postage Stamps" is a telling of American history and American philatelic history. I read this book so that I could research some information as I will be writing an article for my stamp club based on this book. I found the book fascinating as I learned many things I did not know about. Some highlights include, that President Lincoln worked as a Postmaster in 1833 in the small town of New Salem, Illinois. Sometimes Lincoln delivered the mail to those who did not collect it from the post office, carrying the mail in his hat.

Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln have appeared on more American and foreign stamps than any other individual.

President Jefferson Davis appeared on the first Confederate stamp. To date, Davis has been the only living person on an American stamp. The only stamps close to breaking this rule are the 2013 stamps showing the actors from the Harry Potter movies.

In 1869, the first stamps not issuing a national figure were issued. Several stamps, including one commemorating the Pony Express, the landing of Columbus and several other definitive stamps were issued to give pride to America.

By January 1893, the Post Office issued its first commemorative stamps for the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ arrival to America, with values from 1 cent to $5.00.

A little girl named Charlotte May Pierstorff was mailed to her grandparent’s home in Idaho in 1914, by parcel post. After the incident, however, postal regulations were changed to prohibit the shipment of humans. In 1997, a children’s picture book was published based on this incident, Mailing May, by Michael O. Tunnell.

Poverty started to overtake the nation after the market crash in October 1929, and with increased poverty, there was more crime. To prevent thieves from taking stamps out of Kansas and Nebraska and selling them elsewhere, in 1929 to 1930, the post office overprinted the letters “Kans” on these stamps that were slated for sale in Kansas and “Nebr” on stamps that were to be sold in Nebraska. However, it was not a success as many postal workers in Kansas and Nebraska were not aware of these overprints and would not accept them as valid postage.

The atomic bombs which ended World War II in August 1945 have not yet been featured on a U.S. Stamp. In 1995, a mini sheet of ten stamps celebrating the 50th anniversary of the War was announced. One stamp which was to have the caption, “Atomic bombs hasten war’s end, August 1945” with a picture of the bomb’s mushroom cloud. Protests arose immediately, including one from the Mayor of Nagasaki. Thus, the stamp was replaced with a picture of President Harry Truman accepting the Japanese surrender, who ironically had approved the bombings.

The first Christmas stamp was issued on November 1, 1962. It was a 4¢ stamp showing a Wreath and two Candles. The following year, on November 1, 1963, the second Christmas stamp shows the National Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C., and in the background, the White House.

In 1978, the United States Postal Service began a Black Heritage series. The Black Heritage series continues, so far with 38 individuals portrayed. This is the longest running commemorative series in U.S. postal history.

In the 1980s, the United States Post Office increased the number of commemorative stamp issues, taking advantage of the fact that stamps were a valuable source of revenue. Then when Bill Clinton became president in the 1990s, a new series of stamps where issued, called the Legends of American Music series, beginning with the 1993 release of an Elvis Presley Stamp. Over seventy artists were celebrated during the Clinton presidency, with the series ending in 1999.

Today, we can even create our own postage stamps. Using Zazzle.com, customers can upload their own photos from their computers to create their own unique postage.

This book was very intriguing for its history of America and philatelic history. I highly recommend it.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Today's post is on A History of America in Thirty-Six Postage Stamps by Chris West. It is 336 pages long including index and notes. It is published by Picador. The cover is blue with six different stamps on it. The intended reader is someone who is interested in American history and stamps. There is no sex, no language, and no violence in this book. The story is told from the third person with first interviews and other documents added in. There Be Spoilers Ahead.


From the dust jacket- Discover the incredible story of America through its beautiful and diverse postage stamps in this exuberant and always charming history.

in A History of America in Thirty-Six Postage Stamps, Chris West explores America's own rich philatelic history. From George Washington's dour gaze to the charging buffalo of the western frontier and Lindbergh's soaring biplane, American stamps are a vivid window into our country's extraordinary and distinctive past. With the always accessible and spirited West as your guide, discover the remarkable breadth of America's short history through a fresh lens.

On their own, stamps can be curiosities, even artistic marvels; in this book, stamps become a window into the larger sweep of history.


Review- An interesting walk through American history. West starts with the very first stamp issued in America and goes all the way to present day, where you can now make your stamps look anyway you want. At times it was a little slow to read but if you are willing to push through that you get an interesting view of America and American life. In addition to American history you get a history of how stamps were and are made; not something I knew much about. West is very passionate about his subject and he knows his stamps. In the back of the book before the index he goes over each stamp for its own value as a stamp for stamp collectors or those just learning about it.


I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

[Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a First Reads giveaway winner.

Have you ever gotten something in the mail from a friend or an overseas penpal an though, "what an interesting stamp"? If you're anything like me, when you see one you then wonder what the story behind it is. Who is that person or why those birds? This book takes a look at American history using a selection of postage stamps as a signposts. It can at times be a tad dry but it's very informative. I learned all sorts of wonderful facts I didn't know before- even the depth of the water in the center of the Golden Gate. Did you know there was a stamp showing the Golden Gate before the bridge was built? It looks so different than the view we're used to once you take that big focus point out. Or how the first stamp showing a galloping horse was wrong, but the majority still thought that's how a horse's legs looked when it galloped. It wasn't until later on when a series of split second photos could be taken and then strung together and viewed as an early "movie" of sorts that people realized how a horse galloped.

I've actually already had friends asking to borrow this book because they've found it so interesting just leafing through the pages to "check it out". Definitely a suggested read- for stamp collectors, history buffs, trivia lovers, and just the general public.

[Nigel Kotani · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book, and an excellent companion to the same author's similar book on the UK. It tells the story of the history of the US through 36 postage stamps. As the book is only 300 pages long, that's only about 8 pages a stamp / event (though more than one page per year). By way of example, a George Washington stamp introduces a chapter of 8 pages which covers the whole of the War of Independence. The strength of the book is that at 8 pages a chapter it's a light and enjoyable read, but one which is nevertheless surprisingly deep in that, instead of becoming trivial by covering so much historical ground so quickly, the author instead focuses on putting individual events into a much wider social and historical context. By way of example, in the chapter on 9/11, rather than spend 8 pages telling the story of the attacks in chronological detail he focuses on a couple of individual events and then questions whether the very nature of conflict going forward is shifting from the classic nation versus nation conflict of old into a new type of nation versus loose affiliation of people, with military hardware increasingly becoming only of secondary importance to intelligence.

I highly recommend this book. I managed to get a copy in the UK via Amazon. I hope that readers in the US can similarly get hold of the author's UK book, which I can also highly recommend.

[Chasquis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sugar coated pill of a book, history coated with philately. It imparts knowledge in an easy to swallow form, relates a huge story of pre and post revolutionary North America in portions that are as conveniently packaged as a cupcake on a coffee stall on Ipswich station; and believe me the coffee stalls of Ipswich are 'legion.' (They have to be because there really is nothing else going for it at the moment.)
You do not have to be cognisant of postal history to enjoy this easy-to-swallow book, but it helps, just as 'you don't have to be mad to work here.'
I have forgotten all of the dates, most of the salient points and even the stamps have faded somewhat from memory, however reading this book has revived my interest in American politics and possibly answered the question "how did we arrive at this moment in politics?"

[Susan DeMartino · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book free from goodreads. It was an enjoyable book and very interesting. I felt the author told history in an engaging way. I felt that there actually wasn't a lot about the stamps though, and there could have been more shared. Essentially the author picked stamps in chronological order but he picked ones with presidents on them, mentioned a small bit about the stamp, then continued telling a history of the US. I would have liked to have learned more about the US postal system than I did. I will say that despite this, the book was very well written and engaging and there were times where I felt myself unable to put it down. It was a fascinating read.

[Kirsti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun trivia from this book:

Only living person to be featured on an American stamp: Jefferson Davis, in a CSA green five-center

Irving Berlin's job before he became a successful songwriter: Singing waiter

Only First Lady to speak an Asian language: Lou Hoover, who learned Mandarin during her time in China

"Dead cat bounce": term for a slight uptick in stock prices during a depression

Number of church organs Andrew Carnegie paid for: 7,000

Size of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's stamp collection: 150 albums -- over a million specimens

First country to issue a Gay Pride stamp: Austria, 2010

[Junemarie Brandt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm enjoying this book very much, it has the same delightful conversational style as the author had when I heard him speak at the Smithsonian. However, I've found some historical errors that could have easily been checked. I know it is primarily about the stamps, but when you're setting them into a cultural context you need to verify your facts. The author's enthusiasm for his subject is evident, and it does make you appreciate how the history of the United States is perceived through foreign eyes.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unique way to highlight significant moments in US history. Easily digestible chapters and an entertaining writing style made it easy to keep a steady reading pace. As a life-long philatelist, I own a good number of the featured stamps. But this book reconnected me with the background stories behind many of the most famous ones. My husband found this book in a bargain bin and gave it to me as part of my birthday present, figuring that I'd find it interesting as a stamp collector. So it was an unplanned addition to my 2018 reading list, but it was a most interesting add-on.

[Amalauna Brock · Rating 1 out of 5]

I must begin by saying that I received this book for free as part of the Goodreads First Read program.

Chris West is an entertaining writer, but lacking sources his work is questionable. I checked the final printing of the book and it does not contain a bibliography. As a historian, this lack of source citations bothers me. That alone made the book almost unreadable for me.

If this does not bother, you will enjoy his work as a fun fictional book.

[Sally H.]

I have been reading this book since Norman gave it to me for Christmas 2014. It is not a page turner, but interesting history, especially since I collect postage stamps.

[Brian Fiedler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recommend that you search youtube for "A History of America in Thirty-Six Postage Stamps by Chris West". You will be treated to a 74 minute lecture by the author. If that lecture pleases you, then read the book too.

A couple of reviewers here commented on historical inaccuracies in the book. I wish their reviews stated what the inaccuracies were.

You certainly don't need to be a philatelist to benefit from the book. I would happily hand it to anybody needing a comprehensive survey of American history. But I cannot hand it off, because I was able to read if for free as an e-book, as part of my subscription to scribd.

[Jeff · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't waste your money. This books is a complete farce. Obviously politically motivated. Skips completely over stamps and subject of real historical value to bolster not US History but their own politics. I'd recommend the books" An American History Album" or "100 Greatest American Stamps" over this any day.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly effective history storytelling

Enjoyed this refresher on U.S. history. Author is a careful, fair, and comprehensive historian. Stamps I've always been fond of. Appreciate them more as little pieces and reminders of history now. Reading this book was easy and putting it down hard.

[Ed Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone mailed a letter lately?

Author Chris West shares his philatelic love, taking USPS stamps and intertwining the historical events and figures in which year (or decade) they were issued.
This book was entertaining and informative. I enjoyed it so much so that one might say I was “glued” to it!

[John Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great snapshot of American history. The author has a wide range of historical information and insights, and ties his accounts back to the stamps he selected as representative of a particular period. He does a good job at staying neutral in his interpretations and commentary, which is appreciated.

A fun and easy read, and quite informative.

[Oliver Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generally enjoyable, middle third was a bit of a slog. Found the author's narrative style easy to read, with ample fun facts. However, found that the content was questionable (topic selection/perspective) and would have sincerely rathered more of a focus on the stamps and less on the history.

[Viktoriia Lastovets · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book through Goodreads First Reads.

Review to follow :-)