Politics and Conflicts Featured in Fall 2008 "History and the Headlines" Collections From Premier History Publisher

Santa Barbara, Calif. (PRWEB) August 12, 2008 -- As the 2008 presidential election campaign really starts to heat up, students can spend the fall exploring politics and conflicts with three new free "History and the Headlines" collections from ABC-CLIO (http://www.abc-clio.com). "History and the Headlines" is a free online resource from ABC-CLIO and leading history organizations, such as The History Channel and National History Day. Each site is designed to provide authoritative and engaging information to help students dissect and understand important events and movies based on historical events.

"It is important for today's students to be able to put the exciting events of their times into historical context," said Becky Snyder, president, ABC-CLIO. "Our fall series of 'History and the Headlines' will allow history teachers to help students use past political events and conflicts to think critically about the events that are unfolding today."

A special "Reel to Real" edition of "History and the Headlines," debuting on Sept. 26, will help students connect the fictionalized story in Spike Lee's highly anticipated World War II film, "Miracle at St. Anna," to the role that African Americans played in the military during World War II. "History and the Headlines: African Americans in World War II" focuses on the experience of African Americans during this global conflict, with resources from ABC-CLIO's five-volume "Encyclopedia of World War II: A Political, Social, and Military History."

Launching Oct. 15, "History and the Headlines: Arab-Israeli Wars: 60 Years of Conflict" will allow students to investigate the historical dilemma at the core of this bloody, long-running conflict. Resources from ABC-CLIO's "Encyclopedia of the Arab-Israeli Conflict: A Political, Social, and Military History" (http://www.abc-clio.com/products/overview.aspx?productid=110127) and video clips provided by The History Channel will help students critically examine the issues around this six-decade conflict and discuss the question, "Do Arabs or Jews have a historical right to the land known as Palestine?"

Later in the fall, students can explore what happens when conflict enters the Oval Office with "Frost/Nixon," also a "Reel to Real" edition of "History and the Headlines." This site, debuting on Nov. 28, will help students understand the events leading up to former President Richard Nixon's controversial post-resignation interview with British journalist David Frost that is the focus of Ron Howard's new film, "Frost/Nixon." Using primary source documents, they can examine the role of each player in the Watergate scandal, such as chief of staff H. R. Haldeman, domestic affairs advisor John Ehrlichman and journalist Bob Woodward, and think critically about the way this scandal changed the course of U.S. history.     

A fourth fall edition of "History and the Headlines," focusing on the 2008 Presidential Election, will launch in early September. To sign up to receive information about this special site and future topics in "History and the Headlines," visit www.abc-clio.com/historyandtheheadlines.

About ABC-CLIO

ABC-CLIO provides history teachers and students with authoritative reference information and teacher resources that help students hone the skills of history inquiry and inquiry-based discussion as they master historical content and develop a deeper understanding of history's major themes and lessons. ABC-CLIO's award-winning subscription databases provide a comprehensive collection of references, curriculum and current events that together simplify historical research and help students make sense of world events as they unfold. A premier history publisher for more than 50 years, ABC-CLIO is based in Santa Barbara, Calif. For more information or a list of available titles, visit www.abc-clio.com.

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