The Bottom Line
An exellent buy if you need the basics of deaf history and heritage.
Pros
- Classic
- Detailed
- Well organized and well written
Cons
- May seem dated
- Needs an update with new deaf history
- Out of print but still available
Description
- Written by Jack Gannon
- Originally published by the National Association of the Deaf
- Generously illustrated
Guide Review - Deaf Heritage
I have read my copy of this book so many times that it is falling apart. It is a great way to familiarize yourself with deaf history up until about 1980. It is very readable, not at all academic in nature.
The book covers every aspect of deaf history and culture. There are chapters covering early deaf education, every decade of deaf life from the 1880s to the 1970s, and deaf art, humor, publications, and sports. An entire chapter is devoted to American Sign Language.
What I really like about the book is how generous it is with illustrations. Plenty of photos of early deaf historical buildings and people, and reproductions of classic art by deaf people. Interesting historical nuggets are sprinkled throughout the book, in sidebar-type boxes.
This book is still in print, and is a good value for the money.
