BBC Knowledge Magazine

When our staff took a tour of the LaGrange Public Library in December, Julie, who manages our magazine collection, noticed BBC Knowledge. It is a splashy new title coming out at a time when many magazines seem to be folding. The BBC must think the American market is still ripe for good periodicals.

You can look through the December issue online. You'll find that the articles focus on science, history, and nature. BBC marketing says that the new magazine is aimed at the curious reader. In the December issue are articles on sloths, the new particle accelerator being built in Switzerland, and a new history book and TV series from Simon Schama. In the interview, the provocative Schama says that the United States has a less obviously military culture than Britain. He says, however, the "citizen soldier" that Jefferson envisoned as a restaint against invading foreign countries has not worked well, pointing out the gungho wars against Mexico (1845) and Iraq. There are also many short news items in this very colorful magazine.

Thomas Ford is starting a subscription to add to our "more browsing/less research" periodicals collection.