Encompassing the Globe: Portugal and the World in the 16th and 17th Centuries, edited by Jay A. Levenson (Collins, 2007, $54.95). This companion volume to a major exhibition at the Smithsonian's Arthur M. Sackler Gallery assembles images of more than 250 extraordinary paintings, sculptures, maps, manuscripts, books and other objects.

This Glorious Struggle: George Washington's Revolutionary War Letters, by Edward G. Lengel (Collins, 2007, $25.95). A selection of George Washington's correspondence from 1775 to 1783, offering a first-hand sense of the man and the Revolutionary War.

Dream Lucky: When FDR Was in the White House, Count Basie Was on the Radio, and Everyone Wore a Hat..., by Roxane Orgill (Collins, 2007, $25.95). A vivid evocation of late 1930s America, covering politics, race, religion, arts, sports and, especially, big band jazz.

Black Wings: Courageous Stories of African Americans in Aviation and Space History, by Von Hardesty (Collins, 2007, $27.95). The inspirational history of the African American men and women who broke down racial barriers in aviation and space—from the earliest pioneers of the 1920s to NASA astronauts.

Campaigning for President: Memorabilia from the Nation's Finest Private Collection, by Jordan M. Wright (Collins, 2007, $43.95). A richly illustrated history of American presidential elections told through the author’s extraordinary collection of campaign memorabilia.

The Long Pursuit: Abraham Lincoln's Thirty-Year Struggle With Stephen Douglas for the Heart and Soul of America, by Roy Morris Jr. (Collins, 2007, $24.95). The first book to focus exclusively on Lincoln’s rivalry with Douglas, culminating in their race for the White House in 1860.

One Day in History: First Shots of the Civil War, April 12, 1861, by Rodney P. Carlisle (Collins, 2007, $24.95). An illustrated, full-color popular encyclopedia that focuses on a key date that changed the history of the United States: the day the first shots of the Civil War were fired at Fort Sumter.

Sound Neighbours: Contemporary Music in Northern Ireland (Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, 2007, $15). Twenty vocal and instrumental tracks that feature the diverse music of Northern Ireland and evoke a profound sense of regional pride.

Down Home Saturday Night (Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, 2007, $15). Fifteen tracks of rollicking down-home music by various artists of American regional and ethnic roots music.

Classic Old-Time Fiddle from Smithsonian Folkways (Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, 2007, $15). Clark Kessinger, Wade Ward, Tommy Jarrell, Marion Sumner, Gaither Carlton, Eck Robertson, Melvin Wine and many more old-time fiddle masters play their signature sounds from the heart of Appalachia.

Books can be ordered through online book vendors or purchased in bookstores nationwide. Recordings can be ordered from Smithsonian Folkways Mail Order, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings Dept. 0607, Washington, D.C. 20073-0607. To order by telephone, call (800) 410-9815 or (202) 275-1143.