From Benjamin Franklin's drawing of the first American political cartoon in 1754 to contemporary cartoonists' blistering attacks on George W. Bush and initial love-affair with Barack Obama, editorial cartoons have been a part of American journalism and politics. American Political Cartoons chronicles the nation's highs and lows in an extensive collection of cartoons that span the entire history of American political cartooning. "Good cartoons hit you primitively and emotionally," said cartoonist Doug Marlette. "A cartoon is a frontal attack, a slam dunk, a cluster bomb." Most cartoonists pride themselves on attacking honestly, if ruthlessly. American Political Cartoons recounts many direct hits, recalling the discomfort of the cartoons' targets---and the delight of their readers. "This is it. On these pages are the drawings and the points that truly make our politics, government, and democracy the enjoyable mess it is Nobody could have assembled and explained it all better and more completely than Stephen Hess and Sandy Northrop. Give yourselves a break. This IS it!" JIM LEHRER, PBS NewsHour