Star Trek and History

Are Kirk's "roots" in the American Wild West?How did Uhura spur real-life gender and racial change in the 1960s?Are the Klingons medieval, or are they crypto-Soviets?Can Nazi Germany shed light on the history and culture of the Cardassians?For a series set in our future, "Star Trek" constantly revisits the past. Kirk and Spock battle Nazis and Roman gladiators and witness the Great Depression. When they're not doubling back on their own earlier timelines, the crew uses the holodeck to spend time in the American Old West or Victorian England. Alien races have their own complex and fascinating histories, too, in part because "Star Trek"'s writers sometimes used our own histories as the model for alien cultures."Star Trek and History" explores the human history that has inspired many of the show's storylines, characters, and cultures. It's filled with intriguing historical insights and comparisons, such as how the Federation's (and the Borg's) stellar cartography dates back to ancient Rome, Greece, and Babylonia; how the classics of Western literature continue to be an important influence in the lives of "Star Trek"'s characters centuries from now; and how by looking at Norse mythology we can find our very own Q.It also probes many compelling connections with more recent history, from how the Xindi attack in" Star Trek: Enterprise" reflected the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States to how the "Star Trek" universe of the future predicted the development of today's technology, from cell phones and iPads to Facebook.Featuring an exclusive interview with Nichelle Nichols (the original Lt. Uhura) and a fascinating timeline comparing "Star Trek"'s stardates to our own real world history, "Star Trek and History" is an essential companion for every "Star Trek" fan.