CHRONICLE OF THE YEAR 1987 <i> edited by Clifton Daniel (Chronicle Publications, Mount Kisco, New York: $14.95)</i>

This colorful review, covering each week of 1987 in news stories spread over two pages, offers a valuable opportunity to look back at the flurry of events that faded in and out of our consciousness before they could be fathomed. The writing style, telling us only what happened on the day of an event, creates a compelling sense of urgency, but sometimes omits important information (an item on the young West German man who flew into Moscow’s Red Square doesn’t tell us about his subsequent four-year prison sentence, for instance). While the editors have done a good job of avoiding bias, in striving to be objective, they have avoided analysis which could have put some of the chronicled events into perspective, providing us with a much-needed sense of cause-and-effect. The entry on Chile, for instance, mentions that the political situation is becoming polarized, but doesn’t tell us how. Overall, though, this book, readable and well-balanced with charming features and significant hard news, is the best available reference source for scanning over the last year.