Herbert M. Kliebard 
Forging the American Curriculum [PDF ebook] 
Essays in Curriculum History and Theory

Originally published in 1992. Herbert M. Kliebard is considered one of the foremost historians in the field of education. This is a collection of 12 seminal essays that represents the best of his writing and reflection on the history and theory of curriculum studies. Asserting that the 20th century in particular has been a critical period in the development of the American curriculum, Kliebard delves into the historical events and theoretical principles that have formed the curriculum. Among other things he talks about the decline of the humanities curriculum, important education reformers such as John Dewey, and the "enemies" of the liberal arts curriculum in Victorian England.