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History and Current EventsJuly 2014
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"History is philosophy teaching by examples." ~ Thucydides (460-395 B.C.), Athenian historian, The History of the Peloponnesian War
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New and Recently Released!
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| The True American: Murder and Mercy in Texas by Anand GiridharadasSoon after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, a Dallas resident with a criminal record went on a shooting rampage, killing two people he thought were Muslims and critically injuring another. Mark Stroman, a self-characterized biker, was soon arrested, tried, and sentenced to death. The injured victim, Raisuddin Bhuiyan, a Bangladeshi immigrant, not only recovered but launched a campaign to save Stroman from execution. By alternating the two men's stories, journalist Anand Giridharadas compares their backgrounds, extensively using direct quotes to help readers understand their motivations. The True American sharply and subtly depicts the "shifting, volatile meaning of American identity in the post-9/11 era" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| Birdmen: The Wright Brothers, Glenn Curtiss, and the Battle to Control the Skies by Lawrence GoldstoneAviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright's historic leap into the air at Kitty Hawk, NC, in 1903 was only the first salvo in the battle to control heavier-than-air flight. Having filed a patent for their aircraft design, the Wrights expected royalty payments for every airplane built, and they wanted to collect fees from barnstormers and public air shows. Other flying machine developers, especially Glenn Curtiss, considered the Wrights' exclusive claims ridiculous. Author Lawrence Goldstone vividly details the consequent legal controversies and includes clear, accessible discussions of technological developments and the science involved. Aviation enthusiasts and anybody who enjoys 20th-century history will want to check out Birdmen. |
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| The Little Girl Who Fought the Great Depression: Shirley Temple and... by John F. KassonWhen Franklin D. Roosevelt moved into the White House in 1933, he was determined to restore Americans' spirits and the American economy, but he needed resources besides social and economic measures to restore consumer confidence. Cue the entrance of Hollywood child star Shirley Temple, with her irresistible smile and engaging talents. In this fascinating book, cultural historian John Kasson shows how her 1930s films raised spirits, incidentally leading Americans to spend millions on movie tickets and memorabilia. Her partnership with co-star Bill "Bojangles" Robinson also gave hope to African Americans while significantly breaking a racial barrier. Not just a biography, The Little Girl Who Fought the Great Depression presents an absorbing study of cultural history. |
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| The Scorpion's Sting: Antislavery and the Coming of the Civil War by James OakesIn The Scorpion's Sting, historian James Oakes presents a riveting analysis of the abolition of slavery in the United States. He begins by explaining that leading antislavery advocates hoped that surrounding slaveholding states with free states would gradually and peacefully eliminate the institution. However, secession and the Civil War broke out before slavery could be less violently extinguished. Oakes' insightful discussion highlights a key difference between pro- and antislavery views: the question of property rights versus the human right to freedom. This complex work offers a thought-provoking contribution to Civil War history and the broader history of slavery. |
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| The Long Shadow: The Legacies of the Great War in the Twentieth Century by David ReynoldsWorld War I devastated much of continental Europe, realigned colonial holdings among imperial powers, and killed or wounded nearly 39 million military personnel. Its political and economic effects remain apparent in the 21st century. In The Long Shadow, Cambridge University historian David Reynolds analyzes not only the impact of the Great War, but the reasons each country joined the fight, the ways in which non-European countries were involved, civilian attitudes about the war at the time (especially in Britain), and the many other global repercussions. Kirkus Reviews praises the scholarship in "this highly readable analysis," which anyone interested in the history of the past 100 years will want to take in. |
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Focus on: Ancient Peoples and Civilizations
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| The Fires of Vesuvius: Pompeii Lost and Found by Mary BeardRenowned Cambridge University classicist Mary Beard provides an engaging, accessible, and well-illustrated study of ancient Pompeii, basing her observations on archaeological research and enhancing them with information about ancient Rome in general. Discoveries from the excavations of Pompeii, which was destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D., add remarkable specificity to our modern understanding of the city's daily life, and Beard interprets these details to offer a full portrait of the busy and prosperous ancient port. The Fires of Vesuvius "takes the study of ancient history to a new level" (Publishers Weekly, starred review). |
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| Antiquity: From the Birth of Sumerian Civilization to the Fall of the Roman Empire by Norman F. Cantor"Antiquity" covers a broad historical field that includes ancient Mesopotamian cultures, Egypt, the Hebrew Bible, and, of course, the glory of Greece and grandeur of Rome. Acclaimed historian and literary scholar Norman Cantor tackles the subject by emphasizing the social aspects of civilization rather than by listing events and rulers' dates. While he provides a helpful (and thorough) grounding in the facts of ancient civilizations in the section titled "Basic Narrative," he delves more deeply into social, religious, and governmental structures in "Societies and Cultures." Antiquity provides a "lifetime's worth of crib notes for late-blooming history buffs" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| House of Rain: Tracking a Vanished Civilization Across the American... by Craig ChildsThe Anasazi people flourished in the American Southwest for 2,000 years -- and then mysteriously vanished. Their accomplishments -- in agriculture, art, commerce, architecture, and engineering -- were as remarkable in their way as those of the Mayans in Central America (who also disappeared). But by the 13th century A.D., the Anasazi were gone from the region. To find out more about the civilization and the mystery of its collapse (drought? pestilence? war?), naturalist Craig Childs draws on up-to-date scholarly research as well as his lifetime of adventure and exploration in the American Southwest. Readers interested in lost civilizations won't want to miss House of Rain. |
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| The Rise of Rome: The Making of the World's Greatest Empire by Anthony EverittHow did a humble market village on the Tiber River become the Western world's first superpower? In The Rise of Rome, historian Anthony Everitt narrates Roman history beginning with the arrival of Aeneas and his band of refugees from the sack of Troy about 1100 B.C. Governed by a series of kings for hundreds of years, Rome became a republic by the fifth century B.C., and eventually elected its first emperor, Octavian Caesar Augustus, in 27 B.C. This briskly told, compact history is perfect for readers looking for an introduction or those more versed in Roman history and intrigued by Everitt's narrative approach. |
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| The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt by Toby WilkinsonAncient Egypt, well known for its artifacts that include the Great Pyramid at Giza, the Sphinx, and the items found in the tomb of Tutankhamun, developed and sustained the first nation-state from about 3000 B.C. until the Roman conquest in 30 B.C. Egyptian culture exemplified stability, artistic and engineering achievements, and social harmony. Historian Toby Wilkinson surveys Egypt's history in a compact, accessible, and well-researched volume that includes endnotes extending his discussions. Wilkinson, contrary to most Egyptologists' views, also emphasizes the despotic measures the Pharaohs employed to sustain their regimes. This comprehensive presentation introduces Egyptian history to general readers and offers thought-provoking conclusions to specialists. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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