|
History and Current Events May 2024
|
|
|
|
Recent Releases - History |
|
| Native Nations: A Millennium in North America by Kathleen DuValLong before the colonization of North America, Indigenous peoples built diverse civilizations and adapted to a changing world in ways that reverberated globally. Award-winning historian Kathleen DuVal's sweeping and scholarly history offers a corrective to Eurocentric narratives about Indigenous Americans by spotlighting one thousand years of Native autonomy, governance, and resistance. Kirkus calls it, "A revelatory account of the power and influence of Indigenous peoples in North America." |
|
| Takeover: Hitler's Final Rise to Power by Timothy W. RybackHistorian Timothy W. Ryback's richly detailed, you-are-there latest utilizes previously unseen archival materials to chronicle the six fateful months before Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in January 1933. Publishers Weekly calls it, "a dire and remarkably astute depiction of how fickle and contingent the forces of history can be." For fans of: In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson. |
|
|
The invention of prehistory : empire, violence, and our obsession with human origins
by Stefanos Geroulanos
An eminent historian demonstrates how claims about the origins of humanity have been used to justify many of the worst events of the last three hundred years. "Geroulanos effectively exposes how little separates modern humans from the idea of the “barbarian.” An astute, powerfully rendered history of humanity." (Kirkus)
|
|
|
A history of the world in twelve shipwrecks
by David J. L. Gibbins
A renowned underwater archaeologist presents a narrative of human history through the discoveries of twelve shipwrecks across time such as The Viking warship of King Cnut the Great, Henry VIII's Mary Rose and the doomed HMS Terror. "A well-informed and dynamic narrator, Gibbins glides breezily between stories of his scuba dives and quotes from medieval Chinese poetry. History buffs will find this smooth sailing." (Publishers Weekly)
|
|
Recent Releases - Current Events
|
|
| Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling by Jason De LeónAnthropologist and MacArthur Fellow Jason De León's bleak yet moving account demythologizes the work of human smugglers who help bring migrants to America's southern border. Kirkus calls it "an exemplary ethnography of central importance to any discussion of immigration policy or reform." Further reading: Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Lives in Between by Jonathan Blitzer. |
|
|
Nuclear war : a scenario
by Annie Jacobsen
Exploring a nuclear war scenario, a Pulitzer Prize-finalist in history draws on new interviews with military and civilian experts who have built the weapons; created the response plans; and been responsible for those decisions should they need to have been made. "Annie Jacobsen gives us a vivid picture of what could happen if our nuclear guardians fail…Terrifying.” (Wall Street Journal)
|
|
|
The age of magical overthinking : notes on modern irrationality
by Amanda Montell
Utilizing her linguistic insights and sociological explorations, the best-selling author and host of the podcast Sounds Like a Cult delves into the cognitive biases that run rampant in our brains, including “magical thinking,” offering a prevailing message of hope, empathy and forgiveness for our anxiety-riddled human selves. Booklist calls it "refreshingly entertaining and informative."
|
|
|
New cold wars : China's rise, Russia's invasion, and America's struggle to defend the West
by David E. Sanger
Drawing on interviews with top officials from five administrations, U.S. intelligence agencies, foreign governments and tech companies on the front line, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist presents this remarkable first draft history chronicling America's return to superpower conflict, the choices that lie ahead and what is at stake of the U.S. and the world.
|
|
|
Before it's gone : stories from the front lines of climate change in small town America
by Jonathan Vigliotti
A veteran journalist embarks on a poignant American odyssey, tracing the human toll of climate change that is no longer just a warming future, guiding readers across our current wildfire-ravaged landscapes, hurricane-battered coasts and vanishing ecosystems. "A powerful story of surviving, adapting, and making the changes needed to save our home before it’s too late." (Kirkus)
|
|
|
City limits / : infrastructure, inequality, and the future of America's highways
by Megan Kimble
Using ground-level reporting, an investigative reporter exposes how powerful groups are undermining urban communities in the quest to build more highways that take away homes and exacerbate existing patterns of segregation and sprawl. Kirkus calls it, "A convincing case for removing highways and shaping cities meant for people, not cars."
|
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
If you are having trouble unsubscribing to this newsletter, please contactthe Winfield Public Library 630-653-7599, 0S291 Winfield Rd.
Winfield, IL 60190
|
|
|