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History and Current EventsJune 2015
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"Always he kept a soldier's creed of honor, courage, and duty, but increasingly did so in the cause of peace." ~ from David Hackett Fischer's Champlain's Dream
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New and Recently Released!
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| The Edge of the World: A Cultural History of the North Sea and the Transformation... by Michael PyeIn this "eye-opening reexamination" (Publishers Weekly) of Europe's early Middle Ages, historian Michael Pye recounts the political, economic, and cultural development found in seafaring regions bordering the North Sea. During the centuries from the fall of the Roman Empire to late Medieval times, Frisians in the Low Countries spread new ideas as they engaged widely in trade, and the Vikings put their own stamp on civilization through both raids and peaceful commerce. Universities developed, people copied and borrowed books, and women's legal and social status improved. Those who enjoyed Thomas Cahill's How the Irish Saved Civilization will relish this view of how western Europe and the British Isles laid the foundation for the Renaissance. |
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| Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic by Sam QuinonesIn Dreamland, investigative journalist Sam Quinones explores the impact of widespread addiction to opiates in the U.S. Showing how pharmaceutical companies have promoted the use of painkillers such as OxyContin, Quinones makes the connection between painkiller addiction and the desire for cheaper highs, which have become available in the form of black tar heroin smuggled from Mexico. Describing how the drug runners operate, he also analyzes law enforcement issues and relates personal stories of smugglers, addicts, and their families. This report provides a startling and disturbing view of illegal drugs and illicit use of legal opiates in America. |
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| Lincoln and the Jews: A History by Jonathan D. Sarna and Benjamin ShapellBy 1865, when President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, the U.S. Jewish population had risen to over 150,000 from about 3,000 in 1809. Though anti-Semitism had also increased, Lincoln himself advocated for Jews, having befriended several from a young age. In Lincoln and the Jews, historian Jonathan Sarna and collector Benjamin Shapell illuminate details of Jewish life during the Civil War and demonstrate how Lincoln acted positively to oppose anti-Semitic views and policies. Drawing on primary sources, many from co-author Shapell's private collection, this book presents a "vivid, fresh perspective on Lincoln's life and times" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| Target Tokyo: Jimmy Doolittle and the Raid That Avenged Pearl Harbor by James M. ScottThe Americans' retaliatory bombing of Tokyo in 1942, led by Air Force Lt. Col. James "Jimmy" Doolittle, is a celebrated action of World War II. In Target Tokyo, historian James Scott recounts aspects of the raid that are less well known, supplying details on planning, preparing, and executing the attack while emphasizing Doolittle's leadership. He also relates personal stories of the bomber crewmen, some of whom were captured by the Japanese. Rounding out this comprehensive and accessible history, Scott describes the brutal effects of the Japanese retaliation in China and explains how Japan's subsequent attack on Midway Island affected the course of the war. |
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| KL: A History of the Nazi Concentration Camps by Nikolaus WachsmannWhile many accounts of Nazi concentration camps have focused on particular facilities or described the effects on prisoners, historian Nicolaus Wachsmann is the first to analyze the entire system of labor camps and extermination centers. This gripping, revelatory study draws on massive collections of documents, some of which have only become available over the past 25 years. KL doesn't just detail Nazi Germany's methodology of slave labor and genocide: it reveals how it was integral to the Third Reich's economic and political system. For another study of the concentration camps' inner workings, read Bettina Stangneth's groundbreaking Eichmann Before Jerusalem. |
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Focus on: North America Before the 19th Century
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| Champlain's Dream by David Hackett FischerSamuel de Champlain, a French mariner, soldier, and diplomat, explored parts of North America during the early 17th century and was the first administrator of New France, in present-day eastern Canada and the northern U.S. In Champlain's Dream, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David Fischer recounts Champlain's achievements and characterizes his 30 years of colonial leadership, which left an indelible legacy in francophone Canada. After having fought in European wars, Champlain was determined to establish peace in the New World. He also encouraged collaboration and intermarriage between colonists and natives. This thorough and insightful portrait will fascinate anyone interested in colonial North America. |
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| Cahokia: Ancient America's Great City on the Mississippi by Timothy R. PauketatWhile ancient Aztec and Mayan civilizations are relatively well documented, much less is known about pre-Columbian North America. In this engaging book, anthropologist Timothy Pauketat presents archaeologists' conclusions about a huge, thriving city that existed near the Mississippi River, in present-day Illinois, between about 1050 AD and 1400 AD. Though there are few remaining artifacts (due to looting), and many of the structures have been plowed up or built over, Pauketat provides both hard facts and well-founded speculation to paint a compelling picture of this culture. The result represents a "happy marriage of professional scholarship and childlike enthusiasm," says Kirkus Reviews. |
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| Before the Revolution: America's Ancient Pasts by Daniel K. RichterEven before the 18th century, a wide range of influences shaped the politics, commerce, and religious views of the colonists in North America. In Before the Revolution, historian Daniel Richter traces these influences back to Medieval Europe and the societies of pre-Columbian natives. Organizing his presentation into chronological categories, from "Progenitors" in Europe to "Atlanteans" shortly before the American Revolution, Richter engagingly discusses such issues as European-Native American interactions, conflict among European settlers, the effects of disease, the importation of enslaved Africans, and economic discontent. For more on the earlier history of North America, read the author's Facing East from Indian Country or Charles Mann's 1491. |
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| Rough Crossings: Britain, the Slaves, and the American Revolution by Simon SchamaNoted historian and Columbia University professor Simon Schama (you may recognize him as the host of the BBC documentary A History of Britain) explores a little-known aspect of U.S. history: the fight for freedom by Southern slaves during the American Revolution and their eventual relocation to Sierra Leone with the aid of British reformers. This colorful depiction of a complex but often overlooked chapter in history will enlighten and give a different perspective to readers who are enthralled by colonial America. |
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| The First Frontier: The Forgotten History of Struggle, Savagery, and Endurance in... by Scott WeidensaulIn The First Frontier, author Scott Weidensaul vividly portrays North America from the 1600s to the mid-18th century. Beginning with a description of the native peoples before contact with Europeans, he details the lives and customs both of early settlers and of American Indians. He also relates the vicious conflicts between whites and natives and the dangers of trying to settle in unfamiliar land. Engaging, accessible accounts of the experiences of individuals and small communities add color and life to this sweeping history of eastern North America. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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