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History and Current Events September 2016
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"London attracts people to it who think, like me, that the streets are paved with gold and that if you come to London, your life will change." ~ from Craig Taylor's Londoners
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| Patient H.M.: A Story of Memory, Madness and Family Secrets by Luke DittrichIn Patient H.M., journalist Luke Dittrich reviews information about brain surgery in ancient Egypt, treatment of the mentally ill in European and American asylums, and advanced contemporary neurology. A key figure in this multifaceted account is Henry Molaison, dubbed Patient H.M. in the medical literature, whose 1953 lobotomy left him unable to form new memories. Neuroscientists studied his condition until he died in 2008, making significant gains in the field of memory research -- though Molaison remained essentially a helpless patient. Another important person in the narrative is Dittrich's grandfather, Dr. William Scoville, the surgeon who lobotomized H.M. In a starred review, Booklist praises this "unusual and compelling" combination of family history and science. |
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| Ahead of the Curve: Inside the Baseball Revolution by Brian KennyBaseball traditionalists might not approve of sports commentator Brian Kenny's thesis in Ahead of the Curve, but he offers solid reasons to accept modern analytics. Aiming the statistical methodology called sabermetrics at the achievements of several popular award winners, Kenny proposes different choices for Most Valuable Player, forecasts shakeups in batting orders and bullpen methods, and pulls the rug out from under devotees of the game's nostalgia. Even if you love baseball's treasured mythology, you'll want to see what Kenny has to say. In addition, try Michael Lewis' Moneyball for an account of how a similar statistical method influences salary decisions. |
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| The Terror Years: From Al-Qaeda to the Islamic State by Lawrence WrightPulitzer Prize winner Lawrence Wright has written extensively on terrorism since before 9/11. The Terror Years collects and updates ten of Wright's pieces, first published in The New Yorker, on the development, spread, and evolution of Islamic jihadism. Profiling Osama bin Laden's associate Ayman al-Zawahiri, former FBI counterterrorism expert John O'Neill (who died in the World Trade Center attack), and FBI agent Ali Soufan, Wright adds detailed studies of Egypt, Syria, Israel, Palestine, and the Islamic State. Creating a coherent analysis from these originally separate articles, this new book offers "yet more great work from a dedicated journalist" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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The Great Fire destroyed much of London 350 years ago, in September 1666, but the city is clearly still thriving.
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| Shakespeare's Pub: A Barstool History of London as Seen Through the Windows... by Pete BrownThis convivial portrait of the 600-year-old George Inn, in the heart of what was London's theater district during Shakespeare's lifetime, offers a "Barstool History" that includes transportation, hospitality, politics, literature, and, of course, beer. Although there's no proof that the Bard sipped at the George, the author's considerable charm and obvious expertise quickly draw readers into the life of the inn, which is strategically placed near the end of London Bridge and has survived the centuries -- through fires, the advent of railways, and even the Blitz. Shakespeare's Pub is a great place to start your armchair tour of London's history. |
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| The Love-charm of Bombs: Restless Lives in the Second World War by Lara FeigelWell-known authors survived the Blitz while serving in various capacities from fire fighter to air warden, but they also made love in the midst of war. In this engaging group biography, literature scholar Lara Feigel relates how five writers spent the terrifying and deadly months from August 1940 through the end of the war (and afterwards in bombed-out Vienna). Graham Greene, Elizabeth Bowen, Rose Macaulay, Henry Green, and Hilde Spiegel recorded their experiences in journals, correspondence, fiction, and memoirs, demonstrating how mortal danger can lead to emotional and sexual liaisons outside of marriage. The Love-charm of Bombs offers not only an intriguing view of these writers' experiences, but a compelling picture of wartime London. |
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| Johnson's Life of London: The People Who Made the City That Made the World by Boris JohnsonIn Johnson's Life of London, former Mayor and current British Cabinet member Boris Johnson provides an imaginative account of London's history from Roman times to the 21st century. Launching his descriptions with cameos of famous people and significant objects (such as the flush toilet and the King James Bible), Johnson energetically pulls readers into fascinating scenes, beginning with Roman general Suetonius quailing before the advance of warrior queen Boudica. This colorful pageant of the ages nimbly connects contemporary readers with historical details, informing as it entertains. |
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| Londoners: The Days and Nights of London Now -- As Told by Those Who Love It... by Craig TaylorCanadian author Craig Taylor, who's lived in London for over a decade, conducted hundreds of interviews over the course of five years, then boiled the material down to what 90 regular people think of the city. Each one has his or her own reasons for living there, moving there, or leaving, from the convicted criminal who hoped to build a new life, to the Iranian refugee smuggled in by lorry, to the woman who recorded the Underground's announcements ("Mind the gap!"). Organized according to the Londoners' occupations, this exuberant oral history relates the city's history within living memory, facet by facet; it explodes with "charm, edification, and life" (Booklist). |
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