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History and Current EventsAugust 2014
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"World War I was not inevitable, as many historians say. It could have been avoided, and it was a diplomatically botched negotiation." ~ Richard Holbrooke (1941-2010), American diplomat
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New and Recently Released!
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| The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food by Dan BarberIn The Third Plate, James Beard Award-winning chef Dan Barber delves into the question of food choices and sustainable agriculture by visiting farmers to learn about their innovative methods. At various establishments, including an organic farm in New York where Barber learns about soil and a farm in Spain where they produce foie gras without force-feeding the geese, he finds out how to broaden and diversify American menus while improving the environment that supports our food chain. This "bold and impassioned" (Kirkus Reviews) report concludes that the American diet needs to shift towards sustainability and variety and that restaurateurs should lead the way. |
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| The Zhivago Affair: The Kremlin, the CIA, and the Battle Over a Forbidden Book by Peter Finn and Petra CouvéeDoctor Zhivago, a novel published in translation during the late 1950s by Russian author Boris Pasternak, created a sensation in the West with its negative depiction of the Russian Revolution. The CIA recognized that the book could promote anti-Communist sentiment within the Soviet Union, so they arranged to produce copies of the original Russian text and sneak them into Russia. The Zhivago Affair relates the exciting story of how the book-smuggling was accomplished, the severe consequences the Kremlin imposed on Pasternak and his family, and the international controversy aroused by the novel. Publishers Weekly calls this a "triumphant reminder that truth is sometimes gloriously stranger than fiction." |
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| China's Second Continent: How a Million Migrants are Building a New Empire... by Howard W. FrenchJournalist Howard French has extensive knowledge about Africa and China, having served as a bureau chief for The New York Times in both areas. Intrigued by the growing numbers of Chinese people who have moved to Africa, he interviewed both Africans and Chinese about China's apparent "colonization" of Africa. In China's Second Continent, he explains why the Chinese are moving to Africa, portrays their often contemptuously racist attitudes, and describes their business methods, which often involve corrupt practices. French also discusses the potential for economic development that could harm or help Africa, depending on how the Chinese involvement is managed. China's Second Continent provides a thought-provoking assessment of the possible future for both Africa and China. |
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| The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra by Helen RappaportWhile The Romanov Sisters focuses on the four daughters of Russian Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra, the book offers more than just a family biography. Weaving together general historical information and excerpts from the girls' journals and letters, historian Helen Rappaport depicts the period leading up to the Russian Revolution, including the political issues that dominated the Romanovs' lives. She explains why they maintained strict isolation from the public, portrays the relationships between the Tsarina and her children, and vividly recounts their interactions with the influential advisor Rasputin. This intimate account provides both an engaging view of the historic family and a window on the rest of the world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. |
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| The Nile: A Journey Downriver Through Egypt's Past and Present by Toby WilkinsonPresented as a travelogue about a trip down the Nile River, Egyptologist Toby Wilkinson's The Nile vividly depicts Egypt's long history and offers fascinating information about contemporary Egypt -- including the start of the Arab Spring in Cairo. Wilkinson focuses on the Nile because of its central and necessary role in Egyptian life, sustaining a civilization on the agriculture nurtured by the river's waters. In addition, goods and people -- important to a thriving economy -- moved (and still move) along the Nile. Wilkinson's rich, engaging narrative will captivate anyone interested in the Nile or in ancient or modern Egypt. |
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World War I began 100 years ago, on July 28, 1914, and ended November 11, 1918.
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| Unknown Soldiers: The Story of the Missing of the First World War by Neil HansonWorld War I claimed the lives of many millions of troops, and the bodies of about three million were never identified. To emphasize the personal significance of each loss among the millions, author Neil Hanson traces the stories of three soldiers -- an Englishman, a German, and an American -- whose remains were never found. Drawing on their letters and those of others, in addition to family and hometown records, he paints vivid portraits of these individuals and the war's devastating effects on those who were mired in the trenches. The Great War's impact on individuals comes to life in Unknown Soldiers, which Publishers Weekly characterizes as "vivid, sobering and without macho swagger or sentimentality." |
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| The Somme: The Darkest Hour on the Western Front by Peter HartWorld War I's battle of the Somme took nearly 20,000 British lives on the first day alone -- and continued for four and a half months. It tipped the balance in favor of the Allies, but did so at immense human cost. In this riveting and poignant account of the battle, historian Peter Hart combines details of strategy with first-person accounts archived at the Imperial War Museum in London. He explains the reasoning of British military commanders while sharply detailing the foot soldiers' viewpoints through journal entries, photographs, letters, and documents. The veterans' accounts individualize the Great War's astronomical cost, and Hart "honors the men who paid the price" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| The Long Way Home: An American Journey from Ellis Island to the Great War by David LaskinIn this absorbing account, author David Laskin profiles 12 American soldiers who fought in World War I. All had immigrated to the U.S. from Europe, and some had even left their home countries to avoid conscription. Each of them served ably and with pride to support the American cause, sometimes suffering more than they had in their former homes in Europe. Laskin depicts only a small sample of the troops who were born abroad, bringing to life an aspect of the Great War that is often forgotten. Anyone interested in the war's history or the lives of immigrants will find The Long Way Home, including its final chapter summarizing the men's postwar lives, touching and informative. |
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| A World Undone: The Story of the Great War, 1914-1918 by G.J. MeyerAuthor G.J. Meyer, in A World Undone, examines both the Great War's military campaigns and its impact on civilian life. In this unusual approach, he covers standard topics that include military strategy, political maneuvering, and specifics such as Gallipoli and trench warfare in the main chapters. In case studies after each main chapter, he changes the focus, discussing the Armenian genocide, the status of Jews in Germany, and the role of Cossacks in the war, among other subjects. Efficiently combining clear accounts of military action and contextual details, A World Undone offers a comprehensive, accessible, and compact history of the war that was supposed to end war. |
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| The Remains of Company D: A Story of the Great War by James Carl NelsonMotivated by the fact that his grandfather had said little about his service in World War I, journalist James Nelson undertook to fill in the gaps through research. In The Remains of Company D, he draws on official records, newspaper reports, and other secondary sources that provide information about Company D of the 28th Infantry Regiment -- his grandfather's unit. Creating a "valuable mosaic" (Booklist) of experiences of the Americans who fought in World War I, Nelson provides details of the battles where Company D saw action and depicts family members' later efforts to find lost soldiers' remains. The Remains of Company D supplies a fascinating, intimate portrait of American participation in the war. |
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