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History and Current Events July 2017
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| He Calls Me by Lightning: The Life of Caliph Washington and the Forgotten Saga... by S. Jonathan BassIn 1957 Alabama, a traffic stop ended with an African American veteran's being accused of killing a white policeman. Caliph Washington was convicted in several trials, but each conviction was overturned. Later, Governor George Wallace stayed his execution numerous times. Vividly depicting Washington's life, the questionable convictions, and the Jim Crow atmosphere surrounding the case, He Calls Me by Lighting offers an eye-opening critique of the racial disparities in American criminal justice. |
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| Scars of Independence: America's Violent Birth by Holger HoockAccording to historian Holger Hoock, the American Revolution wasn't only a conflict over principles, but also a violent civil war whose legacy historians have only recently recognized. In Scars of Independence, he carefully assesses how this violence affected everyone: Patriot and Loyalist civilians, military personnel on all sides, Native Americans, and free and enslaved blacks. Hoock's balanced and accessible historical analysis includes explicit descriptions of atrocities, which may be disturbing to some readers. Library Journal calls the book "as fascinating as it is enlightening." |
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| Apollo 8: The Thrilling Story of the First Mission to the Moon by Jeffrey KlugerIn Apollo 8, acclaimed science writer Jeffrey Kluger provides a you-were-there reading experience as he recounts the preparations that culminated in the first manned flight to the moon. Drawing on his interviews with crew members Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders, as well as the NASA Oral History Project and other records, Kluger enriches the personal and technical details of the mission with facets of the Cold War-era politics that spurred the race to the moon. Space flight aficionados won't want to miss Kluger's "laudable storytelling" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard RothsteinIn this thoroughly researched analysis, housing policy expert Richard Rothstein traces the development of America's restrictive residential codes back to the early 20th century. He shows that modern segregation is built on overlapping local, state, and federal laws -- not just on prejudice-based social customs. Whether you're looking for a comprehensive review of law and policy or an accessible discussion of the history, you'll find The Color of Law both informative and sobering. |
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| Anatomy of Terror: From the Death of Bin Laden to the Rise of the Islamic State by Ali SoufanIdentifying the primary goals of different terrorist leaders, antiterrorism expert Ali Soufan explains how radical Islamists think. Drawing on both unclassified reports and his own knowledge from working in the FBI, he reveals that al-Qaida cells have continued to grow and organize, so that they again represent a significant threat. In a starred review, Kirkus Reviews notes that Anatomy of Terror offers a lucid account of this "dizzying scenario of violence." |
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| The Art of the Con: The Most Notorious Fakes, Frauds, and Forgeries in the Art World by Anthony M. AmoreConfidence scams, forgeries, and theft plague the world of art, costing museums and legitimate private owners millions of dollars. In The Art of the Con, security expert Anthony Amore (head of security at Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum) explores instances of art fraud and theft, details specific methods, and examines the mindset of certain victims. Fans of both art history and true crime accounts will be enthralled and may want to follow up with Robert Wittman's Priceless or Ulrich Boser's The Gardner Heist. |
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Anatomy of injustice [electronic resource] : a murder case gone wrong
by Raymond Bonner
This book is an incisive investigation into the many shortcomings of the justice system brought to light in the story of a grievously mishandled murder case in South Carolina that left an innocent man facing execution. At the age of twenty-three, EdwardLee Elmore, a black man, was arrested after the body of a white widow was found, brutally beaten, in the closet of her home. Elmore was an unlikely killer: semiliterate, mentally retarded with a fifth-grade education, gentle and loving with his family. His connection to the victim was minimal, but barely ninety days after the victim's body was found, he was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. The author gives us an exhaustive account of the particulars of racism, prosecutorial misconduct, inept defense lawyers, and injustice in Elmore's case, which, the author makes clear, occur in courts throughout America. He carefully examines each stage of the initial trial, jury selection, the role of the lawyers and judge, the appeal process, and introduces us to the spirited young female lawyer who, for two decades, fought to get Elmore a fair trial. It is a vital contribution to our nation's ongoing, increasingly vehement debate about justice and inequality
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Twin Falls Public Library201 4th Ave. ETwin Falls, Idaho 83301208-733-2964
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