|
History and Current Events September 2019
|
|
|
|
| The Family Next Door: The Heartbreaking Imprisonment of the 13 Turpin Siblings and... by John GlattWhat it is: the disturbing story of seemingly picture-perfect couple David and Louise Turpin, who for years brutalized and imprisoned their 13 children in their suburban California home.
What happened: In January 2018, the Turpins' 17-year-old daughter Jordan made a daring escape to successfully alert the authorities.
Is it for you? True crime fans will appreciate this timely account of a gruesome case that's still making headlines -- in April 2019, David and Louise received life sentences for their crimes. |
|
|
"You're in the Wrong Bathroom!" And 20 Other Myths and Misconceptions About...
by Laura Erickson-Schroth and Laura A. Jacobs
What it is: a sympathetic, advice-filled rebuttal to 21 common myths concerning transgender and gender-nonconforming people, co-written by a psychiatrist and a psychotherapist.
Myths include: "Trans People Are a Danger to Others, Especially Children;" "Trans People Are 'Trapped in the Wrong Body'"
Who it's for: readers curious to learn about the evolving language and conceptualizations of gender identity.
|
|
| The Vagabonds: The Story of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison's Ten-Year Road Trip by Jeff GuinnWhat it's about: Every year between 1914 and 1924, inventor pals and "autocamping" enthusiasts Henry Ford and Thomas Edison embarked on a cross-country summertime jaunt through America.
Why it matters: The pair's highly-publicized adventures contributed to the car industry boom, spurred the improvement of roadways, and inspired the concept of the road trip.
Read it for: a quirky blend of history, biography, and travelogue. |
|
| The Liberation of Paris: How Eisenhower, de Gaulle, and von Choltitz Saved the City of Light by Jean Edward SmithWhat it is: a dramatic account of the August 1944 liberation of Paris, which left the city miraculously unscathed.
What sets it apart: the lesser-known story of Dietrich von Choltitz, the German general who defied Hitler's orders to destroy the city.
Don't miss: a moving new perspective on the relationship between Generals Dwight Eisenhower and Charles de Gaulle. |
|
|
1177 B.C. : the year civilization collapsed
by Eric H. Cline
"In 1177 B.C., marauding groups known only as the "Sea Peoples" invaded Egypt. The pharaoh's army and navy managed to defeat them, but the victory so weakened Egypt that it soon slid into decline, as did most of the surrounding civilizations. After centuries of brilliance, the civilized world of the Bronze Age came to an abrupt and cataclysmic end. Kingdoms fell like dominoes over the course of just a few decades. No more Minoans or Mycenaeans. No more Trojans, Hittites, or Babylonians. The thriving economy and cultures of the late second millennium B.C., which had stretched from Greece to Egypt and Mesopotamia, suddenly ceased to exist, along with writing systems, technology, and monumental architecture. But the Sea Peoples alone could not have caused such widespread breakdown. How did it happen? In this major new account of the causes of this "First Dark Ages," Eric Cline tells the gripping story of how the end was brought about by multiple interconnected failures, ranging from invasion and revolt to earthquakes, drought, and the cutting of international trade routes. Bringing to life the vibrant multicultural world of these great civilizations, he draws a sweeping panorama of the empires and globalized peoples of the Late Bronze Age and shows that it was their very interdependence that hastened their dramatic collapse and ushered in a dark age that lasted centuries. A compelling combination of narrative and the latest scholarship, 1177 B.C. sheds new light on the complex ties that gave rise to, and ultimately destroyed, the flourishing civilizations of the Late Bronze Age--and that set the stage for the emergence of classical Greece"
|
|
|
1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created
by Charles C. Mann
In 1493, acclaimed author Charles C. Mann reveals that globalization's origins are as much ecological as economic. The arrival of Europeans in the New World sparked an unplanned exchange of plants, animals, and diseases between Europe and the Americas that forever altered global economies, politics and culture. 1493 describes complex, surprising cause-effect scenarios -- for example, how European honeybees and earthworms transformed the Western Hemisphere's ecology -- in an engaging, accessible style that lay readers and scholars alike will love. If you liked Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel, don't miss 1493!
|
|
|
1916: A Global History
by Keith Jeffery
While most histories of World War I focus on the conflict in Western Europe, historian Keith Jeffery analyzes the war's far-reaching impact in other regions. In 1916, he looks at a dozen of the year's major events (such as the Easter Uprising in Ireland, Russian internal politics, and the East African campaign) and their significance for the world's future. Jeffery also brings to life the experiences of women, civilians, African soldiers and laborers, and other under-represented groups, while emphasizing social commonalities around the world. Library Journal says that Jeffery employs a "creative and remarkable approach to history" in this richly detailed work.
|
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
Lambton County Library 787 Broadway St. Wyoming, Ontario N0N1T0 519-845-3324www.lclibrary.ca |
|
|
|