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History and Current EventsNovember 2015
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"My idea of good company is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company." "You are mistaken," said he gently, "That is not good company, that is the best." Persuasion~Jane Austen (1775-1817), English novelist
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The Dead Duke, His Secret Wife, and the Missing Corpse : An Extraordinary Edwardian Case of Deception and Intrigue by Piu Marie EatwellBrilliantly recreates one of the most notorious and bizarre mysteries of the Edwardian age, in which the extraordinarily wealthy 5th Duke of Portland, having a mania for power and privacy, faked his death under an assumed name, in a riveting account of the lies, deceit and hypocrisy of Victorian society. Drawing from revelations hidden within the Druce family tomb in the chilly confines of Highgate Cemetery, Piu Marie Eatwell recounts one of the most drawn-out sagas of the era in penetrating, gripping detail. From each thwarted investigation and wicked attempt to conceal evidence to the parade of peculiar figures announcing themselves as the rightful heir, Eatwell paints a portentous portrait of England at the dawn of the Edwardian age. Few tales--be they by Charles Dickens or Wilkie Collins, The Importance of Being Earnest or The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde--could surpass the bizarre and deliciously dark twists and turns of the Druce-Portland affair.
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The fall of the Ottomans : the Great War in the Middle East by Eugene L Rogan "In 1914 the Ottoman Empire was depleted of men and resources after years of war against Balkan nationalist and Italian forces. But as the powers of Europe slid inexorably toward war, the Middle East could not escape the vast and enduring consequences of one of the most destructive conflicts in human history. The Great War spelled the end of the Ottomans, unleashing powerful forces that would forever change the face of the Middle East. Here, award-winning historian Eugene Rogan brings the First World War and its immediate aftermath in the Middle East to vivid life, uncovering the often ignored story of the region's crucial role in the conflict. Bolstered by German money, arms, and military advisors, the Ottomans took on the Russian, British, and French forces, and tried to provoke Jihad against the Allies in their Muslim colonies. Unlike the static killing fields of the Western Front, the war in the Middle East was fast-moving and unpredictable, with the Turks inflicting decisive defeats on the Entente in Gallipoli, Mesopotamia, and Gaza before the tide of battle turned in the Allies' favor. The postwar settlement led to the partition of Ottoman lands between the victorious powers, and laid the groundwork for the ongoing conflicts that continue to plague the modern Arab world. This book is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the making of the modern Middle East." -- From publisher description.
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| The Making of Asian America: A History by Erika LeeThe first Asians to migrate to North America in modern times arrived in Mexico with 16th-century Spanish traders. Tracing the history of various peoples (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hmong, Indian, and others), immigration historian Erika Lee offers a detailed and fascinating portrait of these migrants, highlighting their reasons for coming to the Western Hemisphere as well as their experiences in the new land. Sobering to many readers will be Lee's accounts of the virtual enslavement of thousands of 19th-century railway builders and the racial discrimination Asians suffered and continue to face. The Making of Asian America offers indispensable reading for anyone seeking a complete view of American history. |
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| Once in a Great City: A Detroit Story by David MaranissTaking a focused look at Detroit, Michigan from fall, 1962 to spring, 1964, journalist David Maraniss explores the early socio-economic indicators of the great Motor City's decline. In the early '60s the auto manufacturers were on top of their game, the music industry was providing a morale boost to citizens, especially African Americans, and Detroit was even making a bid to host the 1968 Summer Olympics. However, scholars at Wayne State University already foresaw trouble. In Once in a Great City, Maraniss offers a vivid, riveting snapshot of scintillating urban life on the verge of urban decay. For an engaging longer view, try Scott Martelle's Detroit. |
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Patience and fortitude : power, real estate, and the fight to save a public library by Scott Sherman"A riveting investigation of a beloved library caught in the crosshairs of real estate, power, and the people's interests--by the reporter who broke the story. In a series of cover stories for The Nation magazine, journalist Scott Sherman uncovered the ways in which Wall Street logic almost took down one of New York City's most beloved and iconic institutions: the New York Public Library. In the years preceding the 2008 financial crisis, the library's leaders forged an audacious plan to sell off multiple branch libraries, mutilate a historic building, and send millions of books to a storage facility in New Jersey. Scholars, researchers, and readers would be out of luck, but real estate developers and New York's Mayor Bloomberg would get what they wanted. But when the story broke, the people fought back, as famous writers, professors, and citizens' groups came together to defend a national treasure. Rich with revealing interviews with key figures, Patience and Fortitude is at once a hugely readable history of the library's secret plans, and a stirring account of a rare triumph against the forces of money and power"-- Provided by publisher.
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History for Armchair Travelers
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| Jane Austen's England by Roy Adkins and Lesley AdkinsSee the real England of Jane Austen's era in this eye-opening, sometimes gritty account that draws on unpublished primary sources as well as published works. Ordinary people (not just the gentry and aristocracy portrayed by Austen and other writers) fill the pages of Jane Austen's England, which reveals the era's poor conditions of health and sanitation, crowded housing, and dangerous labor practices, as well as intriguing details of the legal system and social customs. Archaeologists Roy and Lesley Adkins portray the upper classes, too, and often quote Austen herself in this whirlwind tour, which will captivate anyone interested in Regency England. |
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| Paradise of the Pacific: Approaching Hawaii by Susanna MooreIn Paradise of the Pacific, author Susanna Moore, who has written both novels and memoirs set in Hawaii, offers a complete history of the islands. Few off-islanders know about the first settlers from Polynesia or the rigid and violent hierarchy that ruled at the time Captain James Cook arrived in 1778, but Moore's book paints a vividly detailed and thoroughly researched portrait of Hawaii from the sixth century to the present. Drawing on original sources, including islanders' journals and reports from sailors, explorers, missionaries, and others, Moore provides a "direct and authentic glimpse" (Booklist) into the reality behind the paradise marketed to tourists. |
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| Cronkite's War: His World War II Letters Home by Walter Cronkite IV and Maurice Isserman, editorsDuring World War II, young journalist Walter Cronkite, Jr. reported for UP, the newspaper wire service, from England and other places. This collection, edited by his grandson and a historian, consists of letters to his wife, Betsy, recounting his experiences in personal, rather than journalistic, terms. He mentions the challenges (though not the dangers) of being a neophyte reporter in a war zone, describes the journalist's daily routine, and -- most of all -- expresses his love for his wife. This on-the-ground portrait of World War II England and Europe is a must for readers interested in an individual's perceptions of the time. |
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| The Discovery of Middle Earth: Mapping the Lost World of the Celts by Graham RobbBefore Julius Caesar radically expanded the Roman Empire westward starting in 58 BC, the Celts ruled Europe from the Black Sea to the British Isles. In The Discovery of Middle Earth, historian Graham Robb relates how he noticed a pattern of ancient place names and early roadways, which inspired him to rediscover and map the pre-Roman Celtic settlements of Europe. Analyzing ancient documents and archaeological finds, Robb concludes that Celtic civilization possessed great learning as well as military skill, only to be obscured when Rome conquered Europe. Kirkus Reviews observes that Robb has "broken significant new ground" in reconstructing early European history. |
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| Alone on the Ice: The Greatest Survival Story in the History of Exploration by David RobertsImagine being 100 miles from your base camp in Antarctica with no food and neither human nor canine companions (because they've already died). Oh, and hidden crevasses are waiting to swallow you up as you traverse the icy landscape. Find out how Australian geologist Douglas Mawson managed this Herculean trek in Alone on the Ice, a well-researched, evocative look, complete with photographs, at the Australasian Antarctic Expedition of 1911-1913. Mawson's amazing -- though little-known -- adventure (during which he even had to crawl) is a thrilling tale. Readers who enjoy the history of Antarctic exploration, especially the survival stories, should definitely pick up this compelling book by mountaineer David Roberts. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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