|
History and Current EventsSeptember 2015
|
"Never in the field of human conflict, has so much, been owed by so many, to so few!" ~ Winston Churchill (1874-1965), Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
|
|
| The Storm of the Century: Tragedy, Heroism, Survival, and the Epic True... by Al RokerThe gigantic hurricane that struck the Texas Gulf Coast in September 1900, destroying Galveston, still stands as the deadliest natural disaster in American history. In The Storm of the Century, NBC weather reporter Al Roker clearly describes the storm's genesis and its progress across the Atlantic and through the Gulf to Galveston. The book's power, however, arises from his compelling and poignant use of primary sources to portray sights and sounds in the flattened city and the feelings of individual Galveston residents and those who came to help in the aftermath. For more on this historic catastrophe, don't miss Erik Larson's Isaac's Storm. |
|
|
Give us the ballot : the modern struggle for voting rights in America by Ari Berman "On the fiftieth anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, a riveting and alarming account of the continuing battle over the right to vote The adoption of the landmark Voting Rights Act in 1965 enfranchised millions of Americans and is widely regarded as the crowning achievement of the civil rights movement. And yet fifty years later we are still fighting heated battles over race, representation, and political power--over the right to vote, the central pillar of our democracy. A groundbreaking narrative history of voting rights since 1965, Give Us the Ballot tells the story of what happened after the act was passed. Through meticulous archival research, fresh interviews with the leading participants in the ongoing struggle, and incisive on-the-ground reporting, Ari Berman chronicles the transformative impact the act had on American democracy and investigates how the fight over the right to vote has continued in the decades since. From new strategies to keep minorities out of the voting booth, to cynical efforts to limit political representation by gerrymandering electoral districts, to the Supreme Court's recent stunning decision that declared a key part of the Voting Rights Act itself unconstitutional, to the efforts by the Justice Department and grassroots activists to counter these attacks, Berman tells the dramatic story of the pitched contest over the very heart of our democracy. At this important historical moment, Give Us the Ballot brings new insight to one of the most vital political and civil rights issues of our time"-- Provided by publisher.
|
|
|
Dancing with the devil in the City of God : Rio de Janeiro on the brink by Juliana BarbassaRio de Janeiro is a city of extremes: from Carnaval's hedonistic delights, to the poverty of the favelas, to the softly seductive samba beat. But there's a dark side to this beautiful city: for years, Rio was ravaged by inflation, drug wars, and crooked leaders, and the legacy of decades of corruption can be seen in the very real struggles the city faces today. Now, Rio is ready to remake itself, this time into a global, modern capital ready for its turn on the world stage with the Olympics in 2016. But at what price? Armed with sharp prose and a reporter's instinct, Rio-born journalist Juliana Barbassa brings a firsthand glimpse of what's really happening in Rio (the good, the bad, and the maddening). She paints a fascinating picture of this city "on the brink," explaining how Rio will succeed (or fail) based on the choices its leaders and citizens make today. But through it all, she never loses sight of the human face of Rio.
|
|
|
Boko Haram : Inside Nigeria’s Unholy War by Mike SmithAn insurgency in Nigeria by the Islamist extremist group Boko Haram has left thousands dead, shaken Africa's biggest nation and worried the world. Yet they remain a mysterious-almost unknowable-organization. Through extensive on-the-ground reporting, Smith takes readers inside the violence and provides the first in-depth account of the conflict. He traces Boko Haram from its beginnings in Nigeria's remote northeast to its transformation into a hydra-headed monster, deploying suicide bombers and abducting schoolgirls. Much of the book is told from the perspective of Nigerians who have found themselves caught between the violence of insurgents, brutal security forces and an inept government. It includes the stories of a police officer left paralyzed, women whose husbands have been murdered and a sword-wielding vigilante using charms to fend off insurgent bullets. Smith questions whether there can be any end to the violence and the ways in which this might be achieved. Interspersed with Nigerian history, this book delves into the roots of the unholy war being waged against the backdrop of an evolving extremist threat worldwide.
|
|
| Putinism: Russia and Its Future with the West by Walter LaqueurSince Vladimir Putin became the President of Russia in 2012, many Western observers have expressed concern that he might be leading his country back to Soviet-style totalitarianism. In Putinism, historian Walter Laqueur argues, on the contrary, that Putin's style more closely resembles pre-1917 Russia than Cold War-era totalitarianism. Identifying Putin's differences from Communist leaders and similarities to pre-Communist Russian nationalists, Laqueur lays out the political characteristics the West needs to be aware of in dealing with Putin. Booklist observes that Laqueur's analysis is "cogent and must be seriously considered." |
|
|
Shakespeare and the countess : the battle that gave birth to the Globe by Chris Laoutaris"In November 1596, a woman signed a document that would nearly destroy the career of William Shakespeare. Who was this woman who played such an instrumental, yet little known, role in Shakespeare's life? Never far from controversy when she was alive--she sparked numerous riots and indulged in acts of breaking-and-entering, bribery, blackmail, kidnapping and armed combat--Lady Elizabeth Russell, the self-styled Dowager Countess of Bedford, has been edited out of public memory, yet the chain of events she set in motion would make Shakespeare the legendary figure we all know today. Lady Elizabeth Russell's extraordinary life made her one of the most formidable women of the Renaissance. The daughter of King Edward VI's tutor, she blazed a trail across Elizabethan England as an intellectual and radical Protestant. And, in November 1596, she became the leader of a movement aimed at destroying William Shakespeare's theatrical troupe--a plot that resulted in the closure of the Blackfriars Theatre but the construction, instead, of the Globe. Providing new pieces to this puzzle, Chris Laoutaris's rousing history reveals for the first time this startling battle against Shakespeare and the Lord Chamberlain's Men."--Dust jacket.
|
|
| Double Agent: The First Hero of World War II and How the FBI Outwitted and... by Peter DuffyDuring World War II, even before Germany declared war on America on December 11, 1941, Nazi agents operated a very effective ring of German-American spies within the U.S. When German native (and American citizen) William Sebold went to Germany in 1939 to visit family, German intelligence officers tried to recruit him. Sebold, however, contacted the FBI when he returned to New York and agreed to supply information on Nazi espionage. In the compelling Double Agent, journalist Peter Duffy provides exciting, well documented details of Sebold's work. For another engaging account of World War II spying, Hervie Haufler's The Spies Who Never Were relates the exploits of British counterintelligence agents. |
|
| Dam Busters: The True Story of the Inventors and Airmen Who Led... by James HollandIn May 1945, the RAF launched a radical attempt to hinder the Third Reich's war production by destroying German hydroelectric dams. The specialized bomb they used had never been tested in realistic conditions, the bombers had to fly unusual approaches at night to deliver the bombs, and they had only weeks to get ready. The mission was triumphant, though costly, and it boosted British morale while creating a legend that inspired a film (1955's The Dam Busters). In this "authoritative" (Publishers Weekly) account, historian James Holland describes the project's technical development and the gripping details of the raid. World War II and military history buffs won't want to miss this one. |
|
| With Wings Like Eagles: The Untold Story of the Battle of Britain by Michael KordaFollowing the British Expeditionary Force's retreat from Dunkirk in May 1940, RAF Fighter Command remained the final defense against a German invasion of Britain. The Luftwaffe launched bombing raids on English targets, but the RAF pilots held them off until September, when Adolf Hitler canceled his planned sea and air offensive against the U.K. In this detailed history of the Battle of Britain, author Michael Korda relates the work of Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding to prepare the RAF and provides stirring accounts of the fighter pilots' exploits against German raids. Complete with photographs, With Wings Like Eagles will equally thrill general history readers and World War II military enthusiasts. |
|
| Road to Valor: A True Story of World War II Italy, the Nazis, and the Cyclist Who... by Aili McConnon and Andres McConnonThough Benito Mussolini's Italy was a strong ally of Germany during World War II, many Italians, including Tour de France champion Gino Bartali, weren't sympathetic with the Fascist leadership. In this well documented and inspiring biography, journalists Aili and Andres McConnon relate how, while supposedly training in the mountains of Tuscany, Bartali secretly carried false documents that enabled Jewish refugees to escape to safety. While it also recounts Bartali's early life and his racing triumphs, Road to Valor includes the story of one of the hundreds of rescued Jewish families. The Boston Globe says the McConnons have chronicled these heroic events "powerfully and well." |
|
| Tears in the Darkness: The Story of the Bataan Death March and its Aftermath by Michael Norman and Elizabeth M. NormanThousands of American and Filipino POWs died during the notorious Bataan Death March, victims of Japanese brutality. Both comprehensive and nuanced, this unflinching account describes how foot soldiers (on both sides) paid the ultimate price for decisions made at the highest levels of command. The story of Montana-born American POW Ben Steele provides a moving focal point: his raw post-war drawings depict the hell that Bataan's survivors endured for another four years in Japanese prison camps. For more, try Hampton Sides' highly recommended Ghost Soldiers, a compelling history of the desperate rescue mission that finally saved the few remaining POWs. |
|
| Nagasaki: Life After Nuclear War by Susan SouthardOn August 9, 1945 a U.S. Army Air Force plane dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan. The immediate effects, as in the bombing of Hiroshima three days earlier, were devastating. The long term effects have also caused much suffering, though fewer reports on them have been available in the U.S. Drawing on extensive interviews with five people who were teenagers in Nagasaki when it was bombed, as well as official and public records, author Susan Southard vividly recounts the instantaneous death and destruction and the survivors' subsequent challenges. Library Journal counts Nagasaki among the "definitive histories of the end of World War II." |
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
|
|
|