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History and Current EventsAugust 2015
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"If there was one thing Elizabeth Tudor understood intuitively, it was life on the edge." ~ from Susan Ronald's The Pirate Queen
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Baghdad : city of peace, city of blood--a history in thirteen centuries
by Justin Marozzi
For much of its extraordinary life, Baghdad, known for centuries as the "City of Peace," enjoyed both cultural and commercial preeminence. For five centuries it was the seat of the Abbasid Empire, a marvel of glittering palaces, exquisite parks, magnificent mosques, and Islamic colleges. It was a city boasting the most accomplished astronomers, mathematicians, doctors, musicians, and poets-- it was here, in the time of the caliphs, that the great Arabic classic One Thousand and One Nights was set. With its teeming markets watered by the Tigris, Baghdad was a thriving trading emporium, attracting merchants from Central Asia to the Atlantic; its economy was the envy of West and East alike. Yet Baghdad's inhabitants have also seen many terrible hardships, from epidemics and famines to invasions and devastating floods. And it has also been one of the most violent cities on earth. When U.S. troops entered in 2003, they became the latest participants in a turbulent history stretching back to the city's founding in 762. Over most of its thirteen-century history, Baghdad has endured the rule of brutal strongmen, from capricious caliphs to Saddam Hussein; and it has suffered violent occupations at the hands of its conquerors, from the Mongol Hulagu, grandson of Genghis Khan, to Tamerlane, known as the "Sword Arm of Israel." Here, in this vivid new history-- the first published in English in nearly a century-- Justin Marozzi brings to life the whole splendorous and tumultuous story of what was once the greatest capital on earth
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| The Rival Queens: Catherine de' Medici, her Daughter Marguerite de Valois, and the... by Nancy GoldstonePowerful Renaissance women dominate the pages of The Rival Queens. In this engaging dual biography, historian Nancy Goldstone presents a true-life thriller about the relationship of Catherine de' Medici and her daughter, Marguerite de Valois. Catherine, the mother of three kings and two queens, was France's regent for three decades and stopped at nothing to get her way. The indomitable Marguerite stood her ground against Catherine's provocation and betrayal. Complicated by the late-16th-century religious wars between Protestants and Catholics, this bitter rivalry offers irresistible reading in Goldstone's vivid portrayal. |
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| Something Must Be Done About Prince Edward County: A Family, a Virginia... by Kristen GreenPart family memoir and part journalistic history, this sobering account depicts the efforts of white leaders in a rural Virginia county to defy desegregation by padlocking Prince Edward County's public schools after the Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education. When author Kristen Green returned to her hometown in the county to learn more about these events, she discovered the part her family played in trying to block integration. Something Must Be Done About Prince Edward County updates the shameful saga of white resistance to integration into the 21st century. For another heartrending account of the period, read Jim Auchmutey's The Class of '65. |
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| Empire of Deception: The Incredible Story of a Master Swindler Who Seduced a City... by Dean JobbFrom 1903 to 1923, Chicago was home to a spectacular Ponzi scheme, bilking hundreds of people through worthless investments in phantom Panamanian oil and timber concerns. When his pyramid collapsed, con man Leo Koretz disappeared. Author Dean Jobb amusingly relates how Koretz schmoozed his way through Chicago society and traces the edge-of-your-seat manhunt for and subsequent criminal prosecution of the master deceiver. Empire of Deception also vividly depicts Chicago's society and politics in the era. Complete with illustrations, this "laugh-out-loud page-turner" (Booklist) will appeal to history buffs and true crime aficionados. |
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| Once Upon a Time in Russia: The Rise of the Oligarchs -- A True Story of Ambition... by Ben MezrichIn Once Upon a Time in Russia, journalist Ben Mezrich offers a thrilling close-up view of two entrepreneurs who made fabulous profits after the Russian economy was opened to capitalism. While focusing on the pair's wildly successful but ultimately deadly ventures, Mezrich also vividly paints the 1990s ascendancy of powerful and corrupt oligarchs. From the rise and fall of Boris Yeltsin to the firm control of Vladimir Putin, this fascinating account of contemporary Russian capitalism reads like a novel, though it's well documented. For another fascinating narrative of danger in Russian business practices, read Bill Browder's memoir, Red Notice. |
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| Foundation: The History of England from its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors by Peter AckroydCovering English history from Stonehenge through the end of the Plantagenets in 1485, Foundation launches a projected six-volume series by acclaimed historian Peter Ackroyd. Expertly weaving together accounts of politics, religion, and culture, he traces the influences that led, among other things, to the development of the common law and to Chaucer's 14th-century writings, which established the basis for modern English. Ackroyd's chronicle depicts the lives of the common people as sensitively as those of royalty in a dense but delightful pageant that Publishers Weekly calls "witty, provocative, and highly readable." Two more volumes in the series have since appeared: Tudors and Rebellion. |
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| She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth by Helen CastorUntil the early Renaissance in Britain, there was a strong tradition that women should not be monarchs. But before the Tudors, four women exerted powerful leadership because they were married to kings of England. Then, following King Henry VIII, Lady Jane Grey and Mary I ascended the throne, and Elizabeth I became the first queen to enjoy a long reign. In She-Wolves, historian Helen Castor portrays the six queens who preceded Elizabeth while illuminating their historical contexts and discussing the anti-female prejudices that supported the notion that women shouldn't rule. If you're interested in royalty or feminist history, don't miss this "lively narrative" (Booklist). |
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| The Pirate Queen: Queen Elizabeth I, Her Pirate Adventurers, and the Dawn... by Susan RonaldOnce Queen Elizabeth I had become queen England, she set about protecting her realm against powerful foreign interests, especially the Vatican and Spain. To achieve fiscal security, she enlisted a few enterprising seafarers to explore the world and bring back prizes -- even though these ventures sometimes involved royally sanctioned piracy. Author Susan Ronald vividly and engagingly profiles several of Elizabeth's privateers, including Francis Drake, Walter Raleigh, and John Hawkins. They were some of the first Europeans to visit remote parts of the world, and their voyages brought ample financial returns as well as sowing the seeds of empire. Though the history is familiar, it still has "power to animate and educate," says Kirkus Reviews. |
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| Queen Anne: The Politics of Passion by Anne SomersetEngland's Queen Anne, who reigned from 1702-1714, oversaw her nation's growth into a great naval power. However, Anne also suffered from incapacitating illness and experienced numerous difficult pregnancies. Other complications in her life included Protestant-Catholic religious conflict, turbulent national politics, and a contentious relationship with her closest woman friend. In this insightful biography, author Anne Somerset draws on Anne's correspondence and other primary sources to portray a self-sufficient, strong leader -- far from the passive figure depicted by earlier historians. British history buffs will especially appreciate the details of British history during Anne's 49-year lifespan supplied in Queen Anne. |
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| Mrs. Robinson's Disgrace: The Private Diary of a Victorian Lady by Kate SummerscaleIn Mrs. Robinson's Disgrace, popular historian Kate Summerscale delves into Victorian society's dirty little secrets. Legal divorce was made available to England's common citizens for the first time in 1858. The same year, Henry Robinson sued for divorce after finding a secret diary in which his wife, Isabella, had allegedly penned erotic musings about her doctor. Isabella dared to counter-sue, presenting the court with (among other evidence of marital neglect) Henry's two illegitimate children as evidence of his adultery. Summerscale seamlessly weaves private letters, newspaper stories, public documents, and Isabella's infamous diary into a moving portrait of history's real "Mrs. Robinson." |
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Killers of the king : the men who dared to execute Charles I
by Charles Spencer Spencer
A unique contribution to 17th-century British history examines the lives of the 59 men who signed Charles I's death warrant and the far-reaching consequences for them as well as for those who were present at the trial and for England itself.
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A royal experiment : the private life of King George III
by Janice Hadlow
Documents the American Revolution-era king's radical pursuit of happiness in his private life with Queen Charlotte and their 15 children, describing his resolve to avoid the cruelties of his progenitors, his determined faithfulness and his approaches to parenting. 40,000 first printing.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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