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History and Current Events June 2020
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| Tombstone: The Earp Brothers, Doc Holliday, and the Vendetta Ride from Hell by Tom ClavinWhat it is: a vivid and rip-roaring chronicle of the infamous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in 1881 Tombstone, Arizona; the final book in Tom Clavin's Frontier Lawman trilogy, following Dodge City and Wild Bill.
What sets it apart: This revisionist account plumbs the motivations behind the feud, details how pop culture has mythologized the incident, and explores the perspectives of Tombstone residents who wanted no part in the violence. |
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| The Women With Silver Wings: The Inspiring True Story of the Women Airforce Service... by Katherine Sharp LanddeckDoing their part: After the attack on Pearl Harbor, more than 1,000 American women joined the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) program, where they learned to fly planes big and small.
Author alert: Texas Woman's University history professor Katherine Sharp Landdeck imbues her engaging and richly detailed narrative with insights gleaned from her own experiences as a licensed pilot.
For fans of: Liza Mundy's Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers Who Helped Win World War II. |
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| The Compton Cowboys: The New Generation of Cowboys in America's Urban Heartland by Walter Thompson-HernandezWelcome to: Richland Farms, the Compton, CA, ranch that's been a safe haven for the city's black cowboys for over 30 years.
Why you might like it: In this gritty and eye-opening expansion of his popular 2018 New York Times article, journalist Walter Thompson-Hernandez offers an immersive and empathetic glimpse into an underrepresented community; it's also set to be adapted for film. |
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| The General vs. the President: MacArthur and Truman at the Brink of Nuclear War by H.W. BrandsWhat it's about: how President Harry Truman and General Douglas MacArthur's differing approaches to foreign policy at the outset of the Korean War led to Truman's ousting of MacArthur in 1951.
Read it for: a balanced and engaging view of the conflict.
Reviewers say: "the definitive history of a half-forgotten yet bitter controversy" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| King of Spies: The Dark Reign of an American Spymaster by Blaine HardenWhat it's about: After World War II, American motor pool sergeant Donald Nichols was plucked from obscurity to oversee intelligence operations during the Korean War.
What happened next: Because Nichols had close ties to the pro-American South Korean President Syngman Rhee, the U.S. government overlooked what Nichols deemed his "legal license to murder," as well as his predatory sexual behavior.
Is it for you? This chilling study of a disgraced figure frankly addresses American misconduct during the Korean War. |
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| Sgt. Reckless: America's War Horse by Robin HuttonStarring: Mongolian mare Staff Sergeant Reckless, who served as a pack horse for the 5th Marine Regiment during the Korean War.
Read it for: an engaging and impassioned tribute to the courageous "pride of the Marines."
Did you know? Reckless received two Purple Hearts for her accomplishments; in 2013, a statue of her was dedicated at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Virginia. |
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| Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice by Adam MakosWhat it is: an inspiring story of wartime camaraderie that reads like a novel.
Featuring: Jesse Brown, the U.S. Navy's first African American pilot; friend and fellow Fighter Squadron 32 pilot Tom Hudner, who risked his life to save Brown after the latter was shot down in battle.
For fans of: Laura Hillenbrand's Unbroken. |
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| On Desperate Ground: The Marines at the Reservoir, the Korean War's Greatest Battle by Hampton SidesWhat it's about: the harrowing 17-day battle between 30,000 American Marines and 120,000 Chinese soldiers at North Korea's frigid Chosin Reservoir in the winter of 1950.
Why you might like it: This fast-paced you-are-there account will appeal to readers looking for an accessible introduction to the conflict.
Reviewers say: "a masterpiece of storytelling about a war that is often given short shrift in American history" (Booklist). |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Boca Raton Public Library 400 NW 2nd AvenueBoca Raton, Florida 334321501 NW Spanish River Blvd. Boca Raton, Florida 33431 561-393-7852www.bocalibrary.org/ |
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