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History and Current Events February 2018
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| 1917: Lenin, Wilson, and the Birth of the New World Disorder by Arthur HermanWhat it is: a dual biography of two different yet equally important world leaders -- Vladimir Lenin and Woodrow Wilson -- and how their actions at the outset of World War I had long-lasting geopolitical effects.
Why you might like it: Historian Arthur Herman’s unusual pairing provides a fresh look at a pivotal moment in world history.
Further reading: Check out March 1917 by Will England for another study of this critical period, or try Herman’s Gandhi and Churchill for another dual biography of world leaders. |
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| Fortress America: How We Embraced Fear and Abandoned Democracy by Elaine Tyler MayWhat it's about: Author Elaine Tyler May argues that the current American political climate can be traced back to fearful citizens who have embraced personal security (gun ownership, gated communities, and socially isolated lifestyles) – despite the fact that crime rates continue to trend downward.
Why you should read it: This thought-provoking and sobering book not only attempts to explain our polarized world but also warns of the potentially lasting effects of these divisions on American society. |
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| The Last 100 Days: FDR at War and at Peace by David B. WoolnereBook. What it is: a detailed examination of U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s last three months in office, including his fierce determination to establish the United Nations and his journey to the Soviet Union for the Yalta Conference.
What sets it apart: FDR’s first 100 days have been examined extensively by other presidential historians; in a new and refreshing contrast, The Last 100 Days argues that, despite his failing health, the end of Roosevelt’s presidency was just as important as the beginning. |
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Focus on: Black History Month
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| Gateway to Freedom: The Hidden History of the Underground Railroad by Eric FonereAudiobook. What it is: a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian's enthralling chronicle of the Underground Railroad, which helped slaves escape from bondage in the South and also protected free blacks in the North.
What sets it apart: Author Eric Foner provides gripping accounts of death-defying journeys to freedom, including that of Winnie Patsy, who survived by hiding in a dark, unventilated crawl space with her daughter for five months in Virginia. |
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The double V campaign : African Americans and World War II
by Michael L. Cooper
A definitive account of the Double V Campaign established during World War II and discusses the group of black soldiers who took the lead in an effort to overcome racism and have their rightful place on the front lines of combat.
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| March. Book Three by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate PowellWhat it is: U.S. Congressman and activist John Lewis’ stirring memoir of his experiences in the civil rights era from 1963-65, co-written with Andrew Aydin and artist Nate Powell.
What sets it apart: A living icon who participated in key moments in the movement, John Lewis’ firsthand account -- beginning with the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church -- is unflinchingly honest and deeply moving.
Further reading: For more about the civil rights movement and its leaders, check out Taylor Branch’s At Canaan’s Edge. |
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