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History and Current Events July 2019
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Claws of the Panda
by Jonathan Manthorpe
Claws of the Panda tells the story of Ottawa's failure to recognize and confront the efforts by the Chinese Communist Party to infiltrate and influence Canadian politics, academia, and media, and to exert control over Canadians of Chinese heritage.
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Antisemitism : here and now
by Deborah E Lipstadt
The award-winning author of The Eichmann Trial shares a provocative analysis of the persistence of antisemitism in today's world, identifying its overt practices by both the political right and left while sharing recommendations for what can be done
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| Spying on the South: An Odyssey Across the American Divide by Tony Horwitz1852: Reporter Frederick Law Olmsted tours the American South to cover the region's growing divisions on the eve of the Civil War.
2014: Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tony Horwitz (who died in May 2019) retraces Olmsted's steps, juxtaposing his own commentary with his predecessor's to highlight the ways the South has changed -- and the ways it hasn't.
Don't miss: Horwitz's adventures in period-authentic transportation, including steamboat, coal barge, horseback, and mule. |
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| Chasing the Moon: The People, the Politics, and the Promise That Launched America into the... by Robert Stone and Alan AndresWhat it's about: Published to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, this fast-paced history chronicles America's efforts to win the space race.
TV buzz: Chasing the Moon is the sweeping companion to the PBS American Experience series of the same name premiering on July 8th.
Try this next: Shoot for the Moon by James Donovan; Apollo's Legacy by Roger D. Launius. |
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Cults and Secret Societies
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| The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple by Jeff GuinnWhat it's about: the horrific descent of charismatic small-town pastor turned cult leader Jim Jones, who in 1978 led 918 of his Peoples Temple followers into taking their own lives before he took his own.
Want a taste? "Bodies everywhere, seemingly too many to count, innumerable heaps of the dead."
Book buzz: The Road to Jonestown was a 2018 Edgar Award Finalist for Best Fact Crime. |
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by Alain Demurger
A history of the infamous trial of the Order of the Knights Templar draws on firsthand testimonies and written records to chronicle the early plots of 1305, the tortured confessions of arrested Templars and the executions of order leaders.
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| Terror in the City of Champions: Murder, Baseball, and the Secret Society That... by Tom StantonWhat it is: a dual narrative of Detroit's tumultuous 1930s, which saw the concurrent rise of two dramatically different organizations: World Series hopefuls the Detroit Tigers and Ku Klux Klan offshoot Black Legion.
Starring: a colorful cast of characters, including Tigers manager Mickey Cochrane and baseball-loving Black Legion operative Dayton Dean.
Who it's for: sports fans and true crime aficionados. |
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| The Black Hand: The Epic War Between a Brilliant Detective and the Deadliest Secret... by Stephan TaltyWhat it's about: the Italian crime organization Black Hand's reign of terror in early 20th-century New York City and the efforts of NYPD officer Joseph Petrosino, the "Italian Sherlock Holmes," to stop them.
Movie buzz: Leonardo DiCaprio will star as Petrosino in a future film.
Try this next: William Oldfield and Victoria Bruce's similarly fast-paced history Inspector Oldfield and the Black Hand Society, which chronicles a Midwestern postal worker's attempts to take down Black Hand. |
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| Hunting Charles Manson: The Quest for Justice in the Days of Helter Skelter by Lis WiehlWhat it is: a propulsive account of the infamous 1969 Tate-LaBianca murders orchestrated by Charles Manson and carried out by members of his "family."
Chapters include: "Alternative Scenarios," which discusses some of the more bizarre theories about the killings -- was the mafia involved?
What sets it apart: Former federal prosecutor Lis Wiehl utilizes her ample legal expertise to incorporate new research, exclusive interviews, and parole hearings into this "must read" (Library Journal). |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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