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History and Current Events August 2017
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Going deep : John Philip Holland and the invention of the attack submarine
by Lawrence Goldstone
A history of the controversial attack sub traces the lesser-known story of the submarine's invention, exploring how self-taught innovator John Philip Holland's obsession with the idea of controlled undersea navigation led to decades of skepticism, setbacks and innovation. By the author of Birdmen.
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| Cattle Kingdom: The Hidden History of the Cowboy West by Christopher KnowltonThe California Gold Rush started in 1848, but the 1870s saw an even more impressive path to riches -- raising beef to feed the appetites of the East Coast cities. In Cattle Kingdom, business journalist and investment manager Christopher Knowlton paints the financial landscape of cattle ranching enterprises, creating a complex picture of the 19th-century West while bringing to life some of its more colorful characters. Whether you're fascinated by unusual business history or generally enjoy reading about the period, you'll be intrigued by this "vastly informative" (Library Journal) book. |
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White rage : the unspoken truth of our racial divide
by Carol Anderson
From the end of the Civil War to the tumultuous issues in America today, an acclaimed historian reframes the conversation about race, chronicling the powerful forces opposed to black progress in America.
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The women who flew for Hitler : A True Story of Soaring Ambition and Searing Rivalry
by Clare Mulley
A dual biography of the first two women flight captains for the Nazis describes how in spite of Hitler's dictates against women in the military, Aryan poster girl Hanna Reitsch and Jewish aeronautical engineer Melitta Schenk Gräfin von Stauffenger served on opposing sides before being awarded the Iron Cross. By the award-winning author of The Woman Who Saved the Children.
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| Meet Me in Atlantis: Across Three Continents in Search of the Legendary Sunken City by Mark AdamsWas Atlantis a real place? Examining this question, bestselling author Mark Adams, author of Turn Right at Machu Picchu, visited several countries to examine sites that could be the location of the island that sank beneath the waves. Traveling to Greece, Spain, Malta, Morocco, and other places, he documents his investigations, surveys the research of scientists and amateur explorers, and studies the clues left by the Greek philosopher Plato (who told us all that we know about Atlantis). Though Adams may not come up with a definitive answer, curious readers will enjoy this "fun, enthusiastic exploration" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| Leaving Orbit: Notes from the Last Days of American Spaceflight by Margaret Lazarus Dean“What does it mean that we have been going to space for 50 years and have decided to stop?” In Leaving Orbit, Margaret Lazarus Dean, an English professor and lifelong fan of space flight, details the final three missions of NASA's space shuttle in 2011. Emphasizing the human elements of the program, she recounts her trips to Cape Kennedy to witness these launches, drawing on the poetic as well as the technical to characterize NASA's culture and politics. Dean's compelling elegy to American space exploration is a must-read for those fascinated by the final frontier. |
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Mars 3-D : a rover's-eye view of the red planet
by Jim Bell
A planetary scientist who has first-hand experience with both rover missions takes readers on an exciting tour of the Red Planet through 3-D and color images from NASA's revolutionary Mars Science Laboratory mission that detail the Martian terrain.
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The travels of Marco Polo
by Marco Polo
The thirteenth-century Italian merchant recounts his experiences in the Middle East and China and in the service of Kubilai Khan
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| Sextant: A Young Man's Daring Sea Voyage and the Men Who Mapped the World's Oceans by David BarrieIn Sextant, British scholar David Barrie recounts his experience as a young man who learned to use a sextant (a navigational aid invented in the 18th century) as he sailed across the Atlantic. Relating the history of the sextant along with his personal reminiscences, he also provides an engaging chronicle of the exploration and early mapping of the world. Relating the exploits of James Cook, George Vancouver, William Bligh, Ernest Shackleton, and others, Barrie fills his book with the challenges -- and romance -- of the sea. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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