|
History and Current Events July 2020
|
|
|
|
|
Opium: How an Ancient Flower Shaped and Poisoned Our World
by John Halpern
What it is: A psychiatrist on the frontlines of addiction medicine presents a history of the poppy flower that traces its use in ancient civilizations through the opioid epidemic of today, outlining compassionate recommendations for necessary changes.
|
|
|
The American Story: Conversations With Master Historians
by David M. Rubenstein
What it is: The philanthropist and co-founder of The Carlyle Group shares lively dialogues with leading historians on the subjects they most understand, from Ron Chernow’s views on Alexander Hamilton to Doris Kearns Goodwin’s insights into Abraham Lincoln.
|
|
|
Suffrage: Women's Long Battle for the Vote
by Ellen Carol DuBois
What it is: a lively and accessible history of the women's suffrage movement, published to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment and packed with profiles of lesser-known activists.
What sets it apart: historian Ellen Carol DuBois' frank exploration of how proponents of the suffrage movement often excluded women of color from participating.
Further reading: For a suspenseful account of how the 19th Amendment passed, check out The Woman's Hour by Elaine Weiss, soon to be adapted for TV by Stephen Spielberg.
|
|
|
Operation Chastise: The RAF's Most Brilliant Attack of World War II
by Max Hastings
May 17, 1943: Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF) blew up two dams in Germany's Ruhr valley, an effort that shook German confidence and killed more than 1,500 civilians, many of them forced laborers.
How they did it: through much trial and error -- the RAF spent two years testing the "bouncing bomb" developed by engineer Barnes Wallis.
Reviewers say: "Another Hastings must-read" (Kirkus Reviews).
|
|
|
Franklin & Washington : The Founding Partnership
by Edward J. Larson
What it is: The Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and award-winning author of Summer for the Gods presents a dual biography of the two Founding Fathers to illuminate in fresh detail how their underexplored relationship forged the United States.
|
|
| In the Hurricane's Eye: The Genius of George Washington and the Victory at Yorktown by Nathaniel PhilbrickSeptember 5, 1781: a decisive French victory at the Battle of the Chesapeake heralded the final days of the American Revolution.
Why you might like it: Author Nathaniel Philbrick draws upon letters, journal entries, sea logs, and his own firsthand knowledge of sailing to deliver a dramatic account of a key battle.
Author alert: Pulitzer Prize finalist Philbrick is the National Book Award-winning author of In the Heart of the Sea. |
|
| Revolution Song: The Story of America's Founding in Six Remarkable Lives by Russell ShortoWhat it is: an evocative history of the American Revolution as experienced by six people navigating the era's nascent conceptions of individual freedom.
Featuring: Seneca diplomat Cornplanter, who fought with the British; soldier's daughter Margaret Moncrieffe, a demimondaine who eschewed the era's gender norms; Venture Smith, a Connecticut slave who bought his freedom. |
|
|
The Feud
Discover the real story behind the most famous family conflict in U.S. history - the battle between the Hatfields and McCoys. Much more than a tale of two warring families, the film goes beyond the myth to show the forces that ignited the feud.
|
|
|
Niall Ferguson's Networld
In this groundbreaking new series hosted by Niall Ferguson and based on his bestselling book The Square and the Tower, Ferguson visits network theorists, social scientists and data analysts to explore the history of social networks. Ferguson demonstrates how human behavior, disruptive technology and profit can energize ideas and communication, ultimately changing the world.
|
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
|
|
|