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History and Current Events December 2014
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"It was February 18, 1864, late in the American Civil War and an extraordinary period in the evolution of firearms: dawn in the age of the machine gun and yet a time when officers still roamed battlefields with swords." ~ from C.J. Chivers' The Gun
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New and Recently Released!
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| All the Truth Is Out: The Week Politics Went Tabloid by Matt BaiIn 1987, Gary Hart was the leading Democratic candidate for President. When a reporter photographed Hart in an apparently compromising situation, Hart's sex life rather than his leadership abilities became the main story. In All the Truth is Out, journalist Matt Bai analyzes Hart's political qualifications in contrast to the scandal and describes the nature of political reporting since then. Bai concludes that journalists now focus more on candidates' personal morality than on their political stands and governing abilities, robbing Americans of information that would help identify the more qualified candidates. Publishers Weekly, in a starred review, calls this a "masterfully written" political analysis. |
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| Landslide: LBJ and Ronald Reagan at the Dawn of a New America by Jonathan DarmanIn 1964, two major U.S. elections resulted in overwhelming victories -- one for President Lyndon Johnson, and the other for the California gubernatorial candidate, Ronald Reagan. In Landslide, political reporter Jonathan Darman compares the politics and governing styles of the two men. Johnson, a liberal Democrat, led Congress to pass major human rights legislation -- civil rights, social reforms, Medicare, and more. Reagan, who eventually became president himself, championed a conservative agenda. Darman's thoroughly researched, compelling portraits of the two men and analysis of American politics provides a fascinating historical study that has significance for 21st-century public affairs. |
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| The Birth of the Pill: How Four Crusaders Reinvented Sex and Launched a Revolution by Jonathan EigDuring the first half of the 20th century, Margaret Sanger advocated for women's right to have sex without having to deal with unwanted pregnancies. She hoped that scientists could discover a contraceptive pill, but most researchers scoffed at her. Finally, in 1950, she approached biologist Gregory Pincus, who agreed to take on the challenge of developing a pill. In this compelling, detailed social history, author Jonathan Eig reviews the reasons reliable contraception was urgently needed, examines social attitudes that influenced opposition to it, and vividly describes Pincus' work and some of the people supporting the effort. For more on the social impact of the pill, read Elaine Tyler May's America and the Pill. |
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| Political Order and Political Decay: From the Industrial Revolution to the... by Francis FukuyamaIn Political Order and Political Decay, acclaimed author Francis Fukuyama follows up on The Origins of Political Order (whose argument he summarizes in this sequel). Reviewing the history of political change, he provides numerous examples of rapid governmental shifts (from the French Revolution to the Arab Spring that began in December 2010). He also analyzes the evolution of democracy and critiques the structures -- and problems -- of major contemporary political systems, especially the United States. This "strikingly ambitious and provocative" (Booklist) discussion of political theory will engage anyone interested in the topic. |
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| Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine... by Héctor TobarIn August 2010, a cave-in at a copper and gold mine in northern Chile trapped 33 miners and technical workers deep underground in the dark for 69 days, while on the surface rescuers scrambled and families anxiously waited. Drawing on exclusive interviews with the miners and their families, journalist Héctor Tobar vividly describes the collapse, the men's relationships, their emotional and spiritual responses, and their post-rescue readjustment to life. He also depicts the family members' feelings and opinions, the response of the international media, and details of the rescue effort. This vivid account provides an informative edge-of-the seat reading experience about the historic disaster and rescue operation. |
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| The Gun by C.J. ChiversIn 1947, the Soviet military adopted a portable, sturdy, easy-to-use machine rifle, called the AK-47, developed by Mikhail Kalashnikov. This gun and its variants have become the standard weapon for warfare at all levels around the world. In The Gun, award-winning journalist and U.S. Marine Corps veteran C.J. Chivers reviews the history of rapid-fire weapons (and thus the history of modern war) and details the AK-47's development and deployment -- especially in Vietnam. He also describes the design process and the flaws of its American counterpart, the M-16 rifle. This thoroughly researched, gripping book provides thought-provoking and sobering commentary on the global availability of these efficient killing machines. |
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| The Age of Edison: Electric Light and the Invention of Modern America by Ernest FreebergExcept when there's a power outage, most contemporary first world residents take artificial light for granted. But, as historian Ernest Freeberg details in The Age of Edison, less than 140 years ago electric lighting was still a radical idea in the minds of inventors. Even after Thomas Edison developed a viable light bulb, only wealthy urban households boasted electric lighting; most of rural America didn't obtain residential electric power until the New Deal in the 1930s. This vividly descriptive and engaging microhistory relates how Edison "democratized light" (Publishers Weekly) and illuminates a significant era of American history. |
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| On the Map: A Mind-Expanding Exploration of the Way the World Looks by Simon GarfieldWhere would we be without maps? Probably lost and confused. Award-winning author Simon Garfield's microhistory explores just how important cartography is in witty, highly readable style. Ranging from ancient to modern times, Garfield discusses the first century Geographica, the c.1290 Hereford Mappa Mundi, maps in movies, maps to movie stars' homes, GPS apps, and Google maps. He also examines the pivotal relationship between mapping and civilization, demonstrating the unique ways that maps relate and realign history. On the Map offers a captivating, entertaining tour of historic and modern times and places. For more cartographic fascination, try Ken Jennings' Maphead or Jerry Brotton's A History of the World in 12 Maps. |
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| The Most Powerful Idea in the World: A Story of Steam, Industry, and Invention by William RosenThough historian William Rosen makes a grand claim in his title, The Most Powerful Idea in the World, he offers convincing evidence that steam-powered engines had a uniquely world-changing effect. Starting with a road trip to view the oldest steam engine still performing its original job, Rosen amiably and engagingly reviews the history of steam power, technical evolution of the engines, the inventors' methods and financial support, and the specific industries for which steam engines provided a great leap forward. His exploration of England's influence on intellectual property law -- another powerful idea -- adds a thought-provoking perspective on the history of invention. This absorbing narrative brings technological history to life. |
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| Storm Kings: The Untold History of America's First Tornado Chasers by Lee SandlinIn his attention-grabbing introduction to Storm Kings, author Lee Sandlin relates how, as a child, he connected the cowboy song "Ghost Riders in the Sky" with tornadoes. He then explores the history of American meteorology, from Benjamin Franklin's interest in whirlwinds to modern high-tech forecasting. Sandlin details how weather affected American population expansion, how scientific disputes sometimes retarded progress in meteorology, and how the military's interest in weather prediction aided understanding and technical development. Fans of The Wizard of Oz and Discovery Channel's Storm Chasers will be enthralled. |
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If you enjoy microhistories, see our list, Zeroing In for more titles or contact your librarian for more great books! |
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