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History and Current Events March 2019
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| Unexampled Courage: The Blinding of Sgt. Isaac Woodard and the Awakening of... by Richard GergelWhat it's about: On February 12, l1946, African American veteran Isaac Woodard was beaten and permanently blinded by Batesburg, South Carolina police chief Lynwood Shull after a dispute with a bus driver.
What happened next: President Truman established the President's Committee on Civil Rights, which led to the desegregation of the U.S. armed services in 1948. After Shull was acquitted, Judge J. Waties Waring, who had presided over the case, dedicated the rest of his career to fighting racial injustice. |
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The Allies : Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin, and the Unlikely Alliance that Won World War II
by Winston Groom
What it's about: Using details from the letters sent between them to paint a more thorough picture of their personal and military lives, describes how three very different men came to control World War II in Europe and the Pacific.
Reviewers say: “Groom brings his experience as both novelist and historian to bear in this well-researched and fast-paced narrative of the complex relationship among the three statesmen who determined the outcome of WWII…This is an excellent history.” –Publishers Weekly
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| Code Name: Lise: The True Story of the Woman Who Became WWII's Most Highly Decorated... by Larry LoftisWho it's about: Odette Sansom, a French woman recruited by England's Special Operations Executive to spy for Britain during World War II.
Is it for you? Readers who enjoy fast-paced histories that read like thrillers will find much to appreciate in this dramatic tale.
Don't miss: Sansom's relationship with her commanding officer is "the stuff of romance novels" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present by David TreuerWhat it is: a vivid 125-year history of Native America that details the ways that tribes have survived -- and thrived -- in the face of adversity.
About the author: David Treuer is an Ojibwe novelist and historian who grew up on Minnesota's Leech Lake Indian Reservation.
Reviewers say: "A welcome modern rejoinder to classics such as God is Red and Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| Camelot's End: Kennedy vs. Carter and the Fight That Broke the Democratic Party by Jon WardWhat it is: a captivating account of the 1980 Democratic primary battle between sitting president Jimmy Carter and Senator Ted Kennedy.
Did you know? Incumbent presidents seeking reelection have been challenged from within their own party "only a handful of times."
Why it's significant: Campaign tensions led to divisions within the Democratic party that continue to resonate. |
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Forgotten & Untold Histories
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| Here is Where: Discovering America's Great Forgotten History by Andrew CarrollWhat it is: a rollicking coast-to-coast adventure exploring 50 overlooked historical sites.
Why you might like it: This concise page-turner offers plenty of surprising twists and a guide whose enthusiasm is infectious.
Fascinating finds: the New Jersey railroad stop where John Wilkes Booth's brother saved Abraham Lincoln's son from an accident; a sunken ship in the Mississippi River with a higher death toll than the Titanic. |
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| The Bone and Sinew of the Land: America's Forgotten Black Pioneers & the Struggle for... by Anna-Lisa CoxWho it's about: the 19th-century black pioneers who established over 300 settlements in the Northwest Territory.
Featuring: Keziah and Charles Grier, who bought their own land in 1818 and became Underground Railroad conductors a few years later.
Book buzz: The Bone and Sinew of the Land was named one of Smithsonian's Best History Books of 2018; Booklist calls it "a moving and necessary corrective to American pioneer history." |
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| Rescue Board: The Untold Story of America's Efforts to Save the Jews of Europe by Rebecca ErbeldingWhat it's about: the War Refugee Board (WRB), which was created by President Roosevelt in 1944 to aid thousands of European Jews.
How'd they do it? The WRB team smuggled supplies into concentration camps, forged identity cards, funded French Resistance efforts, and engaged in bribery and money laundering.
Author alert: Rebecca Erbelding, a curator at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, spent over ten years researching for this book. |
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| Washington's Immortals: The Untold Story of an Elite Regiment Who Changed the Course... by Patrick K. O'DonnellWhat it's about: the "Immortal 400" Maryland regiment that delayed the British during 1776's Battle of Brooklyn, enabling General Washington's successful evacuation of the Continental Army.
Why it matters: The Immortals' actions shaped the outcome of the Revolutionary War, but at great cost -- 256 perished during the battle.
For fans of: Band of Brothers and Frank Miller's 300. |
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The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America
by Richard Rothstein
What it's about: In this thoroughly researched analysis, housing policy expert Richard Rothstein traces the development of America's restrictive residential codes back to the early 20th century. He shows that modern segregation is built on overlapping local, state, and federal laws -- not just on prejudice-based social customs. Whether you're looking for a comprehensive review of law and policy or an accessible discussion of the history, you'll find The Color of Law both informative and sobering.
About the author: Richard Rothstein is a research associate of the Economic Policy Institute and a Fellow at the Thurgood Marshall Institute of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. He lives in California, where he is a Fellow of the Haas Institute at the University of California-Berkeley.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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