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History and Current EventsJune 2014 |
"If you followed the media you'd think that everybody in Africa was starving to death, and that's not the case; so it's important to engage with the other Africa."
~ Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Nigerian author |
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New and Recently Released!
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| The Road to Global Prosperity by Michael MandelbaumJohns Hopkins University Professor of American Foreign Policy Michael Mandelbaum surveys the future of global politics and economics in The Road to Global Prosperity. Though some might find his argument too optimistic, he includes discussion of potential obstacles to continued worldwide economic growth, such as European resistance to immigration and the effects of climate change. Despite these factors, though, Mandelbaum believes in a future of economic growth and stability. Anyone interested in global politics and worldwide development will find Mandelbaum's assessment valuable and his argument engaging. |
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| The Burning Shore: How Hitler's U-Boats Brought World War II to America by Edward OffleySoon after the U.S. formally entered World War II in December, 1941, German submarines began attacking American ships near the Atlantic Coast. American forces were inadequately trained and equipped to defend against submarines, and the U-boats strangled the American lifeline to Britain. On July 7, 1942, the destruction of the most effective German submarine, U-701, brought their marauding to an end. In The Burning Shore, military historian Edward Offley details the Germans' strategies, the American efforts to stop them, and the final, dramatic confrontation between an Army Air Force plane and U-701, creating a stirring depiction of this brief period for anyone interested in World War II or naval history. |
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| 50 Children: One Ordinary American Couple's Extraordinary Rescue Mission ... by Steven PressmanDuring the late 1930s, the Nazis were severely restricting Jewish emigration while also making it clear that Jews weren't welcome in Germany and Austria. In 50 Children, journalist Steven Pressman recounts a carefully planned but dangerous rescue of Jewish children from Vienna undertaken by his wife's grandparents, Gilbert and Eleanor Kraus. This thoroughly researched, heart-rending account details the Krauses' plan, their personal recollections, and their travel to Vienna to locate 50 children and bring them to Pennsylvania. Pressman's reports on American resistance to aiding the Jews creates a disturbing counterpoint to the Krauses' inspiring story in this absorbing expansion on his HBO documentary of the same name. |
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| The Hiltons: The True Story of an American Dynasty by J. Randy TaraborrelliJournalist and bestselling celebrity biographer Randy Taraborrelli has produced the "definitive biography" (Kirkus Reviews) of the Hilton clan by focusing on several key figures while providing significant background details. Conrad Hilton, who founded the famous hotel chain, serves as the centerpiece of this engaging saga, which will satisfy biography fans and readers interested in business history. Portrayals of his son, Nicky (who became Elizabeth Taylor's first husband), and his granddaughter, Paris, will engage readers who are primarily interested in celebrities. And anyone intrigued by slices of Americana will enjoy the well-organized presentations of the rest of the family and the Hilton brand's history. |
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Danubia : a personal history of Habsburg Europe
by Simon Winder
A lively, informative chronicle of the influential Habsburg family from the end of the Middle Ages to World War I traces their role in a colorful range of traditions, horrors and curiosities. By the best-selling author of Germania. 15,000 first printing.
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| Tears of the Desert: A Memoir of Survival in Darfur by Halima Bashir with Damien LewisRaised in a loving, supportive family in southern Sudan before becoming a physician, Halima Bashir lived a stable, middle-class life despite Arab Sudanese discrimination against her as a black African. Her relatively ordinary existence in Darfur ended, however, when civil war broke out and Arab-led Janjaweed forces brought destruction and death to the region. After surviving the general devastation and her own rape and torture, Bashir fled to Britain, where she struggled to convince Westerners that the strife in her homeland was a real emergency. Tears of the Desert is a "vehement cri de coeur" (Publishers Weekly) that chronicles her peaceful childhood and youth and the terror inflicted by the Janjaweed. |
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| The House at Sugar Beach: In Search of a Lost African Childhood by Helene CooperIn The House at Sugar Beach, diplomatic and political correspondent Helene Cooper evokes the soul of Liberia and details its terrible devastation led by rebel leader Samuel K. Doe. When Doe accomplished a coup against Liberia's elite leadership, "American Liberian" families like Cooper's suffered injury, rape, and death. The Coopers fled to the U.S., leaving behind a foster child, Eunice, and establishing a new life for themselves. Journalist Cooper avoided reporting on Liberia -- until she realized she had to return there to revisit her childhood home and try to find Eunice. "Elegant and eloquent," says Kirkus Reviews. |
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The race for Timbuktu : in search of Africa's city of gold
by Frank T. Kryza
A story set against the backdrop of the European colonization of Africa chronicles the remarkable true story of Major Alexander Gordon Laing and the race to discover Timbuktu during that early part of the nineteenth century, an era when the African continent was still largely uncharted. 25,000 first printing.
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Drink the bitter root : a search for justice and healing in Africa
by Gary Geddes
An award-winning author travels through Rwanda, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia and Somaliland depicting the lives and plights of African citizens who must live with the daily realities of abduction, rape, mutilation and murder.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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1700 Keller Springs Road, Carrollton, Texas 75006
4220 North Josey Lane, Carrollton Texas 75010
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