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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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| A Nice Little Place on the North Side: Wrigley Field at One Hundred by George F. WillPulitzer Prize-winning political pundit and eminent baseball fan George Will is a devoted Chicago Cubs supporter, as this history of the Major League Baseball team demonstrates. Filled with reminiscences about former seasons, A Nice Little Place on the North Side offers a 100th-birthday tribute to their park, Wrigley Field. Will includes engaging and quirky details about players and managers, the late owner P.K. Wrigley, and a wealth of other information that will especially please Cubs fans and those who appreciate the history of Chicago. For additional recent books on Wrigley Field at 100, pick up Stuart Shea's Wrigley Field or Sean Deveney's Before Wrigley Became Wrigley. |
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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 Fear: Robert Mugabe and the Martyrdom of Zimbabwe by Peter GodwinAfter living for many years as an expatriate, white Zimbabwe native Peter Godwin returned after President Robert Mugabe had been voted out of power, only to find that Mugabe had launched a brutal campaign to retain control of the country and repress political opposition. Though much of what Godwin reports in this memoir depicts suffering, economic devastation, and forced land redistribution, he also describes Zimbabweans' courageous efforts to stand up for democracy and protect their homes and families. The Fear is often bleak and grim, but it also testifies to the resilience of human character. "A difficult but essential read," observes Library Journal. |
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| Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa by Dambisa MoyoEconomist Dambisa Moyo, a native of Zambia, has analyzed the effects of a half-century of direct monetary aid to African countries and found them not just inadequate, but harmful. He concludes that charitable assistance creates dependency and encourages corruption while failing to require positive improvements. Moyo proposes alternative solutions that combine business development and property law reforms to promote self-sufficiency on both small and large scales. Though some of his specific suggestions may be controversial (such as replicating Chinese commercial investment strategies), his thought-provoking analysis will be of interest to anyone looking for new approaches to chronic problems. |
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| A Thousand Sisters: My Journey of Hope into the Worst Place on Earth To Be a Woman by Lisa ShannonEmotionally numbed after her father's death from cancer, photographer Lisa Shannon saw a report on Oprah that pulled her out of her depression and propelled her to find a way to help Congolese women. She formed a fund-raising organization called Run for Congo Women that raises money through races across the U.S., and she went to Congo to visit beneficiaries of her program. Shannon was nearly overwhelmed by the terrible conditions she found and the enthusiastically grateful responses from the women she met. Though A Thousand Sisters depicts alarming situations that may seem insoluble, it also offers hope through Shannon's program and others like it. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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256-532-5940, 915 Monroe Street, Huntsville, AL 35801
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