Publisher: St. Martins Press
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/08/2013
ISBN-13: 9781250003621
ISBN-10: 1250003628

As the 2nd in author Peter Ackroyd's planned six-volume history of England, Tudors focuses on the English Reformation, during which Protestantism gradually became the established religion of England. Ackroyd analyzes Henry VIII's motives in declaring himself the head of the church in England while remaining a staunch Catholic. Moving on through the more pronounced Protestantism of the short-lived Edward VI and the strong, yet brief, restoration of Catholicism under Mary I, Tudors completes this study of the period with an explanation of how Elizabeth succeeded in establishing the Church of England.

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Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/15/2013
ISBN-13: 9780307266422
ISBN-10: 0307266427

Just as electronic media seem to be taking over, author Nicholas Basbanes covers the history of paper as thoroughly as paper covers rock. Discussing the multitude of uses for paper, from paper cartridges for firearms, to personal care products, to playing cards, to handbills that proclaimed revolutionary concepts, Basbanes also reminds us of numerous metaphorical applications of the term: "papers" for legal documents, for example. In addition, Basbanes goes to China to study the origins of paper; to Japan, where artisans employ traditional paper-making techniques; and to other notable paper manufacturing sites around the world. Kirkus Reviews says On Paper is a "lively tale told with wit and vigor."

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Publisher: Random House
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/29/2013
ISBN-13: 9780307271600
ISBN-10: 0307271609

In 1852, Chinese Emperor Xianfeng selected 16-year-old Cixi to be one of his concubines; in 1856 she gave birth to the Emperor's first son. This son, Tongzhi, became Xianfeng's heir, so that when Xianfeng died five years later Cixi became the Empress Dowager. She cemented her influence through behind-the-scenes manipulation and collaboration with Xianfeng's first wife, remaining the power behind the throne until her death in 1908. Though often reviled as an evil influence, Cixi worked to bring China out of isolation and to modernize its policies. Empress Dowager Cixi provides a "fascinating and instructive" (Library Journal) view of Cixi's dominion during the Qing Dynasty.

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Publisher: Random House
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/01/2013
ISBN-13: 9780307958341
ISBN-10: 0307958345

Few people know that Benjamin Franklin, American revolutionary leader and statesman, had a sister named Jane. In Book of Ages, historian Jill Lepore brings Jane's life and opinions to light, adding a fascinating chapter to early U.S. history. Jane Franklin Mecom, poorly educated because she was a woman, and staying at home with her family, corresponded avidly with her globe-trotting brother. Though most of Jane's letters disappeared, Ben's replies frequently refer to her correspondence and thus preserve some of her views. Lepore's carefully researched work paints an engaging, vibrant portrait that brings Ben's obscure younger sister out of the shadows. Fans of American history and women's studies should not miss this one!

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Publisher: Random House
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/29/2013
ISBN-13: 9781400068555
ISBN-10: 140006855X

In The War That Ended Peace, Historian Margaret MacMillan, a specialist in World War I studies, develops a thorough analysis of the war's causes. A complicated series of events, combined with social and economic turmoil throughout Europe, laid the groundwork for this disastrous conflict. However, while she doesn't neglect the significance of the various factors, MacMillan refrains from depicting the war as inescapable. Several other works have reviewed the origins of World War I, including Barbara Tuchman's classic The Guns of August and Max Hastings' recent Catastrophe 1914, but though there are many books on the subject, MacMillan's "richly textured narrative" (Publishers Weekly) adds an important perspective.

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Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 03/01/1996
ISBN-13: 9780684811079
ISBN-10: 0684811073

Undaunted Courage recounts in vivid detail the journey explorers Meriwether Lewis and his partner William Clark undertook to reach the Pacific Ocean from Ohio. Their small expeditionary force, called the Corps of Discovery, traversed territory completely unknown to European Americans, discovering plants, animals, and Native American tribes along the way. For this mesmerizing account of the expedition, author Stephen Ambrose drew on historical records and his own numerous trips along the Lewis and Clark Trail. If you like your history mixed with adventure, don’t miss this modern classic -- or try Stephenie Ambrose Tubbs' Why Sacagawea Deserves the Day Off and Other Lessons from the Lewis and Clark Trail.

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Publisher: HarperCollins
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/01/2007
ISBN-13: 9780060722302
ISBN-10: 0060722304

In this dual portrait, noted biographer Robert Dallek takes on the complex relationship between U.S. President Richard Nixon and his Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Using official records, Dallek describes the ambitions and insecurities that motivated the two men, who viewed each other with a mixture of fear and dislike. Detailing their foreign policy successes, such as establishing diplomatic relations with China, and disasters, including their policies in Vietnam and Cambodia, Dallek offers nuanced insight into the foreign policy agendas they developed and administered. The New York Times calls this study of personality and policymaking "remarkably engaging."

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Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/01/1995
ISBN-13: 9780684804484
ISBN-10: 0684804484

From 1940 to 1949, when U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt died, he and his wife Eleanor were partners in leadership. While maintaining a balance between American domestic needs and the overwhelming demands of foreign policy and World War II, they developed policies that they promoted to Congress, business leaders, and the press. Author Doris Kearns Goodwin, in addition to detailing the Roosevelts' public policy work, paints an absorbing intimate portrait of their personal lives, their relationships with family and close friends, and the inner workings of the President's residential and guest quarters in the White House. The New York Times says No Ordinary Time is "as compelling as fiction yet retains the weight of authenticity."

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Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/12/2004
ISBN-13: 9780812972825
ISBN-10: 0812972821

Franklin and Winston examines the fascinating relationship between U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, the two leaders of the free world during World War II. Roosevelt and Churchill first met in 1918, but their collaboration didn't develop until 20 years later, when Churchill pressed Roosevelt to become an ally in the British war effort against the Nazis. Over the course of their friendship, they spent a considerable amount of time together and exchanged almost 2,000 messages. The Washington Post calls this portrait by former editor-in-chief of Newsweek Jon Meacham "a memorable achievement."

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