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Biography and Memoir January 2018
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| The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months that Changed the World by A.J. BaimeWhat it is: a thoroughly researched biography of President Harry S. Truman that focuses on the first 120 days of his term.
What sets it apart: Author A.J. Baime chronicles this period in minute detail, painting a vivid portrait of an effective leader. Many people, including Truman himself, thought he was unprepared for the job, but he faced major world events with decisiveness.
Key events: Truman's negotiations with Soviet leader Josef Stalin and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill; the decision to use nuclear bombs on Japan in August 1945. |
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| The Only Girl in the World: A Memoir by Maude Julien; translated by Adriana HunterWhat it's about: the cruel childhood of author Maude Julien, who was raised by sadistic survivalist parents in isolated and deprived circumstances, from age three to age 16. This disturbing memoir relates the abuses Julien suffered and the path to freedom offered by a sympathetic music teacher.
Why you might want to read it: Julien's love for animals and her years of therapy helped her to become an empathetic and loving adult, which is apparent as she relates her story. |
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| The Saboteur: The Aristocrat Who Became France's Most Daring Anti-Nazi Commando by Paul KixFeaturing: Robert de la Rochefoucauld, a scion of the historic and wealthy French family. During the German Occupation of France in World War II, he responded to General Charles de Gaulle's call for the French people to resist, by joining Prime Minister Winston Churchill's secret agents in the Special Operations Executive.
Why you might like it: Filled with real-life derring-do, including hair-raising escapes and spectacular acts of sabotage, this slice of World War II history will appeal to espionage buffs and those who admire the anti-Nazi resistance, especially in France. |
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| Lenin: The Man, the Dictator, and the Master of Terror by Victor SebestyenWhat's it is: a biography of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin that details how he masterminded Russia's post-revolutionary Reign of Terror and highlights the dictator's relationships with women. Author Victor Sebestyen demonstrates how Lenin inevitably became the center of a dangerous personality cult.
Why it's significant: Besides offering a groundbreaking portrait of Lenin, Sebestyen emphasizes links between Russia's revolutionary history and the present day. |
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| Becoming Hitler: The Making of a Nazi by Thomas WeberWhat it is: a revisionist biography of Adolf Hitler by an award-winning historian, who portrays him as an awkward, small-time Bavarian loner who found his calling in demagoguery.
What sets it apart: Author Thomas Weber shows the young Hitler between 1918 and 1926, teaching himself how to rise from failure and become a political manipulator par excellence.
Further reading: Peter Range Ross' 1924; Volker Ullrich's Hitler. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Rochester Hills Public Library 500 Olde Towne Rd Rochester, Michigan 48307 (248) 656-2900www.rhpl.org/ |
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