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Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Reading! |
A reading list to commemorate America's 250th anniversary and explore the stories behind the creation of a nation |
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The Greatest Sentence Ever Written by Walter IsaacsonTo celebrate America's 250th anniversary, Walter Isaacson takes readers on a deep dive into the creation of one of history's most powerful sentences: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.' Drafted by Thomas Jefferson and edited by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, this line lays the foundation for the American Dream and defines the common ground we share as a nation.
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1776 by David McCulloughAmerica's beloved and distinguished historian presents, in a book of breathtaking excitement, drama, and narrative force, the stirring story of the year of our nation's birth, 1776, interweaving, on both sides of the Atlantic, the actions and decisions that led Great Britain to undertake a war against her rebellious colonial subjects and that placed America's survival in the hands of George Washington.
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The American Revolution: An Intimate History by Geoffrey C. WardA richly illustrated, human-centered history of America's founding struggle. In defeating the British Empire and giving birth to a new nation, the American Revolution turned the world upside down. Thirteen colonies on the Atlantic coast rose in rebellion, won their independence, and established a new form of government that radically reshaped the continent and inspired independence movements and democratic reforms around the globe. The American Revolution was at once a war for independence, a civil war, and a world war, fought by neighbors on American farms and between global powers an ocean or more away. Historian Geoffrey C. Ward ably steers us through the international forces at play, telling the story not from the top down but from the bottom up--and through the eyes of not only our Founding Fathers but also those of ordinary soldiers, as well as underrepresented populations such as women, African Americans, Native Americans, and American Loyalists, asking who exactly was entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The American Revolution reveals a nation still grappling with the questions that fueled its remarkable founding.
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The Ride: Paul Revere and the Night That Saved America by Kostya KennedyOn April 18, 1775, a Boston-based silversmith, engraver, and anti-British political operative named Paul Revere set out on a borrowed horse to fulfill a dangerous but crucial mission: to alert American colonists of advancing British troops, which would seek to crush their nascent revolt. Revere was not the only rider that night, and indeed, he had completed at least 18 previous rides throughout New England, disseminating intelligence about British movements. But this ride was like no other, and its consequences in the months and years to come--as the American Revolution morphed from isolated skirmishes to a full-fledged war--became one of our founding legends.
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A Girl Called Samson
by Amy Harmon
In 1760, Deborah Samson is born to Puritan parents in Plympton, Massachusetts. When her father abandons the family and her mother is unable to support them, Deborah is bound out as an indentured servant. From that moment on, she yearns for a life of liberation and adventure.
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African Founders: How Enslaved People Expanded American Ideals by David Hackett FischerA synthesis of African and African-American history that shows how slavery differed in different regions of the country, and how Africans and their descendants influenced the culture, commerce, and laws of the early United States.
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Historia Oculta de Estados Unidos by Javier Ramos de Los SantosEstados Unidos es el tercer país más poblado del mundo y la economía nacional más grande del planeta en términos de Producto Interior Bruto. En apenas doscientos años, su historia ha experimentado una evolución de vértigo: comenzó como un reducto de pequeñas colonias británicas para convertirse en la potencia hegemónica actual. Un desarrollo inicial marcado por batallas contra el invasor inglés, cruentas guerras civiles, confrontaciones raciales y ansias de expansión territorial.
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My Brother Sam Is Dead
by James Lincoln Collier
All his life, Tim Meeker has looked up to his brother Sam. Sam's smart and brave, and always knows the right thing to do. In fact, everyone in town had admired Sam Meeker. Until now. Now Sam is part of the new American Revolutionary Army. He talks about defeating the British and becoming independent and free. But not everyone in town wants to be a part of this new America. Most people are loyal supporters of the English king--especially Tim and Sam's father. The war is raging and Tim knows he'll have to make a choice. But how can he choose--when it means fighting his father on one side, and fighting his brother on the other?
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My Dear Hamilton: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton by Stephanie DrayThe story of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton, a revolutionary woman who, like her new nation, struggled to define herself in the wake of war, betrayal, and tragedy. My Dear Hamilton tells not just the story of a wronged wife at the center of a political sex scandal--but of a founding mother who shaped an American legacy in her own right.
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You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington by Alexis CoeA closer look at our first president--not quite the man we remember. Young George Washington was raised by a struggling single mother, demanded military promotions, caused an international incident, and never backed down--even when his dysentery got so bad he had to ride with a cushion on his saddle. But after he married Martha, everything changed. Washington became the kind of man who named his dog Sweetlips and hated to leave home. He took up arms against the British only when there was no other way, though he lost more battles than he won. After an unlikely victory in the Revolutionary War cast him as the nation's hero, he was desperate to retire, but the founders pressured him into the presidency--twice. When he retired years later, no one talked him out of it. He left the highest office heartbroken over the partisan nightmare his backstabbing cabinet had created. Back on his plantation, the man who fought for liberty must confront his greatest hypocrisy--what to do with the men, women, and children he owns--before he succumbs to death. With style and warm humor, You Never Forget Your First combines rigorous research and lively storytelling.
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Betsy Ross and the Making of America
by Marla R. Miller
Beyond the legend of the creation of the American flag, we know very little about the facts of Betsy Ross' life. Perhaps with one snip of her scissors she convinced the nation's future first president that five-pointed stars suited better than six. Perhaps not. Miller recovers for the first time the full story of Betsy Ross, sharing the woman as she truly was. Miller pieces together the fascinating life of this little-known and much beloved figure, showing that she is important to our history not just because she made a flag, but because she embraced the resistance movement with vigor, reveled in its triumphs, and suffered its consequences.
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Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation by Cokie RobertsLegendary journalist Cokie Roberts' New York Times bestseller, Founding Mothers, is an intimate and illuminating look at the fervently patriotic and passionate women whose tireless pursuits on behalf of their families--and their country--proved just as crucial to the forging of a new nation as the rebellion that established it.While much has been written about the men who signed the Declaration of Independence, battled the British, and framed the Constitution, the wives, mothers, sisters and daughters they left behind have been little noticed by history. Author Cokie Roberts brings us women who fought the Revolution as valiantly as the men, often defending their very doorsteps.Drawing upon personal correspondence, private journals, and even favored recipes, Roberts reveals the often surprising stories of these fascinating women.
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Chains: Seeds of America by Laurie Halse AndersonAfter being sold to a cruel couple in New York City, a slave named Isabel spies for the rebels during the Revolutionary War.
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My Name Is Resolute by Nancy E. TurnerThe exciting and heartfelt story of a woman struggling to find herself during the tumultuous years preceding the American Revolution. The year is 1729, and Resolute Talbot and her siblings are captured by pirates, taken from their family in Jamaica, and brought to the New World. Resolute and her sister are sold into slavery in New England and taught the trade of spinning and weaving. When Resolute finds herself alone in Lexington, Massachusetts, she struggles to find her way in a society that is quick to judge a young woman without a family. As the seeds of rebellion against England grow, Resolute's talent at the loom places her at the center of an incredible web of secrecy that helped drive the American Revolution.
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History Matters by David McCulloughSelected essays by historian David McCullough, written at different points over the course of his long career but all focused on the importance of history in understanding our present and future.
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Who Is Government?: The Untold Story of Public Service by Book AuthorThe government is a vast, complex system that Americans pay for, rebel against, rely upon, dismiss, and celebrate. It's also our shared resource for addressing the biggest problems of society. And it's made up of people, mostly unrecognized and uncelebrated, doing work that can be deeply consequential and beneficial. The stories are unexpected, riveting, and inspiring, including a former coal miner devoted to making mine roofs less likely to collapse, an IRS agent straight out of a crime thriller; and the manager who made the National Cemetery Administration the best-run organization, public or private, in the entire country. Each essay shines a spotlight on the essential behind-the-scenes work of exemplary federal employees and public servants committed to their work.
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Alex & Eliza
by Melissa de la Cruz
1777. Albany, New York. It's one of New York society's biggest events: the Schuylers' grand ball. Eliza Schuyler can barely contain her excitement when she hears of the arrival of Alexander Hamilton, a mysterious, rakish young colonel and General George Washington's right-hand man. Alex is an orphan, and a bastard one at that; only his association with Washington puts him in such esteemed company. And he has arrived at the ball as the bearer of bad news for the Schuylers. But when Alex and Eliza meet that fateful night, so begins an epic love story that would forever change the course of American history.
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The American Story: Conversations with Master Historians by David M. RubensteinA sweeping journey across the grand arc of the American story through revealing conversations with our greatest historians. In these lively dialogues, the biggest names in American history explore the subjects they've come to so intimately know and understand. -- David McCullough on John Adams -- Jon Meacham on Thomas Jefferson -- Ron Chernow on Alexander Hamilton -- Walter Isaacson on Benjamin Franklin -- Doris Kearns Goodwin on Abraham Lincoln -- A. Scott Berg on Charles Lindbergh -- Taylor Branch on Martin Luther King -- Robert Caro on Lyndon B. Johnson -- Bob Woodward on Richard Nixon --And many others. Through these captivating exchanges, these bestselling and Pulitzer Prize-winning authors offer fresh insight on pivotal moments from the Founding Era to the late 20th century.
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Gail Borden Public Library District
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Main Library - 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin, IL 60120 - 847-742-2411
Rakow Branch - 2751 W. Bowes Rd., Elgin, IL 60124 - 847-531-7271
South Elgin Branch - 127 S. Mclean Blvd., South Elgin, IL 60177 - 847-931-2090
http://www.gailborden.info/
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If a title in this list is not available in the format you prefer, please request it online.
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