History and Current Events
June 2025
Recent Releases
The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780
by Rick Atkinson

This 2nd well-researched volume of Pulitzer Prize winner Rick Atkinson's Revolution Trilogy utilizes dozens of maps and full-color illustrations to chronicle key events from the middle years of the American Revolution, covering the years 1777-1780. Further reading: Winning Independence: The Decisive Years of the Revolutionary War, 1778-1781 by John Ferling.
The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World
by William Dalrymple

Bestselling author and historian William Dalrymple's scholarly latest reveals the overlooked role India played in shaping ancient civilization's culture, politics, religion, economy, and more. For fans of: The Silk Roads: A New History of the World by Peter Frankopan.
America, América: A New History of the New World
by Greg Grandin

Pulitzer and Bancroft Prize-winning historian Greg Gandin's sweeping history of North and South America examines five centuries of the continents' relationship to each other. "It's a monumental new view of the New World," raves Publishers Weekly. Try this next: El Norte: The Epic and Forgotten Story of Hispanic North America by Carrie Gibson.
The Fate of the Generals: MacArthur, Wainwright, and the Epic Battle for the...
by Jonathan Horn

Journalist Jonathan Horn's incisive account offers fresh insights on the lesser-known aspects of World War II's Philippines Campaign, during which General Douglas MacArthur's questionable leadership decisions left his second-in-command, General Jonathan Wainwright, stranded and imprisoned. For fans of: Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides.
Strangers in the Land: Exclusion, Belonging, and the Epic Story of the Chinese in America
by Michael Luo

New Yorker executive editor Michael Luo's intimate and richly detailed history chronicles Chinese immigration and exclusion in America from the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries. Further reading: Ghosts of Gold Mountain: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad by Gordon H. Chang; America for Americans: A History of Xenophobia in the United States by Erika Lee.
Medicine River: A Story of Survival and the Legacy of Indian Boarding Schools
by Mary Annette Pember

Ojibwe journalist Mary Annette Pember's well-researched debut examines the origins and evolution of Native American boarding schools in the United States, revealing how the impacts of her own mother's experiences at a Catholic-run school contributed to her family's generational trauma. Further reading: The Knowing by Tanya Talaga.
Freedom Ship: The Uncharted History of Escaping Slavery by Sea
by Marcus Rediker

Historian Marcus Rediker's (The Slave Ship) thoughtful latest explores how enslaved people in the Antebellum South utilized America's waterways to seek their freedom and profiles some of the men and women whose escapes were successful. For fans of: Beyond the River: The Untold Story of the Heroes of the Underground Railroad by Ann Hagedorn. 
The Illegals: Russia's Most Audacious Spies and Their Century-Long Mission to Infiltrate...
by Shaun Walker

Shaun Walker, an international correspondent for The Guardian, offers a fast-paced and richly detailed survey of Russia's century-old spy program, which requires agents (called "Illegals") to be sent abroad on deep-cover missions in the United States, Europe, South America, and Africa. For fans of: TV's The Americans; Spies: The Epic Intelligence War Between East and West by Calder Walton.
Hope Dies Last: Visionary People Across the World, Fighting to Find Us a Future
by Alan Weisman

Environmental journalist Alan Weisman's moving and upbeat account profiles inspiring individuals around the world (including scientists, engineers, politicians, and activists) who are fighting to combat climate change. Further reading: Climate Resilience: How We Keep Each Other Safe, Care for Our Communities, and Fight Back Against Climate Change by Kylie Flanagan.
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