| 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. |
|
|
A Beautiful, Terrible Thing: A Memoir of Marriage and Betrayal
by Jen Waite
In A Beautiful, Terrible Thing, author Jen Waite movingly reveals the disintegration of her relationship with her husband, which began when she confronted him about a disturbing email from another woman. In alternating chapters that either depict her idyllic life with him before she realized he wasn't the person he claimed to be, or portray the anguish of her gradual discoveries about his personality, Waite's memoir offers a "frank and visceral" (Kirkus Reviews) warning to others who may have a tendency to dismiss potential red flags.
|
|
| 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. |
|
| President McKinley: Architect of the American Century by Robert W. MerryWhat it is: A comprehensive and detailed political biography of William McKinley that analyzes McKinley's role in post-Civil War American politics as well as his presidency. Topics of note: Cut short by an assassin's bullet, McKinley's presidency was overshadowed by that of his successor, Theodore Roosevelt. However, Merry argues that McKinley initiated America's development into an imperial power.
Further reading: Stephen Kinzer's The True Flag details the growth of U.S. imperialism, starting with Roosevelt's presidency. |
|
| Counting Backwards: A Doctor's Notes on Anesthesia by Henry Jay PrzybyloWhat it's about: Anesthesiologist Henry Jay Przybylo recounts his three decades of experience in the specialty. He provides engaging anecdotes as well as musing about the history of anesthesia, which has developed enormously since its 19th-century beginnings but is not yet fully understood. Why you might like it: Przybylo's enthusiasm for his work draws readers in to this informative book. |
|
| 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. |
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|