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History and Current Events August 2019
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| Last Witnesses: An Oral History of the Children of World War II by Svetlana AlexievichWhat it is: Translated into English for the first time since its original 1985 publication, Last Witnesses collects wrenching firsthand accounts from 101 Russians who survived the horrors of World War II as children.
Is it for you? Rife with disturbing testimonies, Last Witnesses is "an excellent book but not for the faint of heart" (Kirkus Reviews).
Author alert: Belarusian journalist Svetlana Alexievich is the Nobel Prize-winning author of Voices from Chernobyl. |
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The dreamt land : chasing water and dust across California
by Mark Arax
What it is: A journalist with roots in Central Valley, California, farming chronicles the battles over water that led to a unique distribution system that was built in the 1940s but is straining to keep up with the state's modern growth.
Why you should read it: This book touches on the currently relevant topic of our changing climate, and what that means for the people that are left trying to adapt to these new conditions.
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American predator : the hunt for the most meticulous serial killer of the 21st century
by Maureen Callahan
What it's about: Israel Keyes, one of the most ambitious and terrifying serial killers in modern history. Described by a prosecutor as "a force of pure evil," Keyes was a predator who struck all over the United States, using "kill kits" he had buried in remote locations through the country.
Book Buzz: USA Today said it was "chilling... propulsive and un-put-downable." Bethanne Patrick of the Washington Post said "If you’ve never heard of Israel Keyes, his name will fill you with dread after reading Callahan’s superb investigation of how such a monster managed to thrive in our modern world."
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| Beneath the Tamarind Tree: A Story of Courage, Family, and the Lost Schoolgirls of Boko Haram by Isha SesayWhat it's about: Two years after Boko Haram's 2014 kidnapping of 276 Nigerian schoolgirls, CNN International correspondent Isha Sesay accompanied 21 recently freed survivors back home, developing a rapport with four of the girls and their families.
What sets it apart: Peabody Award winner Sesay draws from her own childhood in Sierra Leone to provide an empathetic and richly contextualized portrait of contemporary West African gender politics. |
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Eight Flavors: The Untold Story of American Cuisine
by Sarah Lohman
What it is: Young historical gastronomist, Sarah Lohman discovered that American food is united by eight flavors: black pepper, vanilla, curry powder, chili powder, soy sauce, garlic, MSG, and Sriracha. Lohman sets out to explore how these influential ingredients made their way to the American table.
Read it for: food blogger Sarah Lohman's infectious curiosity and her well-researched, insightful trivia about "the most complex and diverse cuisine on the planet."
Try this next: The American Plate: A Culinary History in 100 Bites, by Libby Haight O'Connell.
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| The Civil War in 50 Objects by Harold Holzer and the New-York Historical SocietyWhat it is: a chronological and illustrated object history of the Civil War, featuring 50 New-York Historical Society artifacts curated by Abraham Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer.
Objects include: a child slave's shackles, a Confederate POW newspaper, a Union soldier's footlocker; a Zouave uniform; a recruitment petition for black troops; a draft wheel; prison art.
Did you know? The Civil War in 50 Objects is the American companion to the British Museum's A History of the World in 100 Objects, written by Neil MacGregor. |
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Ten innings at Wrigley : the wildest ballgame ever, with baseball on the brink
by Kevin Cook
What it is: A recap of a wild 1979 baseball game at Wrigley Field between the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies that featured 45 runs and 11 homers from legendary players such as Mike Schmidt, Bruce Sutter and Tug McGraw.
Book Buzz: Kirkus Review says its “Fine, tasty fare for dedicated baseball fans.”
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Three days in Moscow : Ronald Reagan and the fall of the Soviet empire
by Bret Baier
What it's about: In Three Days in Moscow, Baier explores the dramatic endgame of America’s long struggle with the Soviet Union and President Ronald Reagan’s central role in shaping the world we live in today.
Did you know? Three Days in Moscow is part of the Three Days Series. Check out Three Days at the Brink and Three Days in January, also by Bret Baier
Book Buzz: Jay Winik, author of 1944, says Three Days in Moscow is "An instant classic, if not the finest book to date on Ronald Reagan.”
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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