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History and Current Events April 2019
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17 Carnations: The Royals, the Nazis, and the Biggest Cover-Up in History
by Andrew Morton
What it is: a revelatory chronicle of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor's close ties to Adolf Hitler, who planned to install the pair as puppet monarchs after his invasion of Britain.
Chapters include: "Sex, Drugs, and Royal Blackmail;" "A Shady Royal in a Sunny Place;" "The Hunt for Pirate Gold."
Reviewers say: "reads like a good spy thriller" (Booklist); "hard to put down" (Library Journal).
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1924: The Year That Made Hitler
by Peter Ross Range
Adolf Hitler spent 1924 in prison after his conviction in the failed Beer Hall Putsch -- a major setback to his political ambitions. This is when he wrote his manifesto, Mein Kampf (My Struggle). In this detailed analysis, distinguished journalist Peter Range chronicles Hitler's turning point, observing how he got a light sentence and early release and how his courtroom rants became the basis for his writing. This eye-opening account of Hitler's evolution into a successful tyrant sheds new light on the man many consider the greatest monster in history.
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| Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden KeefeWhat it's about: In December 1972, Belfast widow and mother of 10 Jean McConville was wrongly accused of being an informant for the British Army. Abducted from her home by members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), she was never seen again.
Why you might like it: Blending elements of murder mystery, political history, and true crime, this heartwrenching deep dive into The Troubles offers an unflinching portrait of the conflict's lasting repercussions. |
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| An American Summer: Love and Death in Chicago by Alex KotlowitzWhat it is: an intimate and empathetic chronicle of the summer of 2013 in Chicago neighborhoods plagued by violence and neglect.
What's inside: immersive interviews with advocates, bystanders, victims, and perpetrators.
Author alert: Kotlowitz will be at the Main Library on October 14, 2019, with author Jesmyn Ward. Save the date. Journalist Alex Kotlowitz is the author of There Are No Children Here, which was named by the New York Public Library as one of the 150 most important books of the 20th century. |
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| Separate: The Story of Plessy v. Ferguson, and America's Journey from Slavery to Segregation by Steve LuxenbergWhat it's about: the complex, decades-long origins of the landmark United States Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), which legally upheld racially segregated "separate but equal" facilities.
Reviewers say: Separate "is likely to become the seminal work on this crucial Supreme Court decision" (Library Journal).
For fans of: Isabel Wilkerson's sweeping Great Migration history The Warmth of Other Suns. |
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| No Turning Back: Life, Loss, and Hope in Wartime Syria by Rania AbouzeidWhat it is: a sobering account of the ongoing Syrian Civil War, which has claimed an estimated 500,000 lives since 2011.
What sets it apart: Branded a spy by the Syrian government and banned from entering the country, journalist Rania Abouzeid spent several years clandestinely entering Syria to conduct her reportage.
Book buzz: No Turning Back was a 2018 Booklist Editors' Choice and New York Times Notable Book selection. |
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21 Lessons for the 21st Century
by Yuval Noah Harari
What it is: a multidisciplinary approach to understanding contemporary challenges and maintaining rational thinking in a "post-truth" world.
Lessons include: "When You Grow Up, You Might Not Have a Job;" "Some Fake News Lasts Forever;" "The Future Is Not What You See in the Movies."
Reviewers say: "This well-informed and searching book is one to be savored and widely discussed" (Publishers Weekly).
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| The Quartet: Orchestrating the Second American Revolution, 1783-1789 by Joseph J. EllisWhat it's about: the influential roles four Founding Fathers played in the political transformations occurring between the end of the American Revolution and the establishment of the federal government.
Starring: George Washington, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay.
About the author: Historian Joseph J. Ellis is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation. |
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| October: The Story of the Russian Revolution by China MiévilleWhat it is: a breathtaking month-by-month account of Russia's two 1917 revolutions, which culminated in the rise of Vladimir Lenin and the creation of the world's first workers' state.
Read it for: award-winning fantasy author China Miéville's (Perdido Street Station) lyrical prose.
Want a taste? “Trench-drenched soldiers the colour of ripped-up earth taking what hours of respite they could, drinking tea from tin mugs.” |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Richmond Public Library 101 East Franklin Street Richmond, Virginia 23219 (804) 646-7223rvalibrary.org/ |
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