History and Current Events
December 2025

Recent Releases
The Great Contradiction: The Tragic Side of the American Founding
by Joseph J. Ellis

An incisive exploration of how America's Founding Fathers were complicit in slavery and Indigenous dispossession despite their calls for universal freedom. 
Splendid Liberators: Heroism, Betrayal, Resistance, and the Birth of American Empire by Joe Jackson
Splendid Liberators: Heroism, Betrayal, Resistance, and the Birth of American Empire
by Joe Jackson

A new history of the Spanish-American War, spanning the US adventures and misadventures in Cuba and the Philippines, and paying particular attention to unsung characters such as Frederick Funston and David Fagen.
Motherland: A Feminist History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy
by Julia Ioffe

Explores a century of feminist history in Russia, revealing how women's freedoms after the Russian Revolution have devolved under the regime of Vladimir Putin. 
The Zorg: A Tale of Greed and Murder That Inspired the Abolition of Slavery by Siddharth Kara
The Zorg: A Tale of Greed and Murder That Inspired the Abolition of Slavery
by Siddharth Kara

A notorious slave ship incident that led to the abolition of slavery in the UK and sparked the US abolitionist movement. This book utilizes primary-source research, gripping storytelling, and painstaking investigation to uncover the Zorg's journey, the lives and fates of the slaves on board, and the mysterious identity of the abolitionist who finally revealed the truth of what happened on the ship.
Dead and Alive: Essays
by Zadie Smith

Wide-ranging and witty this book collects 30 essays and talks penned during the last ten years, offering the author's reflections on pop culture, politics, loss, aging, and more.
The Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America by Jeffrey Rosen
The Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America
by Jeffrey Rosen

Explores the clashing visions of Hamilton and Jefferson about how to balance liberty and power in a debate that continues to define--and divide--our country: Jefferson championed states' rights and individual liberties, while Hamilton pushed for a strong federal government and a powerful executive. 
Midnight Flyboys: The American Bomber Crews and Allied Secret Agents Who Aided the French Resistance in World War II by Bruce Henderson
Midnight Flyboys: The American Bomber Crews and Allied Secret Agents Who Aided the French Resistance in World War II
by Bruce Henderson

The untold history of a top-secret operation in the run-up to D-Day in which American flyers and Allied spies carried out some of the most daring cloak-and-dagger operations of World War II.  Midnight Flyboys is an astonishing tale of patriotism, courage, and sacrifice.
Three Roads to Gettysburg: Meade, Lee, Lincoln, and the Battle That Changed the War, the Speech That Changed the Nation by Tim McGrath
Three Roads to Gettysburg: Meade, Lee, Lincoln, and the Battle That Changed the War, the Speech That Changed the Nation
by Tim McGrath

An epic, revelatory account of the Battle of Gettysburg, where George Meade, Lincoln's unexpected choice to lead the Union army, defeated Robert E. Lee and changed the course of the Civil War. With a colorful supporting cast second to none, Three Roads to Gettysburg tells the story of these consequential men, this monumental battle, and the immortal address that has come to define America.
Gemini: Stepping Stone to the Moon, the Untold Story by Jeffrey Kluger
Gemini: Stepping Stone to the Moon, the Untold Story
by Jeffrey Kluger

The thrilling untold story of the pioneering Gemini program that was instrumental in getting Americans on the moon. Without Gemini, there would be no Apollo. Chronicles the history of the least appreciated--and most groundbreaking--space program in American history.
The American Revolution and the Fate of the World by Richard Bell
The American Revolution and the Fate of the World
by Richard Bell

Reveals the full breadth and depth of America's founding event: the American Revolution was not only the colonies' triumphant liberation from the rule of an overbearing England, it was also a cataclysm that pulled in participants from around the globe and threw the entire world order into chaos.
Contact your librarian for more great books!