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History and Current Events August 2025 |
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Reviewers Say: “A compelling case for standing up for justice at a time when everything, it seems, is on the line.” — Henry Louis Gates, Jr. In Our Collection: This is available as an Adult Nonfiction book. |
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Spitfires: The American Women Who Flew in the Face of Danger During World War II
by Becky Aikman
The heart-pounding true story of the daring American women who piloted the most dangerous aircraft of World War II through the treacherous skies of Britain.
Reviewers Say: "Lively and entertaining . . . Those fearlessly determined female pilots are the professional forebears of the women who would slowly break down barriers in the U.S. military in the decades that followed." ― The Washington Post
In Our Collection: This is available as an Adult Nonfiction book.
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Capitalism and Its Critics: A History: From the Industrial Revolution to AI
by John Cassidy
At a time when artificial intelligence, climate change, inequality, trade wars, and a right-wing populist backlash to globalization are raising fundamental questions about the economic system, Capitalism and Its Critics provides a kaleidoscopic history of global capitalism, from the East India Company and Industrial Revolution to the digital revolution.
Reviewers Say: "A sweeping economic history of the to-some-sacrosanct doctrine of capitalism and those arrayed against it over the years . . . dense with information, free of jargon, and a powerful argument against an increasingly unsustainable economic system." ― Kirkus (starred review)
In Our Collection: This is available as an Adult Nonfiction book.
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There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America by Brian GoldstoneIn a sobering and richly detailed expansion of his viral 2019 article "The New American Homeless," journalist Brian Goldstone follows five Atlanta families experiencing homelessness despite having full-time jobs. Further reading: Seeking Shelter: A Working Mother, Her Children, and a Story of Homelessness in America by Jeff Hobbs.
Reviewers Say: "A revelatory and gut-wrenching exploration of an often-ignored homeless population that is key to understanding poverty in America.” — Associated Press In Our Collection: This is available as an Adult Nonfiction book as well as in eBook and eAudiobook. |
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The Fate of the Generals: MacArthur, Wainwright, and the Epic Battle for the Philippines by Jonathan HornJournalist 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.
Reviewers Say: "Horn delivers a gripping if painful account of Wainwright’s short command and long, miserable imprisonment. . . . Admirabl[y] bring[s] Wainwright out of MacArthur’s shadow.” — Kirkus Reviews In Our Collection: This is available as an Adult Nonfiction book. |
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In Our Collection: This is available as an Adult Nonfiction book. |
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Reviewers Say: "Cuneo serves as a wonderful behind-the-scenes lens to view the information wars surrounding World War II. Another winner from Maier.” — Booklist (starred review) In Our Collection: This is available as an Adult Nonfiction book. |
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Captain Kidd: A True Story of Treasure and Betrayal by Samuel MarquisCaptain William Kidd stands as one of the most notorious 'pirate' outlaws ever, but his legend is tainted by a bed of lies. Having captivated imaginations for more than three hundred years and inspired many stories about pirates, troubling questions remain. Was he really a criminal, or is the truth more inconvenient: that he was a buccaneer's worst nightmare, a revered pirate hunter turned fall guy for scheming politicians?
Reviewers Say: "Riveting revisionist history. . . A caustic takedown of a centuries-old hit job." — Publishers Weekly (starred review) In Our Collection: This is available as an Adult Nonfiction book. |
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Rot: An Imperial History of the Irish Famine by Padraic X. ScanlanThis historical analysis reveals how British imperial policies and laissez-faire capitalism intensified the devastation of the potato blight in mid-19th-century Ireland, where economic exploitation, dependency on potatoes, and insufficient relief measures caused widespread starvation and mass emigration.
Reviewers Say: "[Rot] engagingly conveys and analyzes the harrowing history of an abused and colonized people during famine. Will resonate with a broad readership.” ― Library Journal In Our Collection: This is available as an Adult Nonfiction book. |
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These Strange New Minds: How AI Learned to Talk and What It Means by Christopher SummerfieldThese Strange New Minds charts the evolution of intelligent talking machines and provides us with the tools to understand how they work and how we can use them. Ultimately, armed with an understanding of AI’s mysterious inner workings, we can begin to grapple with the existential question of our age: have we written ourselves out of history or is a technological utopia ahead? Reviewers Say: " Provocative… Summerfield brings some welcome nuance and clarity to discussions of LLMs. In a crowded field of AI primers, this rises to the top.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) In Our Collection: This is available as an Adult Nonfiction book. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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