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History and Current Events July 2025 |
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| The Gunfighters: How Texas Made the West Wild by Bryan BurroughForget the Alamo coauthor Bryan Burrough's rollicking and richly detailed history examines American gunfighter culture's origins in post-Civil War Texas. Further reading: Gun Barons: The Weapons That Transformed America and the Men Who Invented Them by John Bainbridge, Jr.
Reviewers Say: "Burrough expertly separates fact from folklore . . . A fascinating work of history that challenges readers to reconsider the role of the West’s legendary gunfighters in shaping the identity of the United States.” — Library Journal (starred review)
In Our Collection: This is available as an Adult Nonfiction book. |
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Snafu: The Definitive Guide to History's Greatest Screwups
by Ed Helms
Coined during World War I, SNAFU is an acronym that stands for Situation Normal: All F*cked Up. Spanning from the 1950's to the 2000's, Ed Helms steps in as unofficial history teacher for a deep dive into each decade's craziest SNAFUs. From planting nukes on the moon to training felines as CIA spies to weaponizing the weather, this book will unpack the incredibly ironic decision-making and hilariously terrifying aftermath of America's biggest mishaps.
Reviewers Say: "With his wry intelligence, Helms makes an ideal guide through these historical blunders… It’s a charming and irreverent alternative history.” ― Publishers Weekly
In Our Collection: This is available as an Adult Nonfiction book.
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Trespassers at the Golden Gate: A True Account of Love, Murder, and Madness in Gilded-Age San Francisco
by Gary Krist
Recounts the sensational 1870 trial of Laura D. Fair, who killed her lover in San Francisco, exploring the case's impact on post-Civil War social issues, including gender roles and family values, while painting a vivid portrait of the city's turbulent transformation from frontier outpost to burgeoning metropolis.
Reviewers Say: "A tale of mad love, murder, and the rough-and-tumble mores of early San Francisco . . . [and] a lively, richly detailed social history that ably brings together many narrative strands.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
In Our Collection: This is available as an Adult Nonfiction book.
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Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning
by Peter Beinart
In Beinart's view, one story has long dominated Jewish communal life: that of persecution and victimhood. It is a story that erases much of the nuance of Jewish tradition and warps our understanding of modern history. After Gaza, where Jewish texts, history, and language have been deployed to justify mass slaughter and starvation, he argues, Jews must tell a new story . . . in which Jews have the right to equality, not supremacy, and Jewish and Palestinian safety are not mutually exclusive but intertwined. Further reading: A Very Short History of the History of the Israel-Palestine Conflict by Ilan Pappé and The World After Gaza by Pankaj Mishra.
Reviewers Say: "Beinart issues an impassioned critique of the American Jewish community’s reaction to the war in Gaza. . . . Urgent and thought-provoking, this is sure to spark debate.” — Publishers Weekly
In Our Collection: This is available as an Adult Nonfiction book.
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Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder
by Rachel McCarthy James
A brilliant and bloody examination of the axe's foundational role in human history, from prehistoric violence, to war and executions, to newspaper headlines and popular culture. Whack Job is an exploration of violence, how technology shapes human conflict, the cruel and sacred rituals of execution and battle, and the ways humanity fits even the most savage impulses into narratives of the past and present.
Reviewers Say: "[A] gleefully grisly cultural history... James keeps the pages turning. It’s a bit of macabre fun." ― Publishers Weekly
In Our Collection: This is available as an Adult Nonfiction book.
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Medicine River: A Story of Survival and the Legacy of Indian Boarding Schools
by Mary Annette Pember
Ojibwe journalist Mary Annette Pember's well-researched debut examines the origins and evolution of Native American boarding schools in the United States, revealing how the impacts of her own mother's experiences at a Catholic-run school contributed to her family's generational trauma. Further reading: The Knowing by Tanya Talaga.
Reviewers Say: "[Pember’s] extensive research illuminates the attempted cultural erasure by government and religious institutions. Her mother’s story provides a heartbreaking, personal focus.” — Booklist
In Our Collection: This is available as an Adult Nonfiction book.
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The Nazi Mind: Twelve Warnings from History
by Laurence Rees
Bestselling historian Laurence Rees seeks answers to some of the most perplexing questions surrounding World War II and the Holocaust. Ultimately, he delves into the darkness to explain how and why these people were capable of committing the worst crime in the history of the world. Using previously unpublished testimony from former Nazis and those who grew up in the Nazi system and in-depth insights based on the latest research of psychologists, The Nazi Mind brings fresh understanding to one of the most appalling regimes in history.
Reviewers Say: "A timely exploration of how the unthinkable becomes normal.” ― Kirkus Reviews (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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