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History and Current EventsOctober 2014
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"Not since the Great Depression have so many millions of people been so thoroughly beaten down by vast, destructive forces." ~ from Sasha Abramsky's The American Way of Poverty
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New and Recently Released!
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| Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War by Karen AbbottIn Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy, author Karen Abbott adds an unusual and compelling chapter to the history of the American Civil War. Four different women aided their causes (two on the Union side and two for the Confederacy) by going against expected norms as they employed their particular skills and social networks. This account is distinctive not only for its subject matter, but for its structure, weaving parallel accounts of the women's activities together so that the book reads like a spy thriller. Abbott includes additional historical details about women who assumed unconventional roles during the war in this well researched, informative, and enthralling account. |
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| Doctored: The Disillusionment of an American Physician by Sandeep JauharSandeep Jauhar, a cardiologist at Long Island Jewish Hospital in New York, recounts his frustrations as a doctor and his observations about the practice of medicine. In this book, "part memoir and part denunciation of America's current health-care system" (Library Journal), Jauhar raises issues such as the fear of medical malpractice litigation, insurance bureaucracy, and the economics of for-profit medical care. Illustrating his concerns with anecdotes from his own experience, he concludes that these problems impair American medical care and expresses disappointment in his own loss of idealism since he entered medical school. Anyone concerned about health care in the U.S. will find this a thought-provoking analysis. |
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| The Invisible Bridge: The Fall of Nixon and the Rise of Reagan by Rick PerlsteinDuring the 1970s, American voting patterns began shifting noticeably to the right. In The Invisible Bridge, author Rick Perlstein examines a short segment of that period, from 1973 to 1976, when Ronald Reagan failed to win the Republican nomination in an effort to unseat President Gerald Ford. The book's narrative builds on a detailed biographical study of Ronald Reagan and his first run for the presidency, but it assembles a much broader social and political picture than just Reagan's campaign. Perlstein concludes that the events of these years explain the conservative shift he describes. His two previous books, Before the Storm and Nixonland, will also appeal to those interested in American history and politics since the 1960s. |
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| Tomlinson Hill: The Remarkable Story of Two Families Who Share the Tomlinson Name... by Chris TomlinsonAssociated Press foreign correspondent Chris Tomlinson reports in Tomlinson Hill on the history of the Tomlinsons of Texas -- the white descendants of slaveholders and the African Americans descended from slaves. From before the Civil War to the early 21st century, black and white Tomlinsons lived on the land that began as a large plantation called Tomlinson Hill. Chris Tomlinson engagingly weaves the families' stories together, including his own life and that of NFL player LaDainian Tomlinson, one of the slaves' descendants. He also explores the history of slavery and racism in America, into which the Tomlinson families offer a "riveting glimpse" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| The Roosevelts: An Intimate History by Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken BurnsIn this absorbing volume created as a tie-in to the PBS television series The Roosevelts, authors Geoffrey Ward and Ken Burns delve into the lives and personalities of three of the most prominent Americans from the 1880s to the 1960s. Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the U.S., his cousin Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd President, and another cousin, Eleanor Roosevelt, who was Franklin's wife. Each of them engaged wholeheartedly in public service, but they were also private individuals with complex lives touched by sadness and ill health. Employing both text and photographs, and drawing on public and personal records, Ward and Burns portray the Roosevelts' lives along with a panorama of American history spanning nearly a century. |
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Focus on: Books You Might Have Missed
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| The American Way of Poverty: How the Other Half Still Lives by Sasha AbramskyJournalist Sasha Abramsky undertook extensive research and carried out numerous interviews in order to develop the information he presents in The American Way of Poverty. Published a half-century after Michael Harrington's acclaimed 1962 study, The Other America, Abramsky's book provides both a 21st-century update of Harrington's portrait of the poor and a detailed proposal for leveling the economic playing field. Kirkus Reviews calls this a "well-researched, deeply felt depiction," and Publishers Weekly, in a starred review, says it's a "challenging indictment" of the American economic system. |
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| The Burglary: The Discovery of J. Edgar Hoover's Secret FBI by Betty MedsgerIllicit release of government records on American citizens has been a hot topic since 2013 when Edward Snowden leaked information about NSA data-gathering. A similar sensation occurred in 1971 after a burglary in the Media, Pennsylvania FBI office, when the burglars sent copies of the documents they stole to the press. Though the FBI never tracked down the culprits, journalist Betty Medsger has identified the anti-war protesters who were responsible. In The Burglary, she reports on interviews with the participants and describes the outraged reactions from Congress and the public to the documents' revelations. She also relates these responses to Snowden's actions, in this well-researched and compelling addition to the history of anti-war protests and government secrecy. |
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| The Time Traveler's Guide to Elizabethan England by Ian MortimerIf your time machine's coordinates are set for 1558 England, be sure to take along historian Ian Mortimer's authoritative and engaging reference, The Time Traveler's Guide to Elizabethan England. Written in the form of a tourist's guidebook, this detailed account of life during Elizabeth I's reign tells you what to wear, what to eat (or avoid), how to understand the local lingo, and the entry fee for a tour of the Tower of London. Mortimer includes explanations of the architectural styles, religious practices, and lifestyles at all economic levels to complete his portrait of the era. If your next stop is the 14th century, pick up Mortimer's Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England. |
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| The Men Who United the States: America's Explorers, Inventors, Eccentrics... by Simon WinchesterOrganizing his subject into five categories (Wood, the Earth, Water, Fire, and Metal), historian Simon Winchester traces the history of the U.S. through depictions of people who made important discoveries and promoted particular techniques and methods. From the Lewis and Clark expedition launched by Thomas Jefferson to rural electrification under FDR, Winchester traces the territorial expansion and the physical -- and social -- unification of the country. His enthusiastic account of American history highlights surprising details and illustrates how his "passion for his subjects saturates his works" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| Ecstatic Nation: Confidence, Crisis, and Compromise, 1848-1877 by Brenda WineappleIn this thrilling, thoroughly researched history of mid-19th-century America, historian Brenda Wineapple depicts a nation in which passionate, strong opinions dominated social and political discourse. Focusing on the years before and after, in addition to the Civil War itself, Ecstatic Nation identifies vibrant personalities and violent disputes -- including pre-war conflicts over abolition versus the expansion of slaveholding territories. Making key figures (especially Abraham Lincoln) stand out from a remarkable crowd of powerful, opinionated men and women, Wineapple brings them all to life through their writings and through vivid accounts of specific events and vignettes of personal lives, giving the reader a "you were there" experience that offers renewed appreciation of the era's complexity. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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West Babylon Public Library 211 Route 109 West Babylon, New York 11704 (631) 669-5445http://wbpl.us |
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