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History and Current Events June 2026 |
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Lost: Amelia Earhart's Three Mysterious Deaths and One Extraordinary Life
by Rachel Hartigan
Unravel one of history's greatest mysteries in this spellbinding narrative, with compelling images, that explores the three leading theories of Amelia Earhart's tragic disappearance. When Amelia Earhart's plane disappeared in 1937, the clues poured in, attracting wild conspiracies about her tragic fate. In Lost, former National Geographic reporter Rachel Hartigan delves into Earhart's disappearance, introducing a host of eccentric characters who have become obsessed with finding the truth. Did the great aviator crash land near the Marshall Islands, only to be captured by Japanese soldiers? Did she manage to land on Nikumaroro Island but die of injury or starvation? Or did she run out of fuel and crash into the ocean? Interspersed is the story of her extraordinary life: her unstable childhood, her early career, and how a PR-savvy publisher transformed her into an aviation icon and became her husband in an unconventional marriage.
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To Catch a Fish: Essays on the Joy, Frustration, Curiosity, and Allure of Fishing
by Mark Kurlansky
From the award-winning, New York Times best-selling author of Cod and Salt, To Catch a Fish is an entertaining and beautifully written illustrated collection of essays that explore a lifetime fascination with fishing. For as long as there have been humans, there have been humans trying to catch fish. The two species--fish and man--live in constant tension. One chases the other. One tries to get away. Some of us--author Mark Kurlansky included--are hard-wired for that chase. Guiding readers through the waters and into the mind of the fish, Kurlansky considers who fish are and why they behave the way they do, and along the way delves into the many approaches to catching a fish, their ecology, and the ins and outs of cooking and eating your catch. Whether you're a seasoned angler or a novice, or simply want to explore the world of fish, the forty short essays in this collection and the dazzling illustrations by Bri Dostie, shed new light on these creatures and our relationship to them.
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1,000 Days in America: An Illustrated History of the Moments That Defined a Nation
by National Geographic
A 250th anniversary celebration of the U.S. featuring 1,000 singular moments that shaped the American journey alongside more than 300 stunning illustrations, timelines, and sidebars. Commentary by bestselling historians including David Rubenstein and Walter Isaacson underscores the profound connections between concurrent events in the nation's journey. Readers will witness the crackling interactions between politics, culture, and innovation, including: The moment the Industrial Revolution arrives on colonial shores as the framers outline the Constitution. The moment Clara Barton founds the Red Cross as Earp leads a gunfight at the O.K. Corral. The moment Cornelius Vanderbilt acquires the New York & Harlem Railroad; soon after, the Battle of Gettysburg begins. The moment the Watts Riots erupt in L.A. as the Beatles prepare to perform at Shea Stadium. Part examination, part celebration, this glorious book captures the will of the American people to continue defining themselves after 250 years, reflecting the diversity, pride, and resiliency of these United States.
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Dinner with an Astronaut: Serving Space Stories: Past, Present and Future
by Leroy Chiao
Imagine if you could sit down and enjoy a meal with an astronaut. What questions would you ask? What could you learn after a few courses? Leroy Chiao invites you as his guest for Dinner with an Astronaut, an insightful and witty deep dive into the world's most unexplored realm: the cosmos. At just 30 years old, Leroy was selected by NASA as one of twenty-three members of the thirteenth astronaut group. As the first full Chinese heritage professional astronaut, he flew four space missions: the Space Shuttle, Soyuz, ISS, and on spacewalks in both US and Russian spacesuits, and served as the commander of the International Space Station. Using his unique perspective from flying with fellow American, Japanese and Russian professionals, Leroy now answers your burning universe-spanning questions, such as: What is the new space race, and who are the next generation of competitors? What is NASA working on these days? What feelings did you experience looking out at Earth from space? What does the future of space exploration look like? Will we ever make it to Mars? Sharing the wonders of space with those of us on Earth, Leroy details his astronaut training and otherworldly spaceflights.
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How to Defend Books and Why: Book Bans and How We Fight Them
by Danny Caine
You're invited to the book revolution! Fight back against censorship and empower your community with this close look at the book banning movement. In a moving, compulsively readable call to arms for readers everywhere, Danny Caine, bestselling author offers an expertly-crafted confrontation of attempts to reshape American culture through ban campaigns targeting schools, libraries, bookstores, and prisons, with the aim to silence marginalized identities in life and in literature. From the first-ever banned books display at San Francisco's City Lights in the 1950s to the rapid rise of Moms For Liberty during the COVID-19 pandemic to attempts to silence Palestinian authors, Caine charts the course of repressive censorship campaigns, along with the creative and sometimes unlikely activists who've stood up against them. Each chapter is based on a particular book banning episode, bolstered by research and legal precedent, and concludes with helpful takeaways for further reading or resistance. Throughout, Caine approaches these heated issues with gentle openness harkening back to his work as a public school teacher and a bookseller.
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The Killer and Frank Lloyd Wright: The True Story of Mass Murder in Paradise
by Casey Sherman
The scandal. The genius. The murder that shocked America.Frank Lloyd Wright was more than the mind behind America's most iconic buildings--he was a man whose turbulent private life captivated a nation. The famous architect's stormy marriage to Kitty Wright and his infamous affair with another woman, Mamah Borthwick, ignited one of the country's first celebrity scandals, splashed across headlines from coast to coast.Then, in August 1914, scandal turned to horror. A tragedy at Taliesin, the Wisconsin home Wright built as a monument to love, shook the very foundation of Wright's life--and catapulted him back to the front pages of newspapers across the country as readers clamored for glimpses of his very darkest moments.In The Killer and Frank Lloyd Wright, New York Times bestselling author Casey Sherman delves beyond the myth of Wright's genius to reveal a man of relentless ambition, consuming passion, and devastating loss. With haunting intimacy and propulsive storytelling, Sherman delivers a portrait of an artist who could not escape the shadows of his own making--and who rose, again and again, from the ashes.
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The Nazi Ghost Train: Evasion, Betrayal, and Escape During World War II
by Greg Lewis
In the final hours before the liberation of Brussels in 1944, the Germans loaded more than 1,400 members of the Resistance, SOE agents, and Allied airmen onto a train bound for the Neuengamme concentration camp. What happened next came to be known as the miracle of "The Ghost Train," as members of the Resistance rose up to delay, divert, and eventually derail the train and save the lives of all of those on board. The book shines a light on everyday heroes who have been lost to history: such as New Yorker Ted Kleinman, a Jew who risked his life to carry out sabotage behind the lines; young Resistance heroines such as Michou Dumon, who ordered an attempt to kill one traitor and escaped to London to expose another to British intelligence; and Belgian businessman Gaston Masereel, who planned to parachute into his homeland as an SOE agent. Badly hurt when his plane was attacked, he killed all four German soldiers who came to arrest him.
Investigative journalist Greg Lewis draws upon a wealth of primary sources and his own extensive interviews to bring to life a cast of unforgettable characters.
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Vengeance: The Last Stands of Custer, Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull
by Tom Clavin
On June 25-27, 1876, the Battle of the Little Bighorn, commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand, was fought between combined forces of the Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes and the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army. Along the Little Bighorn River in Montana Territory, the battle resulted in the devastating defeat of U.S. forces and was the most significant action of the Great Sioux War of 1876. This dramatic look at the Little Bighorn battle includes not only the Native American point of view-with two dynamic Native figures, Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, on prominent display-but also the impact it had on the Plains Indians. It turned out to be their last stand too because a vengeful nation quashed any remaining resistance, with a conclusive massacre at Wounded Knee. In addition, Custer's character by June 1876 is at the heart of this world-famous disaster. For all his celebrated bravery, especially at Gettysburg, Custer became a devout media hound, desperate to gain fame. Even, some say, his own demise was a misguided attempt at grabbing national headlines: He envisioned a massacre - just not his own. As both the camera and the tabloid came of age, George Armstrong Custer became America's first bona fide celebrity. Vengeance is a thrilling read, filled with action, legendary characters, and poignance for the impact this had on Native Americans and the shape of the American West.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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