LibraryAware September 2025

Recent Releases

To Lose a War: The Fall and Rise of the Taliban
by Jon Lee Anderson

Collects nearly twenty-five years of reporting to trace the evolution of the U.S. war in Afghanistan from early intervention to withdrawal, documenting battlefield victories, political missteps, and the long-term consequences of military overreach and shifting priorities.

King of Kings: The Iranian Revolution: A Story of Hubris, Delusion and Catastrophic...
by Scott Anderson

Journalist and New York Times bestselling author Scott Anderson (The Quiet Americans) chronicles the 1979 Iranian Revolution, which saw the rise of Ayatollah Khomeini and ushered in an era of religious nationalism that continues to this day. Further reading: The Fall of Heaven: The Pahlavis and the Final Days of Imperial Iran by Andrew Scott Cooper.

Tonight in Jungleland: The Making of Born to Run
by Peter Ames Carlin

Published to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen's iconic 1975 album Born to Run, journalist and biographer Peter Ames Carlin's evocative and richly detailed account offers a behind-the-scenes look into the making of the album, featuring interviews with Springsteen and key colleagues. Try this next: Deliver Me from Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska by Warren Zanes.

Operation Bowler: The Audacious Allied Bombing of Venice During World War II
by Jonathan Glancey

Following the exploits of audacious Wing Commander George Westlake and his elite team, this vivid narrative explores how an unlikely squad of pilots executed the most meticulous and complex air raid of World War II, sparing not only Venice but also its people.

The Devil Reached Toward the Sky: An Oral History of the Making & Unleashing of the Atomic Bomb
by Garrett M. Graff

Combines archival research with firsthand accounts from political leaders, scientists, soldiers, and survivors to chronicle the development and use of the atomic bomb, examining its ethical, military, and human consequences during the final months of World War II and the start of the Cold War.

Going Nuclear: How Atomic Energy Will Save the World
by Tim Gregory

Dr. Tim Gregory challenges prevailing narratives around climate change, arguing that the goal of net zero is not simply to replace fossil fuels with renewables, but to power civilization using sources of energy that do not emit carbon dioxide. He unequivocally shows that only one emissions-free energy source can rise to that challenge: nuclear power. Going Nuclear calls for decarbonization to be the twenty-first century's Apollo program, illuminating the far-reaching potential of the atom beyond clean energy to advanced medicine, forensics, atomic gardening, and interplanetary exploration. By interweaving scientific optimism, myth-busting data, and ambitious policy, Gregory offers an alternative nuclear future that can meet the shared goal of environmental stewardship and continued human progress.

The Fort Bragg Cartel: Drug Trafficking and Murder in the Special Forces
by Seth Harp

Examines a double murder at Fort Bragg, uncovering a web of drug trafficking, corruption, and cover-ups within elite U.S. Special Forces units, revealing how addiction, criminal networks, and the fallout of endless war have destabilized the military's most secretive operations.

Black Genius: Essays on an American Legacy
by Tre Johnson

Cultural critic Tre Johnson's impassioned debut essay collection examines the ways in which Black genius is overlooked and undervalued, revealing how gentrification, cultural appropriation and extraction, and policy undermine Black creatives' accomplishments. For fans of: How We Do It: Black Writers on Craft, Practice, and Skill edited by Jericho Brown.

The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century
by Tim Weiner

Pulitzer Prize winner Tim Weiner follows up his National Book Award-winning Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA with a richly detailed exploration of the CIA’s shifting role in United States foreign policy following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, delivering a “singular triumph” that “should be required reading” (Kirkus Reviews). Further reading: Spies, Lies, and Algorithms: The History and Future of American Intelligence by Amy B. Zegart.

The Boys in the Light: An Extraordinary World War II Story of Survival, Faith, and Brotherhood
by Nina Willner

Nina Willner's (Forty Autumns) moving tale of survival and resilience chronicles her German Jewish father’s daring escape from Auschwitz in 1944, when he and Mike, his best friend and fellow escapee, encountered American soldiers who adopted them into their company. For fans of: The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World by Jonathan Freedland.

Contact your librarian for more great books!