History and Current Events
June 2025
Recent Releases
The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780
by Rick Atkinson

This 2nd well-researched volume of Pulitzer Prize winner Rick Atkinson's Revolution Trilogy utilizes dozens of maps and full-color illustrations to chronicle key events from the middle years of the American Revolution, covering the years 1777-1780. Further reading: Winning Independence: The Decisive Years of the Revolutionary War, 1778-1781 by John Ferling.
The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World
by William Dalrymple

Bestselling author and historian William Dalrymple's scholarly latest reveals the overlooked role India played in shaping ancient civilization's culture, politics, religion, economy, and more. For fans of: The Silk Roads: A New History of the World by Peter Frankopan.
America, América: A New History of the New World
by Greg Grandin

Pulitzer and Bancroft Prize-winning historian Greg Gandin's sweeping history of North and South America examines five centuries of the continents' relationship to each other. "It's a monumental new view of the New World," raves Publishers Weekly. Try this next: El Norte: The Epic and Forgotten Story of Hispanic North America by Carrie Gibson.
The Fate of the Generals: MacArthur, Wainwright, and the Epic Battle for the...
by Jonathan Horn

Journalist 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.
The Ride: Paul Revere and the Night That Saved America
by Kostya Kennedy

Released in time for the 250th anniversary of the event and featuring fresh insights, journalist Kostya Kennedy's accessible history chronicles Paul Revere's fateful midnight ride to warn American minutemen of the British army's impending arrival. Further reading: The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777 by Rick Atkinson.
On Truth in Politics: Why Democracy Demands It
by Michael P. Lynch

Do any of us really care about truth when it comes to politics? Should we? In a world of big lies, denialism, and conspiracy theories, democracies are experiencing two interlocked crises: a loss of confidence in democracy itself and the growing sense among many that politics is only about power--not truth. In this book, Michael Patrick Lynch argues that truth not only can--but must--matter in politics. He shows why truth is an essential democratic value--a value we need to sustain our democratic way of life--and how it can be strengthened. Despite evidence that people are rarely motivated by truth when it comes to politics, On Truth in Politics argues that this isn't inevitable. Accessibly written and rigorously argued, it draws on the American pragmatist tradition to develop an original theory of the nature and value of truth in the messy world of politics. Contrary to the belief of many, political beliefs can be true or false. But if democracy is to continue to be a space of reason and not just an arena of power, we must build a better infrastructure of knowledge, including stronger schools and media, and renew our commitment to science and history.
Freedom Ship: The Uncharted History of Escaping Slavery by Sea
by Marcus Rediker

Historian Marcus Rediker's (The Slave Ship) thoughtful latest explores how enslaved people in the Antebellum South utilized America's waterways to seek their freedom and profiles some of the men and women whose escapes were successful. For fans of: Beyond the River: The Untold Story of the Heroes of the Underground Railroad by Ann Hagedorn. 
Spell Freedom: The Underground Schools That Built the Civil Rights Movement
by Elaine F. Weiss

The acclaimed author of The Woman's Hour returns with the story of four activists—Septima Clark, Esau Jenkins, Myles Horton, and Bernice Robinson—whose audacious plan to restore voting rights to Black Americans laid the groundwork for the Civil Rights Movement.
Contact your librarian for more great books!
Michigan City Public Library
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Michigan City, Indiana 46360
219-873-3044
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