"From the start the Venetians were different." ~ from Roger Crowley's City of Fortune
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| Then Comes Marriage: United States v. Windsor and the Defeat of DOMA by Roberta Kaplan with Lisa DickeyIn this compelling history of a landmark Supreme Court ruling, lawyer Roberta Kaplan relates both the legal details of the case she argued, United States v. Windsor, and the personal story of the litigant, whose 40-year marriage with her wife wasn't legally recognized in the United States. Woven into the love story of Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer is a microhistory of the Defense of Marriage Act, LGBTQ civil rights, and Kaplan's own coming to terms with her sexuality. Then Comes Marriage offers an informative, insightful, and engaging perspective on marriage equality in U.S. society and law. |
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| The Comedians: Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels, and the History of... by Kliph NesteroffIn The Comedians, author and comic Kliph Nesteroff lightens up history with a chronicle of stand-up comedy from vaudeville to internet media. Depicting the economic struggles even successful performers faced before motion picture stardom, Nesteroff supplies well-researched details from the early days while profiling some of the more famous acts. He continues with the evolution of comedy through the eras of radio and television comedy programs, including late night talk shows. Specific profiles cover stars from Groucho Marx to Eddie Murphy and the standouts of today (including Louis C.K. and Marc Maron). Comedy fans won't want to miss this entertaining survey. |
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| Doomed to Succeed: The U.S.-Israel Relationship from Truman to Obama by Dennis RossAuthor Dennis Ross has been directly involved in American-Israeli relations as a senior diplomat in several administrations. In Doomed to Succeed, Ross provides an overview of U.S. attitudes and policies towards Israel from President Harry Truman's administration to President Barak Obama's. Analyzing the differences and the continuities in Near Eastern diplomacy, Ross offers an insider's perspective while detailing the broader picture. Though he doesn't offer any miraculous solutions to the complex American-Israeli-Palestinian puzzle, he does provide a well-informed analysis that has value for adherents of every political viewpoint. |
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| The Devil's Chessboard: Allen Dulles, the CIA, and the Rise of America's Secret... by David TalbotIn The Devil's Chessboard, author David Talbot, founding editor-in-chief of Salon, provides chilling details of 1950s CIA Director Allen Dulles' secret influence during and after World War II. With deep connections to powerful business interests, attorney Dulles set up an alternative to the U.S. government in Switzerland during the war, planning to fight Communism in cooperation with German interests. Later, he used his political and criminal networks to milk funds from the Marshall Plan, manipulate government officials and military leaders, and promote Richard Nixon as an anti-Communist mouthpiece in Congress. Kirkus Reviews says, "all engaged American citizens should read" this eye-opening book. |
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| Detroit City Is the Place to Be: The Afterlife of an American Metropolis by Mark BinelliThe decline of Detroit, Michigan, into epic bankruptcy, decaying buildings, and drug-fueled criminality has been widely reported, but less thoroughly covered is the city's potential for new ideas in urban development. In Detroit City is the Place to Be, Rolling Stone contributing editor Mark Binelli chronicles the 300-year history of his hometown. In a series of accessible and well-researched essays, Binelli examines not only Detroit's French colonial origins, but its 20th-century heyday, the reasons for its decline, and the signs of new life appearing in the form of small-capital entrepreneurs, speculators, urban environmentalists, and planning idealists. Pick up Binelli's book to read about this new urban frontier on the Detroit River. |
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| The Gardner Heist: The True Story of the World's Largest Unsolved Art Theft by Ulrich BoserThe city of Boston is the scene of the largest art theft in history -- still unsolved 25 years later. In March 1990, two men made off with a dozen of the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum's most valuable paintings. In The Gardner Heist, journalist Ulrich Boser details others' efforts to trace the paintings and discusses his own detective work. His interviews with dozens of people, from art collectors to underworld figures, create a colorful tapestry of the passionate world of art. Whether you're an art lover or a true crime aficionado, you won't want to miss this vivid account. |
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| City of Fortune: How Venice Ruled the Seas by Roger CrowleyThough Venice is now primarily a tourist destination in Italy, it was once the center of a great empire. In City of Fortune, author Roger Crowley details the city's history from 1200 to 1500, when it ruled the waves of the Mediterranean region and commanded trade routes between Europe and Asia. Expertly wielding both military and diplomatic techniques, Venice prevailed over rival Genoa and repelled Turkish advances. Crowley's history focuses on the politics rather than the artistic achievements, but history buffs and anyone interested in Venice will appreciate this gripping account. |
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| Parisians: An Adventure History of Paris by Graham RobbIn Parisians, historian Graham Robb presents little-known aspects of Paris history -- as well as its geographical secrets -- through a series of vignettes that feature historical figures such as Marie Antoinette (unable to flee the city because she lacked a reliable map) and criminal-turned-P.I. Eugène François Vidocq. Though Robb takes certain novelistic liberties (historical individuals share narrative duties), his findings are based on solid research. Curious about Paris' catacombs or Napoleon's first impressions of the city? You'll find information about both -- and so much more -- in this "valentine to the City of Light" (The New York Times). |
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| A Comrade Lost and Found: A Beijing Story by Jan WongWhen journalist Jan Wong was 19 years old, the third-generation Chinese-Canadian was invited to spend a year at Beijing University. During her time there, she was an enthusiastic Maoist and an eager participant in the Cultural Revolution; she even betrayed a fellow student who confessed that he hoped to escape to America. Thirty years later, on the eve of the Beijing Olympics, a guilt-ridden Wong travels back to China with her family to find out what became of her former friend. Check out A Comrade Lost and Found for her fascinating portrait of the great city and a deeply personal story. |
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