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| Between Two Rivers: Ancient Mesopotamia and the Birth of History by Moudhy Al-RashidIn her accessible and illuminating debut, historian Moudhy Al-Rashid utilizes eight artifacts, including cuneiform tablets and weapon fragments, to explore everyday life and culture in ancient Mesopotamia. Further reading: The Library of Ancient Wisdom: Mesopotamia and the Making of the Modern World by Selena Wisnom. |
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| Born in Flames: The Business of Arson and the Remaking of the American City by Bench AnsfieldHistorian Bench Ansfield's thought-provoking exposé details the ongoing legacy of the 1970s arson epidemic, exacerbated by corrupt landlords and predatory insurance companies, that plagued urban neighborhoods throughout the United States, particularly in the South Bronx. Try this next: The Killing Fields of East New York: The First Subprime Mortgage Scandal, a White-Collar Crime Spree, and the Collapse of an American Neighborhood by Stacy Horn. |
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| The Martians: The True Story of an Alien Craze That Captured Turn-of-the-Century America by David BaronScience journalist David Baron (American Eclipse) chronicles how early-20th century astronomers, writers, and intellectuals popularized a cultural fascination with Mars (and its potential lifeforms) that ushered in a new era of exploration, tabloid journalism, and conspiracy theories. Try this next: Dead Air: The Night That Orson Welles Terrified America by William Elliott Hazelgrove. |
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| Deadwood: Gold, Guns, and Greed in the American West by Peter CozzensHistorian Peter Cozzens' rollicking revisionist history of Deadwood, South Dakota, the Black Hills Gold Rush settlement famously immortalized in the HBO series Deadwood, offers a nuanced portrait of the town's origins and its larger-than-life characters. For fans of: Wild Bill: The True Story of the American Frontier's First Gunfighter by Tom Clavin. |
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| The Black Family Who Built America: The McKissacks, Two Centuries of Daring Pioneers by Cheryl McKissack Daniel with Nick ChilesIn her inspiring debut, Cheryl McKissack Daniel, president of America's oldest Black-owned construction firm McKissack & McKissack, details two centuries of her trailblazing family's influential yet overlooked contributions to American architecture, from their post-Emancipation projects to the present. Try this next: On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker by A'Lelia Bundles. |
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| Could Should Might Don't: How We Think About the Future by Nick FosterFuturist and designer Nick Foster's thought-provoking study blends history and current events to examine four mindsets of approaching the future -- "could" (based on projections), "should" (based on goals), "might" (based on data), and "don't" (based on consequences). Further reading: A Century of Tomorrows: How Imagining the Future Shapes the Present by Glenn Adamson. |
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| Black Moses: A Saga of Ambition and the Fight for a Black State by Caleb GayleJournalist Caleb Gayle's compelling and well-researched history offers a nuanced portrait of Black separatist politician and entrepreneur Edward McCabe, whose attempts to establish Black-run communities in the post-Reconstruction Oklahoma Territory spurred the displacement of the Cherokee already living there. Try this next: The Cost of Free Land: Jews, Lakota, and an American Inheritance by Rebecca Clarren. |
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| The Fort Bragg Cartel: Drug Trafficking and Murder in the Special Forces by Seth HarpJournalist and Iraq War veteran Seth Harp's disturbing debut chronicles the criminal exploits of United States Special Forces soldiers based at North Carolina's Fort Bragg military base, where a 2020 double murder exposed a drug trafficking operation. Try this next: Code Over Country: The Tragedy and Corruption of SEAL Team Six by Matthew Cole. |
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| Jews vs. Rome: Two Centuries of Rebellion Against the World's Mightiest Empire by Barry StraussDrawing upon historical documents and recent archaeological discoveries, historian Barry Strauss explores two centuries of Jewish rebellion against the Romans, from the conquest of Jerusalem in 63 B.C.E. to the Bar Kokhba revolt of 132-136 C.E. "There is no better history of this important but little-known subject," raves Library Journal. Further reading: Rome and Jerusalem: The Clash of Ancient Civilizations by Martin Goodman. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Des Plaines Public Library
1501 Ellinwood St.
Des Plaines, Illinois 60016
847-376-2814www.dppl.org |
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