| Red famine: Stalin's war on Ukraine by Anne ApplebaumAccording to Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Anne Applebaum, Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin deliberately created famine conditions in Ukraine as an act of genocide from 1931-34. Making effective use of previously published and newly available sources, Red Famine documents the effects of collectivization, removal of food to other regions, and other oppressive measures that resulted in the deaths of four million Ukrainians. Applebaum concludes that Stalin aimed to replace ethnic Ukrainians with Russians to achieve a more compliant populace. Though her analysis may be controversial, it sheds light on current tensions between Russia and Ukraine. |
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| Christmas: A biography by Judith FlandersIn most Western countries, Christmas is celebrated even by people for whom it's not a religious observance, and this isn't a recent development. In this accessible, richly detailed study, social historian Judith Flanders chronicles a "biography" of the holiday from the fourth century to the present day. She highlights secular Christmas celebrations as well as the evolution of religious observances. For another recent look at secularism and Christmas, pick up Canadian historian G.Q. Bowler's Christmas in the Crosshairs. |
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Black Tudors: The untold story
by Miranda Kaufmann
A black porter publicly whips a white Englishman in the hall of a Gloucestershire manor house. A Moroccan woman is baptised in a London church. Henry VIII dispatches a Mauritanian diver to salvage lost treasures from the Mary Rose. From long-forgotten records emerge the remarkable stories of Africans who lived free in Tudor England... They were present at some of the defining moments of the age. They were christened, married and buried by the Church. They were paid wages like any other Tudors. The untold stories of the Black Tudors, dazzlingly brought to life by Kaufmann, will transform how we see this most intriguing period of history.
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Collapse of a country : A diplomat's memoir of south Sudan
by Nicholas Coghlan
As the first Canadian diplomat to be posted to war-torn Sudan, in 2000, Nicholas Coghlan was a natural choice to head up Canada's diplomatic representation in the new Republic of South Sudan, soon after peace talks resulted in the secession of the South in 2011. Coghlan and his wife Jenny were on hand in Juba when, barely two years later, the capital erupted in gunfire and a new civil war began, pitting one half of the army against the other, Vice President Machar against President Kiir, the Nuer tribe against the Dinka. The Coghlans would later be honoured by the Government of Canada for their role in helping evacuate dozens of Canadians of South Sudanese extraction who were now forced to flee for their lives. This action-focussed narrative, grounded by accounts of meetings with key players and by travels throughout the dangerous, impoverished hinterland of South Sudan, explains what happened in December 2013 and why.
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Queen Victoria's matchmaking: The royal marriages that shaped Europe
by Deborah Cadbury
As her reign approached its sixth decade, Queen Victoria's grandchildren numbered over thirty, and to maintain and increase British royal power, she was determined to manoeuvre them into a series of dynastic marriages with the royal houses of Europe. Yet for all their apparent obedience, her grandchildren often had plans of their own, fuelled by strong wills and romantic hearts. Victoria's matchmaking plans were further complicated by the tumultuous international upheavals of the time: revolution and war were in the air, and kings and queens, princes and princesses were vulnerable targets. Queen Victoria's Matchmaking travels through the glittering, decadent palaces of Europe from London to Saint Petersburg, weaving in scandals, political machinations and family tensions to enthralling effect. It is at once an intimate portrait of a royal family and an examination of the conflict caused by the marriages the Queen arranged. At the heart of it all is Victoria herself: doting grandmother one moment, determined Queen Empress the next.
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New views: The world mapped like never before
by Alastair Bonnett
Modern satellite and geographical technology has enabled the world to be researched in new and incredible detail. From measuring species diversity to monitoring land shifts, our physical and sociological world is mapped like never before. New Views includes 50 specially commissioned maps that examine our world in a beautifully visual and fascinating way. Alastair Bonnett accompanies each map with a vivid essay that provides detailed insight into how the planet has changed and what it may look like in the future. From examining new deserts and charting airspace, to revealing emerging lands and measuring each continent's natural treasures. Each map showcases an important part of our world's history, sociology and of course, geography. New Views is an exciting, insightful and beautiful exploration of our world.
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Tales from the Captain's log: From Captain Cook to Charles Darwin, Blackbeard and Nelson - accounts of great events at sea from those who were there
by National Archives
For centuries, ships' commanders kept journals that recorded their missions. These included voyages of discovery to unknown lands, engagements in war and sea and general trade. Many of their logs, diaries and letters were lodged at The National Archives and give a vivid picture of the situations that they encountered. Entries range from Captain James Cook's notes of his discovery of the South Pacific and Australia, to logs of the great naval battles, such as Trafalgar and the Battle of the Nile. From the ships that attempted to stop piracy in the Caribbean, to the surgeons who recorded the health of the men they tended and naturalists who noted the exotic plants and animals they encountered, comes a fascinating picture of life at sea, richly illustrated with maps, drawings and facsimile documents found alongside the logs in the archives.
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The storm before the storm: The beginning of the end of the Roman republic
by Michael Duncan
Recreating the turbulent years from 133-80 BCE, the author tells the story of the beginning of the end of the Roman Republic—a tale of the first generation that had to cope with the dangerous new political environment made possible by Rome’s unrivaled domination over the known world—drawing many parallels to present-day America.
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| A bold and dangerous family: The Rosellis and the fight against Mussolini by Caroline MooreheadAcclaimed historian Caroline Moorehead has already published two books, focused on France, about anti-fascist resistance in Europe. Now, she relates a compelling and vividly descriptive account of a wealthy and prominent Florentine family whose members openly resisted Benito Mussolini and his fascist movement in the 1920s. The Italian movement is much less well known than the resistance in other parts of Europe, and this moving and well-documented portrait of courage brings it to life. |
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| Code girls: The untold story of the American women code breakers of World War II by Liza MundyIn this "sleek, compelling narrative" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), journalist Liza Mundy details women's secret and essential contributions to American military intelligence during the 1940s. Drawing on voluminous government records and interviews with some of the women, Code Girls describes their code-breaking work and its significance. For a close-up of one woman's contributions to cryptography, pick up Jason Fagone's The Woman Who Smashed Codes. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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