Early in the 20th century, comic books boomed in popularity--and as production and readership expanded, so did the moral outrage generated by the comics. By the 1950s, the argument was less that Sunday comics distracted people from worship or that Superman exhibited Nazi-like authoritarian tendencies, and more that comics-reading kids would become juvenile delinquents. As author David Hajdu explains, the evidence supporting that claim was weak, but it still led to book burnings, Senate hearings, ruined careers, and the end of an era. Armchair historians and comic book buffs alike will find something to like in The Ten-Cent Plague.

It may have taken 400 years, but in 1914, the man-made Panama Canal opened for traffic, finally linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Though it was one of the greatest engineering feats of the 20th century, building the canal included a failed French attempt in the late 1800s; the successful American effort was achieved by laborers who were often treated abysmally. Author Matthew Parker gives an account of the engineering problems, but the focus of his "engrossing narrative" (Publishers Weekly) is on "canalitis," the fever to succeed that overcame anyone involved in the project. For more on the canal's history, try David McCullough's The Path Between the Seas.

When U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt took over the Oval Office, the country was mired in the Great Depression. To combat the high rate of unemployment--about 25%--FDR put millions of people to work through the Works Progress Administration (later the Work Projects Administration), part of a larger network of New Deal programs. Historian Nick Taylor's account of the origins of the WPA examines the politics that surrounded it as well as its evolution and its legacy. He pays particular attention to Harry Hopkins, the first commissioner, and the results that the WPA produced. Publishing just in time for the 75th anniversary of the New Deal's beginnings, American-Made is "vividly rendered" (Kirkus Reviews).

Currently covering U.S. foreign policy for The Washington Post, journalist Robin Wright has written about the Middle East for more than 30 years. Her latest book, Dreams and Shadows, focuses on the issues that the region is dealing with today. She offers key insights into the decisive events that are reshaping the region and examines the people who are leading the charge for change. Cautiously optimistic about the future, Dreams and Shadows is for anyone interested in learning more about the modern Middle East.

Originally published in 2005 to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, this account of Lord Nelson's staunch defense against Napoleon's invasion of England depicts not only the battle but the events leading up to it, the conditions on board, and the aftermath. Whether you're newly interested in the Napoleonic Wars, sea battles, or British history, or have read widely on those subjects, you're in for a treat if you haven't read historian Roy Atkins' work. From Royal Navy strategy to on-board cuisine, Nelson's Trafalgar contains a wealth of fascinating detail.

Using eyewitness accounts, declassified Navy documents, and interviews and correspondence with survivors, this highly detailed and rousing narrative by author James D. Hornfischer chronicles the October 1944 battle off Samar, the Philippines, between a vastly outnumbered fleet of American warships and a flotilla of the Japanese Navy. Presenting the heroic efforts of the men manning the ships and aircraft--many of whom continued to attack despite having run out of ammunition--The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors "reads like a very good action novel" (Publishers Weekly).

Part of Oxford University Press' Pivotal Moments in American History series, Crossroads of Freedom looks at the furious 24-hour battle at Antietam, where close to 6,000 Union and Rebel soldiers were killed and 15,000 were wounded, and which had repercussions well off the battlefield. Author James M. McPherson argues that the Union "victory"--hard-won, limited, and more strategic than tactical--was a political and moral turning point, and that "No other campaign and battle in the war had such momentous, multiple consequences." The Economist states that McPherson's account is remarkable for its "scholarly brilliance and passion."

The War of 1812 may not be the first conflict you think of when you think of U.S. military history, but the American victory helped cement the bonds between the states. And the Battle of New Orleans, the most decisive battle in the war, produced a war hero who would go on to be president. Historian Robert V. Remini provides a colorful and engaging account of the 1815 battle, and in the process shows how Andrew Jackson and his motley crew of frontiersmen, pirates, free blacks, and regular soldiers managed to defeat the battle-tested British troops in New Orleans. It's "an exceptional book that combines impressive scholarship with a riveting narrative" (The New York Times).