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History and Current Events July 2026 |
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| The Last of the Old Breed: An Oral History of the Final Marines from World War II by Scott DavisHistorian Scott Davis' evocative debut is an immersive oral history told by the last surviving Marines who fought in World War II's Pacific Theater, offering "a raw record of a generation's little discussed trauma" (Publishers Weekly). Try this next: The Devil Reached Toward the Sky: An Oral History of the Making and Unleashing of the Atomic Bomb by Garrett M. Graff. |
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The Great Contradiction: The Tragic Side of the American Founding
by Joseph J. Ellis
The author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Founding Brothers and the National Book Award winner American Sphinx [examines] how America's founders--Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Adams--regarded the issue of slavery as they drafted the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. In this daring and important work, [a] trusted voice on the founding era reckons with the realities and regrets of our founding and the tragedy of its two great failures: the failure to end slavery and the failure to avoid Indian removal--Provided by publisher.
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| The Killer and Frank Lloyd Wright: The True Story of Mass Murder in Paradise by Casey ShermanJournalist Casey Sherman's richly detailed true crime account chronicles the shocking 1914 murders and arson that took place at architect Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin compound in Wisconsin. Among the victims were Wright's mistress, her two children, and four staffers; the suspected murderer died by suicide while being apprehended, leaving his motives a mystery. For fans of: Saving Sin City: William Travers Jerome, Stanford White, and the Original Crime of the Century by Mary Cummings. |
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| On Witness and Respair: Essays by Jesmyn WardMacArthur Fellow Jesmyn Ward's reflective latest collects nearly two dozen essays, lectures, and other pieces published from 2008-2025, covering writing, film, literature, and her experiences as a Black woman. Try this next: To Free the Captives: A Plea for the American Soul by Tracy K. Smith. |
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Focus on: The American Revolution
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The Escapes of David George: An Odyssey of Slavery, Freedom, and the American Revolution
by Gregory E. O'Malley
When most Americans think of slavery, they do not picture the colonial or revolutionary eras. Yet, in fact, one of six inhabitants of the thirteen original colonies was enslaved. In 1762, at the age of 19, David George escaped from a plantation in Virginia, embarking on a decades-long journey in and out of captivity that spanned multiple colonies and thousands of miles. Piecing together archival records and David George's own brief account of his life--the earliest written testimony by a fugitive enslaved person in North America--Gregory O'Malley presents a thrilling and unique perspective on our nation's origins, principles, and contradictions.
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| The American Revolution and the Fate of the World by Richard BellIn his lively and accessible latest, historian Richard Bell reveals how the American Revolution was "a world war in all but name," detailing how the conflict impacted countries throughout the globe. Further reading: The American Revolution: A World War edited by Daniel K. Allison and Larrie D. Ferreiro. |
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| The Cause: The American Revolution and Its Discontents, 1773-1783 by Joseph J. EllisPulitzer Prize-winning historian Joseph J. Ellis' thought-provoking chronicle of the American Revolution explores the complexities and contradictions of the colonists' fight for independence, which they referred to as "The Cause." This richly detailed rethinking of a pivotal era includes profiles of forgotten figures including Mohawk chief Joseph Brant and Billy Lee, George Washington's enslaved valet. Further reading: Our First Civil War: Patriots and Loyalists in the American Revolution by H.W. Brands. |
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| Liberty Is Sweet: The Hidden History of the American Revolution by Woody HoltonAward-winning historian Woody Holton's revisionist account reveals how Black and Indigenous Americans, enslaved people, and women helped shape the outcome of the American Revolution, despite their conflicts with the colonists. Try this next: Obstinate Daughters: The Rebels, Writers, and Renegade Women Who Ignited the American Revolution by Denise Kiernan. |
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| The Ride: Paul Revere and the Night That Saved America by Kostya KennedyJournalist Kostya Kennedy's insightful and accessible history chronicles Paul Revere's fateful midnight ride to warn American minutemen of the British army's impending arrival on April 18, 1775. Further reading: The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777 by Rick Atkinson. |
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Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution
by Jonathan Turley
On the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, law professor, legal analyst, and bestselling author of The Indispensable Right Jonathan Turley explores how the unique origins of American democracy set it apart from other revolutions, whether it can survive and thrive in the 21st century, and how the unfinished story of the revolution will play out in a rapidly changing world.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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