|
|
|
|
History and Current Events January 2026 |
|
|
|
| Captain's Dinner: A Shipwreck, an Act of Cannibalism, and a Murder Trial That... by Adam CohenIn 1884, the starving crew of the shipwrecked yacht Mignonette killed and cannibalized the vessel's cabin boy in accordance with the "custom of the sea." The resulting murder trial set a precedent that changed the course of legal history. Journalist Adam Cohen's engaging true crime account offers a richly detailed chronicle of the rapidly shifting mores of the Victorian era. For fans of: The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann. |
|
| Barbieland: The Unauthorized History by Tarpley HittJournalist Tarpley Hitt's funny and engaging debut details the origins, evolution, and cultural impact of the iconic Barbie doll, which launched in 1959. Through investigative reporting, global archival research, and interviews with key players from across the Barbie extended universe, Barbieland lays bare the unseen--and so often absurd--work that made Mattel a multibillion-dollar business and turned Barbie into an institution. |
|
| The Greatest Sentence Ever Written by Walter IsaacsonBestselling biographer Walter Isaacson (Steve Jobs) turns his attention to the second sentence of the Declaration of Independence (which begins with "We hold these truths to be self-evident..."), offering a word-by-word breakdown of its significance. Published to coincide with the document's 250th anniversary, this is a "short, smart analysis" (Kirkus Reviews) of a document that holds our ideals in its lines. |
|
|
|
Martyrs to the Unspeakable: The Assassinations of Jfk, Malcolm, Martin, and Rfk
by James W. Douglass
Examines the assassinations of four great men, in each case, American figures who made a prophetic commitment to peace and social transformation and were regarded as enemies of the state who had to be eliminated. Douglass believes that this hidden history holds a key to recovering and advancing their mission, and setting our country and the world on a path to peace.
|
|
|
|
A Biography of a Mountain: The Making and Meaning of Mount Rushmore
by Matthew Davis
From the tragic history of Wounded Knee and the horrors of Indian Boarding Schools, to the Land Back movement of today, Davis traces the Native American story of Mt. Rushmore alongside the narrative of the growing territory and state of South Dakota, and the economic and political forces that shaped the reasons for the Memorial's creation. This combines history with reportage, from the land's origins as sacred tribal ground; to the expansion of the American West; to the larger-than-life personality of Gutzon Borglum, the artist who carved the presidential faces into the mountain; and up to the politicized present-day conflict over the site and its future.
|
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
If you are having trouble unsubscribing to this newsletter, please contactthe Winfield Public Library
630-653-7599, 0S291 Winfield Rd.
Winfield, IL 60190
|
|
|