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History and Current Events October 2026 |
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| The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy by Gil DuránSan Francisco-based journalist Gil Durán’s incisive debut explores how Silicon Valley tech leaders who are closely aligned with the Trump administration help promote totalitarian ideologies. It’s “an ominous look at an insular elite arrayed against American democracy,” says Publishers Weekly. Further reading: Users: How Big Tech Took Control and How to Fight Back by Beeban Kidron. |
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| The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State by Jill LeporeTaking inspiration from Hannah Arendt’s 1951 classic The Origins of Totalitarianism, Pulitzer Prize winner Jill Lepore’s thought-provoking latest examines the origins and evolution of artificial intelligence, detailing AI’s damaging influence over politics, economics, and the everyday fabric of life. Try this next: Reboot: AI and the Race to Save Democracy by Beth Simone Noveck. |
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| The Castle: Adventures in a World of Unraveling Men by Jon RonsonIn his nuanced and compelling latest, bestselling investigative journalist Jon Ronson (So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed) explores the modern masculinity crisis, focusing on the eyebrow-raising exploits of predatory steel industry heir Chris Mark; actor and alleged cannibal Armie Hammer; Ronson’s former friend, disgraced Irish showrunner Graham Linehan; “manosphere” content creator Dan Bilzerian; and more. Try this next: What Is Wrong with Men: Patriarchy, the Crisis of Masculinity, and How (Of Course) Michael Douglas Films Explain Everything by Jessa Crispin. |
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The Last of the Old Breed: An Oral History of the Final Marines from World War II
by Scott Davis
Historian 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 Everest Mystery: Sandy Irvine, George Mallory, and the Truth Still Buried on Everest by Julie Summers and Jochen HemmlebHistorians Julie Summers and Jochen Hemmleb chronicle Sandy Irvine and George Mallory’s ill-fated 1924 expedition to summit Mt. Everest, during which the explorers perished…but how? And when? Drawing upon letters and journal entries, this evocative and richly detailed account offers a compelling historical mystery with a uniquely personal perspective -- Summers is Irvine’s great-niece. Further reading: The Third Pole: Mystery, Obsession, and Death on Mount Everest by Mark Synnott. |
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Me Here, You There: My Three Decades Overnight, Under the Covers, Schmoozing S-P-O-R-T-S as Captain Midnight for Wfan
by Steve Somers
On July 1, 1987 The city that never sleeps debuted the first 24-7 all-sports radio station in the USA. Steve Somers was here--and perhaps you, there--in WFAN's earliest days, an anxious sports media journeyman who had accepted a minimum-paygrade contract and the six-hour, overnight time slot that came with it. It was here, overnight and under the covers, that he made a name for himself as Captain Midnight, the steadfast on-air companion to New York City's finest: its truck drivers, bartenders, students, partygoers, and insomniacs; butchers, bakers, and candlestick makers; those looking for after-dark quiet from noisy days; and, of course, those seeking the precious company that radio, being intimate and personal, can give. While Somers has been called the soul of WFAN, it was those listeners and callers that became the soul of his shows: Jerome from Manhattan, Short Al from Brooklyn, Doris from Rego Park, and Jerry from Queens (who knew a thing or two about making a show about nothing). In Me Here, You There, Somers reflects on life as a Schmoozer from San Francisco with a dream-come-true of working the concrete jungle. From a childhood calling play-by-play into a lightbulb he pretended was a microphone, to three decades in the WFAN studios, Somers details the luck, leaps of faith, and memorable characters that, for better and for worse, shaped his improbable career. By turns wry and enchanting, Somers has authored a must-read for die-hard New York sports fans and anyone who appreciates a good story
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| Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea: Journeys Through Ancient Literature by Emily WilsonIn this engaging and accessible essay collection, classical studies professor Emily Wilson, whose work includes revered translations of Homer’s The Odyssey (which served as the inspiration for Christopher Nolan’s recent film adaptation) and The Iliad, discusses the complex history and challenges of translating ancient literature. Try this next: Talking Classics: The Shock of the Old by Mary Beard. |
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| Three Rivers: The Extraordinary Waterways That Created Europe by Robert WinderAward-winning former Granta and The Independent editor Robert Winder’s richly detailed and nonlinear history explores how the Rhine, the Rhône, and the Po rivers have impacted Western European civilization. For a more global perspective on how waterways have shaped humanity, check out Seven Rivers: A Journey Through the Currents of Human History by Vanessa Taylor. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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