History and Current Events May 2026 |
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| This Land Is Your Land: A Road Trip Through U.S. History by Beverly GagePulitzer Prize-winning historian Beverly Gage's engaging travelogue surveys 250 years of American history via visits to 13 places that have shaped the country, from Independence Hall to Disneyland and everything in between. Try this next: American Rambler: Walking the Trail of Johnny Appleseed by Isaac Fitzgerald. |
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| London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth by Patrick Radden KeefeIn his richly detailed latest, award-winning journalist Patrick Radden Keefe (Say Nothing) chronicles the shocking death of 19-year-old Zac Brettler in 2019 London, revealing how Brettler's secret life posing as the son of a Russian oligarch led to his involvement in the city's seedy underworld. For fans of: Blood Will Out: The True Story of a Murder, a Mystery, and a Masquerade by Walter Kirn. |
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The Lost Cities of El Norte: Coronado's Quest, the Unconquered West, and the Birth of American Indian Resistance
by Peter Stark
In 1540, the grandest exploring expedition ever assembled in the Americas paraded north from the ruins of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, a glittering column of 2,000 men heading into the unknown. Their destination was El Norte Misterioso--The Mysterious North, present-day United States--where fabulous cities of gold were rumored to shine beyond the horizon. Two years later, survivors began stumbling back, half dead. Lost to poisoned arrows, brutal deserts, starvation, cold, desertion, and countless other hardships, 90% of those who left would never return. Led by Francisco Coronado and backed by the full weight of the Spanish empire, the superpower of its day, they had expected to seize the land, steal its riches, and subjugate its peoples, just as they had so recently done to the mighty Aztec and Inca empires. But instead they encountered the unconquered American West, populated by complex societies of indigenous nations, masters of a vast and unforgiving landscape who fiercely resisted this European incursion onto their lands. After leading the largest exploring cavalcade ever assembled in the New World, wearing his gilded armor and bobbing plume, Coronado retreated back to Mexico City two years later accompanied only by a hundred or so hangers-on and carried on a litter, a broken man. America's Southwest and Plains would remain unconquered for the next 300 years.
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| The Future Is Peace: A Shared Journey Across the Holy Land by Aziz Abu Sarah and Maoz InonIn their hopeful travelogue that "powerfully demonstrates that fellowship can bridge seemingly intractable divides" (Kirkus), friends and peace activists Aziz Abu Sarah, who is Palestinian, and Maoz Inon, who is Israeli, spend eight days traveling the region, sharing both local and personal histories throughout their journey. For fans of: The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East by Sandy Tolan. |
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This Vast Enterprise: A New History of Lewis & Clark
by Craig Fehrman
In 1806, when Meriwether Lewis and William Clark return from their journey--having led the Corps of Discovery across eight thousand miles of rapids, mountains, forests, and ravines--they bring an incredible tale starring themselves as courageous explorers, skilled survivalists, underrated scientists, and peaceful ambassadors. While there is truth in those descriptions, there is also distortion. From one of the most exciting new historians to emerge in the past decade, This Vast Enterprise offers a novel take on the expedition: a gripping narrative that draws on lost documents, stunning analysis, and Native perspectives.
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The History of the USA Year by Year
by DK
Discover the extraordinary story of the United States of America - from its fight for independence to its 250th anniversary. This captivating and richly illustrated book takes you on a year-by-year journey through US history, starting with the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the hard-fought battles of the Revolutionary War. Explore the crafting of the US Constitution, the triumphs and tragedies of the Civil War, and the transformative milestones that shaped the nation's identity - from the abolition of slavery to the Cold War and the Civil Rights movement, and beyond. Each year is brought vividly to life with thoughtful analysis of pivotal events, insightful and intimate profiles of the major figures who shaped the country and changed the course of its future, and illuminating connections to broader historical themes.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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