| The Lincoln Miracle: Inside the Republican Convention That Changed History by Edward AchornWhat it's about: the fateful 1860 Republican Convention, in which underdog Abraham Lincoln secured the party's nomination for president.
Why you might like it: Pulitzer Prize finalist Edward Achorn's vivid, you-are-there account chronicles each day of the convention with drama and suspense.
For fans of: engaging and accessible political histories. |
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| The New Guys: The Historic Class of Astronauts That Broke Barriers and Changed... by Meredith BagbyWhat it is: a richly detailed history of NASA's 1978 Group 8 astronaut class, whose members included the first American women, first African Americans, first Asian American, and first gay person to fly in space.
What's inside: more than 100 interviews with surviving members of Group 8, whose class was dubbed "Thirty-Five New Guys" (TFNG).
Featuring: a comprehensive chronicle of the Challenger disaster, whose casualties included four members of the group. |
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| Fragile Cargo: The World War II Race to Save the Treasures of China's Forbidden City by Adam BrookesWhat it's about: how a team of Chinese curators kept the Forbidden City's one million pieces of art from being destroyed during World War II.
How they did it: Over a period of 16 years, the team shipped nearly 20,000 wooden cases across China, where they were stored in warehouses, temples, and caves.
Read it for: a novelistic tribute to little-known acts of wartime heroism. |
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| Femina: A New History of the Middle Ages, Through the Women Written Out of It by Janina RamirezWhat it is: a revisionist history of England's medieval period that spotlights the influential -- yet often erased -- contributions of the era's women.
Featuring: "King" Jadwiga, Poland's first woman monarch; nun and polymath Hildegard of Bingen, regarded as the founder of natural history in Germany; mystic Margery Kempe, who wrote the first autobiography written in English.
Reviewers say: "A great choice for any history buff" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears by Michael SchulmanWhat it is: a lively and gossipy behind-the-scenes history of the Oscars, Hollywood's most prestigious award ceremony.
Want a taste? "The Oscars are a battlefield where cultural forces collide and where the victors aren’t always as clear as the names drawn from the envelope."
Further reading: The Academy and the Award by Bruce Davis. |
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| Shielded: How the Police Became Untouchable by Joanna SchwartzWhat it's about: how laws and government policies protect United States police officers who abuse their power.
Author alert: UCLA law professor and Civil Procedure co-author Joanna Schwartz is a leading expert on police misconduct litigation.
Try this next: Untouchable: How Powerful People Get Away with It by Elie Honig. |
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| Africatown: America's Last Slave Ship and the Community It Created by Nick TaborWhat it's about: how the enslaved passengers of the Clotilda, the last slave ship that sailed from West Africa to America, were emancipated and created Africatown, a thriving Black community in Alabama.
Read it for: a compelling exploration of Africatown's decline due to industrialization and environmental racism, despite renewed interest following the 2019 discovery of the Clotilda's remains and the community's attempts to create a memorial.
Further reading: Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" by Zora Neale Hurston, a biography of Clotilda survivor Cudjo Lewis. |
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| The Curse of the Marquis de Sade: A Notorious Scoundrel, a Mythical Manuscript, and the... by Joel WarnerHow it began: In 1785, while imprisoned at the Bastille, the Marquis de Sade penned his notorious erotic novel The 120 Days of Sodom on a 40-foot-long scroll.
What happened next: the novel's original manuscript changed hands numerous times over the next two centuries before playing a central role in the largest Ponzi scheme in French history.
For fans of: scandalous stranger-than-fiction tales. |
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| It's Always Been Ours: Rewriting the Story of Black Women's Bodies by Jessica Wilson, MS, RDWhat it is: an incisive look at how systemic inequities in the wellness industry reinforce racist ideals at the expense of Black women's mental and physical health.
Why you might like it: Dietician and community organizer Jessica Wilson's debut offers an intimate blend of history and personal narrative.
Reviewers say: "This fiery polemic and celebration stands out among contemporary books on the subject of Black women's bodies" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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