[bksvol-discuss] Fw: History and Current Events August 2009
- From: "Amber Wallenstein" <amber.wallens@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 11 Aug 2009 10:37:52 -0400
New and Recently Released!
Rocket Men: The Triumph and Tragedy of the First Americans on the Moon - by
Craig Nelson
Publisher: Viking
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 06/25/2009
ISBN-13: 9780670021031
ISBN-10: 0670021032
Forty years after the Apollo 11 moon landing, this thorough retelling of the
efforts that put Neal Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins in space
should amply satisfy fans of space history. Having delved into declassified CIA
documents, interviews, and oral histories, author Craig Nelson provides
biographies of the three astronauts and shares copious technical and scientific
details of the space program. Even NASA's bureaucracy and the role of the
press come into play in this comprehensive history, which Publishers Weekly
calls both extensively researched and exciting.
Methland: The Death and Life of an American Small Town - by Nick Reding
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 06/16/2009
ISBN-13: 9781596916500
ISBN-10: 1596916508
During the last years of the 20th century, as family farms were replaced by
corporate agriculture and manufacturing jobs disappeared, many in the small
Iowa town of Oelwein turned to meth abuse and production--to the point that
even children riding bikes have come to play a part. Having earned the trust
of both local addicts and those fighting to save their town, author Nick Reding
uses Oelwein to humanize the destruction that meth addiction can bring
to rural communities. Reding also explores the international drug trade and
U.S. regulations, and brings light to a problem that isn't limited just to
tiny Oelwein. As the reviewer for The New York Times warns, "...attention must
be paid. Right now. Or else."
First Chapter
Dangerous Games: The Uses and Abuses of History - by Margaret MacMillan
Publisher: Modern Library
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 07/07/2009
ISBN-13: 9780679643586
ISBN-10: 0679643583
OK, history readers--gather 'round. Dangerous Games offers something a little
different than a history of an event or a time period. Rather, it's a meditation
on the uses and abuses of history, from the way that it can provide a sense of
identity to the way it can be manipulated to support or justify questionable
political campaigns or religious movements. The author, a professor of history,
includes discussions on the rewriting of history, the way in which faulty
memory can lead to false conclusions, and the promoting of positive--rather
than realistic--perspectives of certain events. Publishers Weekly calls it
"a must read for anyone who wants to understand the importance of correctly
understanding the past."
First Chapter
In Fed We Trust : How the Federal Reserve Became the Fourth Branch and Bernanke
Battled to Keep the Big Panic from Becoming the Great Depression - Wessel,
David
Publisher: Random House Inc
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 08/04/2009
ISBN-13: 9780307459688
ISBN-10: 0307459683
As the central bank of the U.S., the Federal Reserve sets interest rates and
provides liquidity to banks in order to provide stability to the financial
system. When the financial meltdown that began in 2007 led to the unprecedented
failures of Bear Stearns, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, AIG, WaMu, and Lehman
Brothers, the Fed was called on to take a much larger role, essentially
becoming an independent fourth branch of the government. It is often said that
the Fed chairman is the second most powerful person in the world, and when Alan
Greenspan left the post in 2005, his successor, Ben Bernanke, along with
Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, would soon face problems that were far more
challenging than those of Greenspan's tenure. Wessel's account is a history
of the Fed, a biography of Bernanke, and a blow-by-blow account of the
decision-making process that took place as Bernanke and Paulson used desperate
measures
to try to right a rapidly sinking ship. Bernanke failed to anticipate the
severity of the financial downturn, but perhaps he did the best that any man
could be expected to do. (Booklist Review)
The Illustrious Dead: The Terrifying Story of How Typhus Killed Napoleon's
Greatest Army - by Stephan Talty
Publisher: Crown Publishers
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 06/02/2009
ISBN-13: 9780307394040
ISBN-10: 0307394042
In this fascinating history of Napoleon's unsuccessful invasion of Russia,
author Stephan Talty argues that it was an outbreak of typhus that effectively
caused Napoleon's defeat. Approaching Russia in the spring of 1812 with 690,000
men under his command, Napoleon retreated from Moscow in November having
lost close to 400,000 soldiers; Talty suggests that half of those were killed
by typhus--carried by lice--and that those who survived likely went on to
infect their families on their return home. Readers interested in either
military history or epidemiology (or both!) won't go wrong with this
well-researched
and compellingly written history. For more on the consequences of disease in a
large population, try Steven Johnson's The Ghost Map, about a cholera outbreak
in Victorian London.
iViva la Revolución!
The Last Days of the Romanovs: Tragedy at Ekaterinburg - by Helen Rappaport
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 02/03/2009
ISBN-13: 9780312379766
ISBN-10: 0312379765
For weeks before their grisly deaths, Tsar Nicholas II and his family were
imprisoned within their Ekaterinburg home; it is their last 13 days that form
the center of this history of the Russian Revolution. Drawing on a wide range
of sources to bring each of the family members to life, author Helen Rappaport
has created an "emotionally powerful work" (Booklist) that captures the royal
family's imprisonment and brutal murder moment by moment. In addition, Rappaport
summarizes Nicholas's reign and covers the political maneuverings of those
trying to save or destroy him and his family, making for a "solid political
and social history, related with the vigor of a true-crime thriller" (Kirkus
Reviews).
Table of Contents
Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution - by Simon Schama
Publisher: Vintage Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 03/01/1990
ISBN-13: 9780679726104
ISBN-10: 0679726101
Though this book was first published 20 years ago, it remains one of the best
books available on the French Revolution. It has also received its share of
criticism, mostly focusing on author Simon Schama's view of the legacy of the
revolution and his assertion that the path of the revolution was set early
on. But it's also liberally sprinkled with detailed anecdotes that even readers
unfamiliar with French history will enjoy. For a close look at what brought
on the French revolution, as well as how it unfolded and why, check out
Citizens; you can follow it up with David Andress' The Terror, which was
published
in 2006.
Our First Revolution: The Remarkable British Uprising That Inspired America's
Founding Fathers - by Michael Barone
Publisher: Crown Publishers
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 05/08/2007
ISBN-13: 9781400097920
ISBN-10: 1400097924
Long before America's Founding Fathers started thinking about the separation
between church and state or the power of constitutional law, English
Parliamentarians
encouraged William of Orange to overthrow their Catholic king, James II. One
result was a Bill of Rights that weakened the monarchy's hold on England and
encouraged the growth of England's parliamentary democracy. Our First
Revolution is an examination of the Glorious Revolution of 1688-89 and its
consequences,
and it details the revolution's impact on the American fight for independence
less than 100 years later. Whether you're interested in British or American
history or are curious about the foundations of the democracies of today,
you'll want to read this skillful analysis.
First Chapter
A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America - by Stacy
Schiff
Publisher: Henry Holt
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 01/10/2006
ISBN-13: 9780805080094
ISBN-10: 0805080090
This critically acclaimed book by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Stacy Schiff
reveals how Benjamin Franklin outmaneuvered hostile colleagues, reluctant
monarchists,
and the British secret service to successfully convince France to underwrite
America's experiment in democracy. Though Franklin had little diplomatic
experience--and
only a rudimentary grasp of the French language--he was nevertheless able to
use his personal charm and a natural understanding of politics to great effect.
Though this book is clearly of interest to armchair historians interested in
colonial history, Francophiles will especially enjoy learning how France aided
in the creation of the United States.
First Chapter
A Concise History of the Russian Revolution - by Richard Pipes
Publisher: Vintage Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 12/01/1996
ISBN-13: 9780679745440
ISBN-10: 0679745440
Just as the title says, this is a detailed yet succinct look at the decay of
Russia's tsarist empire and the causes and consequences of the revolution;
it's perfect for those not willing to attempt the author's two-volume version.
Emphasizing, however, that what happened in October 1917 was a coup d'état
rather than a revolution, Pipes goes on to explore how Russia was governed both
before and after and discusses the Bolshevik regime in great detail. With
illustrations (including maps), a glossary, a chronology, and suggestions for
further reading, Pipes' Concise History is a great introduction to Russia's
revolution.
The Great Upheaval: America and the Birth of the Modern World, 1788-1800 - by
Jay Winik
Publisher: HarperCollins
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 09/01/2007
ISBN-13: 9780060083137
ISBN-10: 0060083131
The end of the 18th century was a period of tumultuous change marked by
Russia's war with the Ottoman Empire, the revolution in France, and America's
new
constitution (ratified in 1788) and transfer of power from the Federalists to
the Democratic-Republicans (in 1800). None of these dramatic events happened
in isolation; author Jay Winik sheds light on the connections between these
nations and their leaders, including Catherine the Great, Louis XVI,
Robespierre,
and Thomas Jefferson. This "outstandingly wide-ranging account of this vital
era in world history" (Booklist) should appeal to historians of all stripes.
First Chapter
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