[bksvol-discuss] Fw: History and Current Events February 2008

  • From: "Amber Wallenstein" <amber.wallens@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2008 09:18:05 -0500

I just got this in my mailbox today.  Enjoy!
Amber
New and Recently Released!
How the South Could Have Won the Civil War: The Fatal Errors That Led to 
Confederate Defeat - by Bevin Alexander
Publisher: Crown Publishers
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 12/31/2007
ISBN: 9780307345998
ISBN-10: 0307345998
This is not military historian Bevin Alexander's first attempt to visualize how 
a war could have ended otherwise--in 2000 he published How Hitler Could
Have Won World War II. Here, he looks at the errors that cost the South a Civil 
War victory, and outlines the tactical and strategic approaches the Confederacy
could have used to change the course of the war. If you're interested in the 
military aspects of the Civil War--or are intrigued by the idea of how a 
different
outcome could have come about--you'll appreciate Alexander's analyses of the 
battles and the conclusions that he draws from them.
The Fighting 69th: One Remarkable National Guard Unit's Journey From Ground 
Zero to Baghdad - by Sean Michael Flynn
Publisher: Viking
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 12/27/2007
ISBN: 9780670018437
ISBN-10: 0670018430
Before 9/11, the New York Army National Guard's 69th infantry regiment was a 
poorly trained, poorly led, and ineffective group of fairly inept individuals.
After the attacks, members nevertheless came together voluntarily, but their 
posting to Iraq in 2004 showed all too clearly their unreadiness for battle.
Written by one of the regiment's commanders, The Fighting 69th shows precisely 
how the unit learned--on the job--to work effectively and well in one of
Baghdad's most dangerous regions, and in the process brought distinction back 
to a once-well-respected National Guard unit.
Come to Think of It: Notes on the End of the Millennium - by Daniel Schorr
Publisher: Viking
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 12/27/2007
ISBN: 9780670018734
ISBN-10: 0670018732
Journalist Daniel Schorr's distinctive voice is probably familiar to anyone who 
tunes into NPR's All Things Considered and Weekend Edition (as well as to
its live coverage of breaking news). In Come to Think of It, Schorr has 
collected some of the many political observations and commentaries he has aired
during his 17-year tenure at NPR. Arranged chronologically, they cover such 
topics as the Middle East of the early 90s, Bill Clinton's presidency, O.J.
Simpson's trial, and health care. If you enjoyed his 2001 memoir, Staying 
Tuned, or are simply looking for more of Schorr's thoughts, don't miss this 
compilation.
Table of Contents
A Bound Man: Why We Are Excited About Obama and Why He Can't Win - by Shelby 
Steele
Publisher: Free Press
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 12/4/2007
ISBN: 9781416559177
ISBN-10: 1416559175
The U.S. presidential election may not be until November, but that doesn't mean 
that the issue's on the back burner. With both a woman and an African-American
vying for the Democratic nomination, history is definitely in the making, no 
matter the outcome. In A Bound Man, author Shelby Steele offers an analysis
of the complex racial issues that U.S. Senator Barack Obama has confronted in 
his quest for the presidency. In addition, Steele assesses the challenges
that threaten Obama's support in both the white and the black communities. 
Whether you agree with his points or not, his argument is sure to be 
thought-provoking.
Lies my teacher told me : everything your American history textbook got wrong - 
James W. Loewen
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 10/16/2007
ISBN: 9780743296281
ISBN-10: 0743296281
Loewen (sociology, Univ. of Vermont; "Mississippi: Conflict and Change"), whose 
interest lies in looking for "weapons of mass instruction" in American history
textbooks, first shared his findings over ten years ago in the best-selling 
first edition of this book. Here he presents his updated assessments, starting
with an introduction that "re-caps" and "pre-caps" what the book covers, and 
explains his concept of the failings of 12 American history textbooks.  The
first edition of the books was the winner of the 1996 American Book Award and 
the Oliver Cromwell Cox Award for Distinguished Anti-Racist Scholarship.
Table of Contents
Focus on: Cities & Places
London: The Biography - by Peter Ackroyd
Publisher: Anchor Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 4/1/2003
ISBN: 9780385497718
ISBN-10: 0385497717
Using sources that include ballads and folk tales as well as court records and 
newspaper accounts, author Peter Ackroyd has created a book as diverse and
enthralling as London and its inhabitants have been over the years. No 
traditional historian, Ackroyd makes the point that the city is a living entity,
and writes of such subjects as London's smells, ghosts, and waste disposal 
practices over time. If you're looking for a sweeping chronicle of London from
the time of the Druids to the end of the 20th century, this 800+ page 
"biography" of the city should do the trick.
First Chapter
The City of Falling Angels - by John Berendt
Publisher: Penguin Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 9/26/2006
ISBN: 9780143036937
ISBN-10: 0143036939
John Berendt, bestselling author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, 
leaves steamy Savannah, Georgia and her eccentrics, secrets, and scandals to
travel to watery Venice, Italy...land of eccentrics, secrets, and scandals--and 
possibly arson. Just days before Berendt's arrival, Venice's historic Fenice
Opera House went up in flames, so he takes it upon himself to examine the 
possibility that the fire was intentional. Readers with a love for Venice or
an interest in armchair travel will be drawn to the intriguing mix of 
fascinating people, politics, and city lore found in this engaging book.
Table of Contents
Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898 - by Edwin G. Burrows and Mike 
Wallace
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 11/1/1998
ISBN: 9780195116342
ISBN-10: 0195116348
Near the beginning of this comprehensive, Pulitzer Prize-winning history of New 
York City, you'll learn that the nickname Gotham actually means "Goats'
Town." This is just one of the many tidbits you'll come across as history 
professors Edwin Burrows and Mike Wallace lead you on an enticing journey from
the region's first arrivals to Dutch and British settlement to the birth of the 
skyscraper. At more than 1,000 pages, Gotham matches the size of its subject,
and is as vivid and magisterial as the city itself. Coauthor Wallace is 
currently at work on the sequel, which will continue NYC's history through 2008.
First Chapter
Table of Contents
Europe: A History - by Norman Davies
Publisher: HarperPerennial
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 1/1/1998
ISBN: 9780060974688
ISBN-10: 0060974680
Looking at Europe as a single entity rather than as a composition of discrete 
nations (though the nations get their fair share of attention too), well-known
historian Norman Davies covers the continent's history from prehistoric times 
up to the end of the 20th century. Praised for his writing style, Davies
also has a strong background and interest in Eastern Europe, so this book is 
sure to be a treat for those seeking an expansive history of Europe. Beginning
historians wanting a shorter review of Europe's past might want to try J.M. 
Roberts' A History of Europe.
First Chapter
India: A History - by John Keay; maps and tables by Jillian Luff
Publisher: Grove Press
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 5/1/2001
ISBN: 9780802137975
ISBN-10: 0802137970
This in-depth history of India offers a chronological review of the major 
events that transformed its diverse cultures and traditions, but devotes the 
bulk
of its pages to both the many cultures themselves and to the subcontinent's 
thousands of years of civilization before Europeans arrived. Complex and titanic
though his topic may be, author John Keay has created an "evenhanded, informed, 
and enthusiastic illumination of the vastness of Indian history" (Booklist).
His history ends in 1998; for more recent developments in India, there are 
plenty of options: try Ramachandra Guha's India After Gandhi, published in 2007,
which focuses on India's 60 years of independence.
First Chapter
Table of Contents
City of the Century: The Epic of Chicago and the Making of America - by Donald 
Miller
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 4/1/1997
ISBN: 9780684831381
ISBN-10: 0684831384
Beginning with an exploration of the site in 1673, this history of the city of 
Chicago follows its growth from a small fur-trading outpost to the giant,
influential hub it is today, focusing especially on the 19th century. Featuring 
events like the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition (also known as the Chicago
World's Fair) and peopled by such five-star names as Frank Lloyd Wright and the 
founders of Sears & Roebuck, City of the Century chronicles explosive 
entrepreneurial,
technological, and artistic growth. Author Donald Miller also argues that 
Chicago's expansion parallels America's; the result is "wonderfully readable"
(The New York Times).
First Chapter

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