History and Current Events June 2009 "In the mold of Rockefeller or Morgan, they formed syndicates to end wasteful competition. Like other businessmen, they established national associations to promote common interests. When they passed from the scene, their organizations remained, lasting to the present." ~ from Thomas Reppetto's American Mafia New and Recently Released! Soldier from the War Returning: The Greatest Generation's Troubled Homecoming from World War II - by Thomas Childers Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/13/2009 ISBN-13: 9780618773688 ISBN-10: 0618773681 At the end of World War II, more than two million American veterans returned home to find their country ill-equipped to deal with them. In addition to difficulty finding work, many veterans were suffering from undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder, which led to difficulties on the job and at home. And though the GI Bill provided loans, educations, and disability payments, it couldn't restore the years lost to the war. By focusing on three veterans whose lives were adversely affected by World War II and with the help of contemporary reports, historian Thomas Childers illuminates the struggles faced by many members of the Greatest Generation. Vicksburg, 1863 - by Winston Groom Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/07/2009 ISBN-13: 9780307264251 ISBN-10: 0307264254 Vicksburg, Mississippi was of strategic importance during the U.S. Civil War, for whoever controlled Vicksburg controlled the Mississippi River. Its capture--along with the Confederate defeat at Gettysburg--marked a turning point in the war, as is made amply clear in this vivid, people-centric history of the battle and siege at Vicksburg. Because the military leaders--Sherman, Grant, and others--and the repercussions of their decisions take center stage over battle tactics and strategy, Vicksburg, 1863 is sure to appeal to readers who are less than familiar with this part of the war as well as to those who can't get enough Civil War history. First Chapter World War One: A Short History - by Norman Stone Publisher: Perseus Books Group Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/27/2009 ISBN-13: 9780465013685 ISBN-10: 0465013686 You may find it difficult to believe that a history of an entire war can be condensed into less than 250 pages and still be both informative and interesting, but author Norman Stone succeeds with World War One: A Short History. Covering the war's origins and consequences as well as its major political and military events, Stone also presents a German perspective by focusing on Germany's actions and strategies. He also addresses postwar colonialism, the League of Nations, and the Hapsburg, German, tsarist and Ottoman empires. Not everyone will agree with Stone's interpretation (Publishers Weekly calls it "provocative"), but it is certainly a "stimulating, easily digested introduction" (Kirkus Reviews) to an important era in world history. The Last Indian War: The Nez Perce Story - by Elliott West Publisher: Oxford University Press Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/21/2009 ISBN-13: 9780195136753 ISBN-10: 0195136756 In 1877, Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce resisted a U.S. government decree that the Nez Perce relocate to a reservation far from their home; instead, he led his people in a 1,500-mile strategic retreat towards Canada that included several battles. In addition to chronicling the conflict--the last major one between an Indian nation and the U.S. government--historian Elliott West ties the relocation of the Nez Perce to the larger efforts of the federal government to establish the identity of the U.S. in the wake of the Civil War. Booklist calls his efforts "a superb reexamination of a sad but memorable story." Focus on: Organized Crime The Good Rat: A True Story - by Jimmy Breslin Publisher: Ecco Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 02/01/2008 ISBN-13: 9780060856663 ISBN-10: 0060856661 In this street-savvy trip behind the scenes of organized crime in New York City, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jimmy Breslin chronicles the people, places, and events that defined the rise and fall of the American Mafia. Though Breslin focuses on the trial of Mob-connected police officers Stephen Caracappa and Louis Eppolito, The Good Rat is about more than just the trial's damaging testimony by mobster Burton Kaplan--it's also full of Breslin's own experiences with the Mafia. You won't want to miss it. First Chapter The Money and the Power: The Making of Las Vegas and Its Hold on America - by Sally Denton and Roger Morris Publisher: Vintage Books Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 03/01/2002 ISBN-13: 9780375701269 ISBN-10: 0375701265 Authors Sally Denton and Roger Morris begin their startling investigative history of the making of Las Vegas with brief biographies of highly influential individuals like mobster Meyer Lansky. Arguing that Las Vegas owes its financial success--its very existence, perhaps--to drug money, the authors go on to explore the connections between government, business, and the criminal underworld. They also explore how Las Vegas has influenced the rest of America, especially in the political arena. What they turn up ranges from sleazy to scary; you'll want to read it if you're at all interested in American politics, organized crime, or, of course, Las Vegas itself. First Chapter Table of Contents McMafia: A Journey through the Global Criminal Underworld - by Misha Glenny Publisher: Knopf Books Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/08/2008 ISBN-13: 9781400044115 ISBN-10: 1400044111 Did you know that, per capita, Canada has more organized crime syndicates than any other country? Or that, worldwide, crime rings represent nearly 20% of the global economy? Or that Nigeria "loses" between 150,000 and 250,000 barrels of oil every day? Full of fascinating details like these, this "riveting and chilling journey" (Publishers Weekly) through the world of international organized crime will take you from Kazakhstan's "caviar mafia" to Bulgaria's growing sex trade to your own hometown, for as author Misha Glenny points out, the Western world's desire for cheap goods (and illegal drugs) has provided a profitable market. First Chapter Table of Contents Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires - by Selwyn Raab Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 08/25/2005 ISBN-13: 9780312300944 ISBN-10: 0312300948 Before the Corleones and the Sopranos, there were the Five Families: the Genoveses, the Gambinos, the Colombos, the Bonannos, and the Luccheses. Investigative reporter Selwyn Raab presents a riveting history of the Cosa Nostra's five powerful crews and explains how, beginning in the 19th century, they infiltrated (and scammed) every part of American history and life, including Prohibition, illegal drug distribution, the stock market, and even the cleanup of the World Trade Center site. This brutally real and unflinching report on the Italian mafia is a must for anyone who wants the full scoop, from start-to-finish, on the Sicilian mafia's history in the United States. First Chapter Table of Contents American Mafia: A History of Its Rise to Power - by Thomas A. Reppetto Publisher: Henry Holt Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 01/02/2005 ISBN-13: 9780805077988 ISBN-10: 0805077987 This thought-provoking history of the Mafia's rise in the U.S. from the 1880s on features the stories of such characters as Lucky Luciano and Al Capone, and notes the particular role that Prohibition had in establishing La Cosa Nostra's defining characteristics--and its ability to infiltrate industry and government. Although the focus is on the Mafia's growth and peak years, a short epilogue covers the years since 1951, noting reasons for the downward trend in mob activity. If you're looking for an introduction to the American mob, you won't go wrong with this "smart, reasoned study" (The New York Times). First Chapter Table of Contents Gomorrah - by Roberto Saviano Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/30/2007 ISBN-13: 9780374165277 ISBN-10: 0374165270 This account of the decline of Naples under the rule of organized crime describes how the Camorra, a network of exploitative and murderous groups and individuals, has gained control of the Campania region by infiltrating industries such as construction, drug trafficking, toxic waste disposal, and even fashion. Covering everything from clan wars to Chinese smugglers, Gomorrah was a bestseller in Italy and won the 2006 Viareggio Literary Prize. If you have a taste for mob life or an interest in true crime, you'll want to check out this compelling--if rather violent--trip through Naples and its surroundings. First Chapter Table of Contents