History

The Devil in the White City, Erik Larson Not long after Jack the Ripper haunted the ill-lit streets of 1888 London, H.H. Holmes dispatched somewhere between 27 and 200 people, mostly single young women, in the churning new metropolis of Chicago; many of the murders occurred during (and exploited) the city's finest moment, the World's Fair of 1893. This book tells the story of the fair and murders.  (Amazon)

Revolt in the Desert, T. E. Lawrence "Revolt in the Desert is not a work of literature, or even a history of the campaign. It is an account of the experiences of one remarkable British officer's war from his own perspective. This linear narrative of the campaign-is nevertheless a work of finely crafted penmanship which is a delight to read not only for military historians, but for everyone who appreciates great writing.” (Amazon.com)

Claudette Colvin: Twice toward Justice, Phillip Hoose (2009 National Book Award) Before Rosa Parks, there was Claudette Colvin, a teenager who knew her constitutional rights and was willing to get arrested to prove it. Through Colvin's recollections, an informative narrative and archival photos, Hoose gives new immediacy to one of the civil rights movement's monumental achievements: the Montgomery bus boycott. (Washington Post Review)

In the Heart of the Sea, Nathaniel Philbrick In 1819, the Essex left Nantucket for the South Pacific with twenty crew members aboard. In the middle of the South Pacific the ship was rammed and sunk by an angry sperm whale. The crew drifted for more than ninety days in three tiny whaleboats, succumbing to weather, hunger, disease, and ultimately turning to drastic measures in the fight for survival.

My Traitor's Heart, Rian Malan For students with an interest in history of South Africa (especially those who have taken the African Literature course), consider Rian Malan's My Traitor's Heart, a spirited accounting of a weighty heritage, from a descendent of the original designers of apartheid, from the white perspective. Malan describes his family's role in perpetuating racial oppression but also his personal angst as he must face the legacy in light of his own progressivism. In response, Malan becomes a journalist and crosses over to help support positive change. His efficient and direct descriptions of white and black individuals sharing a fractured country help clarify understanding of the tangled 1990s. (recommended by John)

The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt, T. J. Stiles (2009 National Book Award) A gripping, groundbreaking biography of the combative man whose genius and force of will created modern capitalism. We see Vanderbilt help to launch the transportation revolution, propel the Gold Rush, reshape Manhattan, and invent the modern corporation.

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, Laura Hillenbrand In her long-awaited new book, Hillenbrand writes with the same rich and vivid narrative voice she displayed in Seabiscuit. Telling an unforgettable story of a young lieutenant's journey into extremity, Unbroken is a testament to the resilience of the human mind, body, and spirit.