A deep dive into the 1982 murder of Vincent Chin, and its impact almost 40 years later. It's an important story, but better than that, it's an incredibly well-written book, with great storytelling pulling together the research and context.
Sarah
A plaque. A press release. A mislabeled photograph. Like a paleontologist drawing a beast from a jaw bone, Herrera tells a story greed, imperialism, and complicity from a few fragments of information. The El Bordo Mine Fire is just one almost forgotten tragedy but, like Rukeyser's Book of the Dead, the bright, poetic light Herrera shines on it with A Silent Fury, casts a shadow on our biggest questions.
Josh
In Belle Epoch France, Dr. Samuel Jean Pozzi was known as Le Medecin de l’Amour – the love doctor. Devastatingly handsome, dynamic and brilliant, Dr. Pozzi was an eminent gynecologist and surgical innovator. His portrait was painted by John Singer Sargent in 1881 and this picture inspired Julian Barnes to explore this captivating doctor’s life and the many well-known figures he knew – Proust, Bernhardt, Wilde – first names not necessary.
Nathan
Imagine keeping a secret when everyone could be an informant, and every room could be bugged. A page turner and a nail-biter if there ever was one.
John
Jason Reynold's "Stamped Jr" is a great resource for kids and adults who want to talk to kids about the systemic racism rooted in our country's history. Reynolds weaves together historical moments (some that students may have studied in other contexts, others totally new) in a way that connects them to a larger picture and to today. His playful asides make it feel far from textbook reading; perfect for at-home study. Highly recommend the audiobook from Libro.fm - you'll really feel like you're hanging out with Jason Reynolds in your living room!
Leila
Author in Chief is for every American history aficionado. Imagine spending 10 years to collect the facts and details behind many presidential publications which Craig Fehrman has done. He recounts untold stories and fits them into a fascinating retelling of presidential lives and publications.
Megan
Award-winning author Eric Larson, author of the bestselling The Devil in the White City and Dead Wake among others, tells the fascinating story of the first year of the Battle of Britain and how Winston Churchill rose to the occasion, stood firm and convinced the world the British would stay calm and carry on.
Nathan
An engaging read about a person whose name has almost been lost to history.
John
Atkinson brings the same engaging narrative style and excellent researcher's eye for the telling detail to the American Revolution as he did for his masterly WW2/Europe trilogy. (And as a longtime citizen of Concord and history fan I'm a demanding audience!)
Gary
Visually stunning and beautifully designed, this comprehensive history of the city begins with its geological origins (under 4,000 feet of ice in the last Ice Age), through the periods before European colonization, 250 years as the most important city in North America, through the present day. Many of the maps and illustrations are original for this volume, and the text represents the contributions of 40 historians, scholars and experts. It is that rare item, an indispensable reference book that is informative and gorgeous at the same time.
David
