The Last Empire: The Final Days of the Soviet Union

Serhii Plokhy (Get this book)
Plokhy investigates the collapse of the Soviet Union, revealing the often brutal political chess game within the Kremlin that ended in President George H. W. Bush's address of the end of the Cold War on Christmas, 1991. Drawing from unreleased presidential material, confidential foreign memos, and declassified documents, Plokhy largely discounts Reagan's get-tough policy as a cause. He credits Mikhail Gorbachev's embrace of Glasnost and electoral democracy in 1987 with loosening the grip of the party apparatus and rigidly controlled media, opening government matters to widespread public criticism despite fears of the Soviet military. This account is one of a rare breed: a well-balanced, unbiased book written on the fall of Soviet Union that emphasizes expert research and analysis.--Publisher's Weekly

Neptune: The Allied Invasion of Europe and the D-Day Landings

Craig L. Symonds (Get this book)
A fine D-Day study both technical and humanitarian. Symonds portrays the American generals as childishly overeager for a European invasion, while the Britons remained prudent and restrained; indeed, American inexperience emerged in the first trying months of the Tunisian campaign. As the plans for a cross-Channel combined operation were assembled, Symonds reviews the staggering requirements in shipping alone--e.g., the building of key landing craft, cargo ships and Higgins boats to transport the materiel and men. He also examines the troop preparation of 1 million Americans spread across bucolic southern England in his suspenseful buildup to D-Day--a graspable, moving spectacle of men and machinery. A work that manages to be both succinct and comprehensive in scope.--Kirkus

The 40s: The Story of a Decade

Finder, Henry (Editor), Harvey, Giles (With), Remnick, David  (Introduction by) (Get this book)
Make room on the bookshelf. The New Yorker's look at 1940s history, culture, literature and civilization is a book to be read, reread and savored. Divided into seven sections--The War, American Scenes, Postwar, Character Studies, The Critics, Poetry and Fiction--this book shows how founder Harold Ross (1892-1951) could single out the most important aspects of history and culture--and not just of New York, but of the country. Readers are certain to enjoy the beautiful writing, clever thinking and insightful thoughts across a vast range of topics. An absolute treat. Hopefully, the New Yorker will continue to publish such anthologies on other decades.--Kirkus