1920: The Year That Made the Decade Roar

Burns, Eric (Get this book)
In a fascinating work about a remarkable year, former NBC News correspondent Burns shows us what put the roar in the Roaring '20s.The end of World War I brought reactions in the form of anarchy, the birth of jazz, the first Ponzi scheme, Prohibition, women's suffrage and the birth of "mass media." Burns follows it all with verve. In this delightfully readable book, the author expertly shows how those affected by the Great War linked together, nourished each other and really did change the world.--Kirkus

American Warlords: How Roosevelt's High Command Led America to Victory in World War II

Jordan, Jonathan W. (Get this book)
Attorney Jordan delivers another page-turning chronicle of World War II. Small details and little-mentioned facts make this a highly informative look at four men in charge in Washington, D.C., during that time. Throughout, the author provides astute and clever portrayals of the leaders, including Churchill's pretense to his ancestor's abilities, Stalin's displays of compassion, and FDR's meddling in naval projects. Jordan's wonderful new insight into the leaders shows how lucky we were regarding Stimson's prescient warnings about nuclear war, Marshall's long-suffering, self-effacing loyalty, and King's rough-and-ready fighting abilities. In addition to World War II buffs, other readers will enjoy the intrigue, back-stabbing, action, and diplomacy in this well-written book.--Kirkus

The China Mirage: The Hidden History of American Disaster in Asia

Bradley, James (Get this book)
Best-selling author Bradley uncovers the 19th-century plan to create a "New China" and "Americanize Asia."The author clearly feels duped by American foreign policy since the debacle in Vietnam shamed his World War II father and destroyed his soldier brother. In this relentless critique of wrongheaded thinking by government officials who did not speak the Asian languages and had little hands-on experience, Bradley focuses especially on the foreign policy of the two Roosevelts. Bradley delivers a strenuous exposé about the initial building of the "rickety bridge of fellowship crossing the Pacific." --Kirkus

Lens of War: Exploring Iconic Photographs of the Civil War

Gallman, J. Matthew/ Gallagher, Gary W. (Get this book)
A pictorial guide to the changes in our historical views of the Civil War, curated by Gallman and Gallagher.Though these iconic photographs of the war were often included in scholarly works, the authors realized that few actually took the time to analyze the pictures themselves. This book opens a new page of considerations of the people, victims and ruins; the home front, slaves, women, guerrillas and "the Destructive War." A brilliant starting point for truly understanding the Civil War. As the authors point out, there is still much to explore. --Kirkus

Washington's Circle: The Creation of the President

Heidler, David S./ Heidler, Jeanne T. (Get this book)
An elegant study on the shaping of the first presidency through the excellent people he chose to serve with him. The Heidlers create a fully fleshed portrait of the first great Founder by comparison to and contrast with the many complicated personalities he had around him. Summoned out of his happy retirement in Mount Vernon to preside as the first president of the fledgling American government, because, in the compelling words of former aide Alexander Hamilton, "a citizen of so much consequence as yourself…has no option but to lend his services if called for," Washington was painfully aware of creating appropriate precedents. Moving the capital from New York to Philadelphia, quelling sectional differences and confronting the first foreign policy crisis with England, Washington relied on a host of other unsung colleagues, including Henry Knox, Edmund Randolph and Tobias Lear. A fluid work of historical research and engaging biography. --Kirkus

The Death of Caesar: The Story of History's Most Famous Assassination

Strauss, Barry (Get this book)
Master historian Strauss zeroes in on the few years surrounding Julius Caesar's assassination and delves into the strengths of the characters involved.The author traces five of the best sources: Nicolaus of Damascus, Plutarch, Suetonius, Cassius Dio and Appian. Everyone knows what happened on the ides of March, but Strauss goes deeper in his investigation of how Caesar had ill omens and decided not to attend the senate meeting he had called. It was Decimus, longtime supporter, friend and fellow diner the night before, who literally led Caesar by the hand into the senate. The author explains how Caesar's funeral was even more dramatic than Shakespeare's version—especially Mark Antony's eulogy. Once again, Strauss takes us deep into the psyche of ancient history in an exciting, twisted tale that is sure to please.--Kirkus

The Fall of the Ottomans: The Great War in the Middle East

Eugene Rogan (Get this book)
Rogan corrects Western assumptions about the "sick man of Europe."In this well-researched, evenhanded treatment of the Ottomans' role in World War I, especially in its assessment of the Armenian genocide of 1918, the author delineates the urgent internal and external causes spurring the crumbling Turkish empire to seek a defensive alliance with Germany and counter Britain, France and Russia when war broke out in 1914. An illuminating work that offers new understanding to the troubled history of this key geopolitical region. --Kirkus

Gateway to Freedom: The Hidden History of the Underground Railroad

Foner, Eric (Get this book)
Drawing on previously untapped sources in an archive at Columbia University, Foner offers meticulous accounts of how abolitionists helped escaped slaves travel between the South to safety in upstate New York and Canada. A key figure Foner reveals is Sydney Howard Gay, an abolitionist newspaperman who recorded details of escapees, their movements in what later became known as the Underground Railroad, and efforts by abolitionists to raise funds to continue financing their campaign. Foner offers harrowing details of escape and powerful stories of those who risked their lives for freedom. He also details the growing frictions in a city that became embroiled in the secessionist debate as the Fugitive Slave Law and economic interests clashed with ideals about democracy and freedom. A sweeping, detailed look at an important enterprise in the history of U.S. resistance to slavery.--Booklist

American Reckoning: The Vietnam War and Our National Identity

Christian G. Appy (Get this book)
Analyzing public, political and cultural responses to the Vietnam War, Appy argues that the protracted conflict "shattered the central tenet of American national identity—the broad faith that the United States is a unique force for good in the world."Although he does not prove that belief in "American exceptionalism" was shattered, the author makes a strong case that the war continues to affect national identity. For generations who know the Vietnam War largely through movies and fiction, this well-informed and impassioned book is an antidote to forgetting and an appe a l to reassess America's place in the world.--Kirkus