The longest war : the enduring conflict between America and al-Qaeda

Peter Bergen. A revelatory, pull-no-punches history of the War on Terror, from before 9/11 to the present day. CNN national security analyst and journalist Bergen takes a critical look at all phases of the conflict between the West and al-Qaeda. Drawing on an impressive range of both Western and Islamic sources, the author examines the historical and philosophical underpinnings of the jihadist movement, most importantly as exemplified by Osama bin Laden. Bergen looks at the lessons learned on both sides of the war, notably the U.S. military's rediscovery of one of the lessons of Vietnam: Small units working closely with the indigenous population can achieve what large concentrations of conventional force cannot. The author concludes that, simply by surviving so long, bin Laden has created a movement likely to carry on his brand of anti-Americanism for the foreseeable future. One of the deepest and most disturbing investigations of one of the defining issues of our era.--Kirkus (Check Catalog)

The First Frontier: The Forgotten History of Struggle, Savagery, and Endurance in Early America

Scott Weidensaul. In this comprehensive chronicle, Pulitzer Prize winner Weidensaul sheds light on the shadowy world of pre-Revolutionary America, when the unconscionable chicanery of white explorers and settlers was met with horrific vengeance by the established Indian tribes. As straight history, it can be dry stuff, as the author's arsenal of facts tends to slow him down. Nonetheless, Weidensaul weaves together an impressive number of true stories, bolstered by first and secondhand records and journals. Students of early American history will be the most attentive audience for the book, but any reader who picks it up will get a very real picture of what it was like to live and die in the New World.--Kirkus (Check Catalog)

December 1941: Twelve Days That Began a World War

Evan Mawdsley. Suspenseful chronicle of the 12 days in December 1941 that would define the perimeters of the global conflagration. Mawdsley embarks on the action from the first day and never lets up in this crisp, chronological study--from the Japanese Imperial Conference's ratification of war on Dec. 1 against the United States, Britain and the Netherlands, setting in motion the Southern Operation invasion, to Germany's declaration of war on the U.S. on the 11th. A rigorous, sharp survey of this decisive moment in the war.--Kirkus (Check Catalog)

Seeking Sicily: A Cultural Journey Through Myth and Reality in the Heart of the Mediterranean

John Keahey. Veteran newspaperman Keahey turns his journalistic eye toward Sicily, a "strange, magnificent, brooding island." Keahey meticulously observes the history, colorful customs and culture of Sicilians with boundless curiosity. After illuminating the island's varying economic strata, Keahey retraces the fascinating history of village squares once used for public burnings and the restoration of a local prison. In a superbly sensory chapter, Keahey marvels at variations in Sicilian cuisine with mouthwatering descriptions flooding the pages of this lush travelogue. With extensive details and a fond admiration of its people, Keahey effectively articulates why the people of this charming island "are Sicilians before they are Italians, and why no amount of time under the control of Rome will ever change that."--Publishers Weekly (Check Catalog)

The 1970s: A New Global History from Civil Rights to Economic Inequality ( America in the World )

Thomas Borstelmann. Keeping contemporary history timely and accessible, Borstelmann shows the significance of 1970s American politics, culture, and religion on the following decades. He accurately explores political and social crises, gender and racial equality protests, alterations in global market trends, and regional turbulence throughout the Soviet Union, Africa, and the Far East. Nuggets of genuine insight without any social agenda are found frequently within these pages.--Publisher's Weekly (Check Catalog)

After the Fall: The End of the European Dream and the Decline of a Continent

Walter Laqueur. Laqueur draws on past history and current insight to present a profile of the current European crisis. The author is more concerned with broader questions of demography and culture, assimilation of immigrants and new approaches to education and social policy than to questions of political and economic integration. A clear guide to understanding and solving a profound set of problems.--Kirkus (Check Catalog)

The Swerve: How the World Became Modern

Stephen Greenblatt. Harvard humanities professor Greenblatt shows how the discovery of the last existing manuscript of Lucretius's "On the Nature of Things"—a radical book proclaiming that the world manages without gods and is made of small particles in constant motion—led to the Renaissance. The swerve? Lucretius allowed for the existence of free will in his atom-bound universe by theorizing that those little particles swerve randomly. More wonderfully illuminating Renaissance history from a master scholar and historian.--Library Journal/Kirkus (Check Catalog)

Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero

Chris Mathews. Drawing on interviews with friends and former staffers, as well as on such familiar biographical incidents as Kennedy's rescue of the PT-109 crew and his resulting back injury, Matthews reveals a man who through inner direction and tenacious will created himself out of the loneliness and illness of his youth and who taught himself the hard discipline of politics through his own triumphs and failures. Matthews' stirring biography reveals Kennedy as a fighting prince never free from pain, never far from trouble, and never accepting the world he found.--Publisher's Weekly (Check Catalog)

Inferno: The World at War, 1939-1945

Max Hastings. Hastings emphasizes personal experiences as well as his often squirm-inducing opinions. Most general histories sprinkle their pages with anecdotes, but Hastings has this down to a science. He employs numerous specialists, delving into Russian and Italian archives and personally tracking down obscure, vivid, often painful stories from the usual combatants as well as Poles, Bengalese, Chinese and Japanese. Excellent general WWII accounts abound—including those by historical superstars such as Stephen Ambrose and John Keegan—but Hastings is matchless.--Kirkus (Check Catalog)