PositiveBooklistInteresting parallels between cunning folk, nineteenth-century spiritualists, the popular book, The Secret, and TikTokers espousing the 369 Manifestation Technique round out an insightful book about medieval life and the power of belief.
Sylvia Brownrigg
PositiveBooklistBrownrigg delves into the facts and fictions that shaped her family for generations, weaving the newly discovered revelations with the copious correspondence her father kept up during his lifetime and her own evolving understanding of her father. The result will especially resonate with those whose own family histories contain secrets.
Sarah Ogilvie
PositiveBooklistInfectious, and this book is a delight to read.
Nikhil Goyal
PositiveBooklistCompelling writing and extensive research ... Excellent.
Jackson Lears
PositiveBooklistReaders can savor and puzzle over this profound, unique take on how humans view their place in the world.
Craig Seligman
PositiveLibrary JournalInterwoven throughout is the history of drag and Doris’s role in its acceptance into the mainstream. The frightening and tragic impact of AIDS in the late 1980s is explored ... This honest and compassionate depiction of someone who was true to their passions will inspire readers.
Charles Spicer
PositiveBooklistSpicer makes a strong case that the AGF men offered a reasonable alternative to Chamberlain’s policy of appeasement. Readers will make up their own minds as to whether it’s realistic to think that Hitler, or any other tyrant, could be tamed.
Shahan Mufti
PositiveLibrary JournalSkillfully explained ... Fascinating. The hostage siege is narrated in nail-biting detail from accounts of negotiators and hostages ... Those interested in fundamentalism, Islam in the United States, Middle East politics, and film will especially appreciate this book.
Sinclair McKay
PositiveLibrary JournalReaders with an interest in the life of cities, 20th-century European history, World War II, and the Cold War will appreciate McKay’s well-researched book.
Philip Short
RaveLibrary JournalExtensive research including interviews with acquaintances from childhood through adulthood, observers from multiple countries, and information regarding his family life flesh out as closely as currently possible the truths and lies that comprise the Putin mystique. Sketches of Russian life during the Brezhnev, Gorbachev, and Yeltsin eras put Putin’s obsession with regaining respect for Russia in context ... Short has written a remarkable biography, rich in facts and details, of Putin’s life and career. This book will appeal to readers with an interest in Russia, world history, biographies of world leaders, and current events.
Caleb Gayle
PositiveLibrary JournalIlluminating a little-known aspect of American history, this book will especially appeal to those interested in the history of Indigenous and Black Americans.
Zain E Asher
PositiveLibrary Journal... moving and inspiring ... An inspirational story of resilience that will appeal to readers interested in memoir, parenting, mid-20th century Nigerian and British history, and actor Chiwetel Ejiofor.
Tiya Miles
RaveLibrary JournalWith skillful writing, the author carefully explores South Carolina’s history of economic dependence on slavery, and discusses the efforts of enslaved people to obtain sustenance and clothing and maintain family connections. Drawing on scant genealogical records and letters from people who were formerly enslaved, as well as research on ornamentation, Miles creates a moving account of three women whose stories might have otherwise been lost to history ... Readers interested in often-overlooked lives and experiences, and anyone who cherishes a handcrafted heirloom, will enjoy this fascinating book. With YA crossover appeal, the accessible, personal writing sets this book apart.
Cynthia Saltzman
RaveLibrary JournalIn this latest work, journalist and author Saltzman (Portrait of Dr. Gachet) explores Napoleon’s expropriation of art during his conquests. After a fascinating overview of Venetian artworks, artists, patrons, techniques, and pigments, Saltzman highlights the prized massive masterpiece Wedding Feast at Cana, by Paolo Veronese ... Readers with an interest in art history and those with an interest in stolen art piqued by Anne-Marie O’Connor’s The Lady in Gold will appreciate this well-researched and well-written history.
Trent Preszler
PositiveLibrary JournalThe author writes with raw honesty about the closeness he shared with his father as a child, and how they became estranged over the years, moreseo after Preszler\'s college graduation ... A thoughtful and well-written memoir, this book will appeal to readers who have difficult relationships with family and those who find craftwork healing.
Brian Castner
RaveLibrary Journal... compelling account of the Yukon Gold Rush of 1897–98 ... Castner combines oral histories, memoirs, and research to vividly evoke the Yukon Gold Rush through people and nature ... Readers who enjoy history, adventure, and nature writing, and fans of Egan, Candice Millard, and Jack London, will savor this page-turner.
Menachem Kaiser
PositiveLibrary JournalOccasional family photographs are an added bonus ... This thoughtful and thought-provoking memoir of family secrets and family lore, like Daniel Mendelsohn’s The Lost, will appeal to readers of family histories.
Denise Kiernan
PositiveLibrary JournalThanksgiving can often get lost in the commercialization of the holiday season, but this history of its origins puts the holiday in a fresh perspective. Readers seeking an inspiring story of persistence and achievement will appreciate.
Mia Kankimäki, Tr. Douglas Robinson
PositiveLibrary JournalA thought-provoking blend of history, biography, women’s studies, and travelog, this should appeal to readers interested in any of these subjects, and those who love eclectic narrative nonfiction.
Ben Macintyre
RaveLibrary JournalUsing prodigious research from MI5 and Bundesarchiv files, along with family documents and the cooperation of her children, Macintyre has written an insightful portrait of an amazing life ... This fast-paced historical account reads like a novel, with surprising twists and turns, and will thrill readers until the very last page. Readers who enjoy the writings of Neal Bascomb or Candice Millard, and fans of historical fiction will relish this book.
Ariana Neumann
PositiveLibrary JournalWith determination and the help of translators, genealogists, historians, and family members, [Neumann] reconstructs her father’s astonishing story of survival ... Neumann’s eloquent, skillfully researched book will appeal to many, especially those interested in family histories and the lives of Holocaust survivors.
D. J. Taylor
PositiveLibrary JournalAspects of the British World War II experience continue to generate fascinating reading ... Extensive research into the papers and letters of these women, their lovers, and other onlookers exposes a web of alliances and dalliances, often woven by Cyril Connolly, editor of Horizon. Their personalities and accomplishments show how significant their contributions were ... A solid choice for readers of 20th-century British literary history or the lives of the British during World War II.
Adam Frankel
PositiveLibrary Journal... a distinct account that is part history of the Holocaust, part memoir of a parent living with mental illness, and a behind-the-scenes look at the first Obama campaign and administration ... Readers of biography, history, and politics, and those interested in the effects of trauma on subsequent generations, will appreciate this thoughtful book.
Lis Harris
PositiveLibrary JournalThe combination of historical research and conversations with these women and their families creates a distinctive account that shows the ongoing effects of the conflict on generations. Readers interested in seeing beyond stereotypes and political posturing will appreciate.
Cherríe Moraga
PositiveLibrary JournalThis thoughtful chronicle of the love and acceptance between mother and daughter, the generational effects of the complicated cultural relations between Mexico and America, and caring for a loved one with Alzheimer\'s will appeal to readers interested in any or all of those subjects.
Bradley W. Hart
PositiveLibrary JournalHart convincingly shows that these Nazi supporters had the potential to sway public opinion to their way of thinking but were often stopped by their own hubris, greed, violence and some brave journalists and civic officials who helped unmask their views. An intriguing afterword explores what happened to these individuals and corporations during and after the war ... Readers interested in the history of Depression-era politics and social climate, or those curious about the dissemination of religious and racial prejudice will appreciate this book.
Norman Eisen
PositiveLibrary JournalDebut author Eisen (senior fellow, Brookings Inst.) tells the history of a remarkable mansion and its times through the eyes of its owners and guardians ... Nazi General Rudolph Toussaint and U.S. ambassadors Laurence Steinhardt and Shirley Temple Black subsequently lived in the villa. It is through their experiences that events such as the Nazi occupation, Soviet dominance, the Cold War, the Prague Spring, and the Velvet Revolution unfold ... This fascinating work will appeal especially to those interested in 20th-century history and architecture.
