Lake Bluff Library Adult Reading Lists: History - Nonfiction

Explores the contradictions at the founding of the United States, focusing on the coexistence of slavery and Native American displacement with ideals of freedom, and analyzes the debates and compromises of the Revolutionary generation that shaped early national policies and attitudes.
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In late October 1780, the slave ship Zorg set sail from the Netherlands, bound for Africa’s Windward and Gold Coasts, where it would take on its human cargo. But a series of unpredictable weather events and mistakes in navigation across the Atlantic left the ship drastically off course and running out of water.
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Recounts the deeds of whom the authors believe the worst people in history: Genghis Khan, the Roman Emperor Caligula, Henry VIII, the collective evil of the 19th century slave traders, and more.
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For the first time, and with surprising and revealing insights, Kamala Harris tells the story of one of the wildest and most consequential presidential campaigns in American history.
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A definitive, headline-making exposé of how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has carried out the largest-scale theft of intellectual property, technology, and data in history--reshaping the global balance of power and redrawing the geopolitical map for decades to come.
(Description from NoveList)

A history of the CIA in the 21st century spans from 9/11 through the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to today’s battles with Russia and China – and with the President of the United States.
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From Pulitzer Prize finalist Garrett M. Graff, The Devil Reached Toward the Sky is the panoramic narrative of how ordinary people grapple with extraordinary wartime risks, sacrifices, and choices that will transform the course of history.
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The legendary sportswriter and the Hall of Fame, 11-Time NBA Champion coach separate the music from the noise in the stories of the greatest who ever played and their impact on the game.
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The inspiring story behind the ten Americans newly chosen to represent U.S. military bases previously named for Confederate soldiers, told by two members of the Naming Commission that selected them.
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Explores the often-overlooked postwar struggles of World War II veterans and their families, revealing widespread trauma, social challenges, and systemic discrimination, while tracing how these experiences reshaped American society and influenced notable political and cultural figures.
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History Matters brings together selected essays by beloved historian David McCullough, some published here for the first time, all focused on the subject of his lifelong passion: the importance of history in understanding our present and future.
(Description from NoveList)

In defeating the British Empire and giving birth to a new nation, the American Revolution turned the world upside down. Thirteen colonies on the Atlantic coast rose in rebellion, won their independence, and established a new form of government that radically reshaped the continent and inspired independence movements and democratic reforms around the globe.
(Description from NoveList)

This sweeping account chronicles the 26th President's transformation from privileged New Yorker to cowboy, soldier, and reformer, highlighting his relentless drive, reformist zeal, and deep impact on American politics, conservation, foreign policy, and the evolving role of the presidency.
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A history of the process for using and controlling atomic weapons during World War II and at the beginning of the Cold War.
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The January 6th insurrection was a well-planned attack coordinated largely right out in the open. Through original interviews and reporting, this oral history offers a minute-by-minute account of the riots through the never-before-heard stories of those who were there.
(Description from NoveList)

Military historian McGrath focuses on the Civil War's decisive Battle of Gettysburg and the three men in charge of the battle—George G. Meade, Robert E. Lee, and Abraham Lincoln—as well as Lincoln's famous Gettysburg Address, which shifted the war's focus to the enslavement of people.
(Description from NoveList)

The Undiscovered Country strips away the layers of myth to reveal the true story of this first epoch of American history. From the forests of Pennsylvania and Kentucky to the snow-crested California Sierras, and from the harsh deserts of the Southwest to the buffalo range of the Great Plains, Paul Andrew Hutton masterfully chronicles a story that defined America and its people.
(Description from NoveList)

Ride along with Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Beverly Gage as she travels the country to see the museums, historic sites, roadside attractions, reenactments, and souvenir shops where Americans learn--and fight--about our history.
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