The Pope at War
David I. Kertzer
A groundbreaking exploration of Pope Pius XII's controversial role during World War II, drawing on newly opened Vatican archives. This book delves into the complex relationship between the Pope, Mussolini, and Hitler, revealing the secret history of the Vatican's actions and decisions during one of the darkest periods in human history.
The Radium Girls
Kate Moore
A gripping narrative about the betrayal of the radium girls, gracefully told and exhaustively researched, makes this a nonfiction classic. It tells the shocking story of how early twentieth-century corporate and legal America set about silencing dozens of working-class women who had been systematically poisoned by radiation. It is a tale for our times.
The Sleepwalkers
Christopher Clark
A deep dive into the complex events and decisions that led to the outbreak of World War I, challenging traditional narratives and exploring the key players and their motivations. It examines the political landscape of Europe in the early 20th century and the intricate web of alliances, misunderstandings, and miscalculations that ultimately plunged the continent into war.
When Women Ruled the World
Kara Cooney
A fascinating exploration into the lives and reigns of six remarkable female rulers of ancient Egypt, revealing how these women wielded power, defied expectations, and shaped the course of history in a male-dominated world. From Merneith to Cleopatra, discover the strategies, challenges, and legacies of these extraordinary queens who challenged the status quo and left an indelible mark on one of the world's most enduring civilizations.
First Principles
Thomas E. Ricks
An exploration of the classical influences on America's founding fathers, examining how the philosophies and histories of ancient Greece and Rome shaped their thinking and actions in creating the United States. It delves into the educations of George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison, revealing the classical ideals that guided them and the ways in which those ideals were challenged and transformed by the realities of the new nation.
Four Hundred Souls
Ibram X. Kendi
A groundbreaking "community history" of African Americans covering 400 years, beginning in 1619. Eighty Black writers and ten Black poets chronicle the African American journey, exploring themes of survival, struggle, success, and the ongoing quest for liberty, justice, and democracy.
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
Jack Weatherford
An epic narrative that unveils the profound influence of Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire on the shaping of the modern world, challenging conventional perceptions and revealing their surprising contributions to global civilization.
Grand Transitions
Vaclav Smil
An interdisciplinary inquiry into the five fundamental transitions (population, agriculture, energy, economies, and environments) whose interactions have created the modern world. The book recounts how we got to this point in human evolution, how the grand transitions brought about today’s quotidian realities, which are so far beyond yesterday’s imaginations—yet whose benefits are still to reach billions of people in less privileged societies even as the advances we have already achieved imperil the integrity of the biosphere.