Five Fall Favorites || Day Five { Historical Non-Fiction + Bikes }

Day five, and the next-to-last day of the party! Tomorrow comes the big book sale, so be sure you're back for that :)  Today's theme is "babies" but I couldn't come up with enough books that featured babies and little kids, so we're going with historical non-fiction for today's book list. 

Now... I don't recommend reading while riding a bike, although I'm living proof that it is possible. Those baskets look nifty for hauling your books home, though! 

H I S T O R I C A L   N O N - F I C T I O N

War Letters compiled by Andrew Carroll

In 1998, Andrew Carroll founded the Legacy Project with the goal of remembering Americans who have served this nation and preserving their letters for posterity. Since then, more than 50,000 war letters discovered in basements, attics, scrapbooks, and old trunks have poured in from around the country. 

The best of these letters are assembled in this extraordinary collection, offering unprecedented insight into the Civil War, World Wars I and II, Vietnam, Korea, the Cold War, the Persian Gulf, and even the fighting in Somalia and the Balkans.Featured here are dramatic accounts of combat written immediately after the most ferocious battles American troops have ever faced; poignant expressions of love by homesick husbands and sweethearts; humorous anecdotes and gripes about insufferable conditions; thoughtful reflections on the nature of warfare; and perhaps most devastating, a startling number of last letters, heartfelt messages penned just hours before the sender was killed. These historic letters capture the full fury and intensity of warfare, and they reveal in vivid detail what the servicemen and women of this nation have experienced and sacrificed on the front lines. 

War Letters is a lasting tribute to those who have fought for this country, and celebrates the enduring power and lyricism of personal letters.

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I listened to the audio of this book last fall and enjoyed it so much! The narrator did a fantastic job with the different stories presented through historic letters. Unfortunately, the audiobook is abridged so I need to go back some time and read the ones I missed. 

Lincoln’s Last Days by Bill O’Reilly

Lincoln's Last Days is a gripping account of one of the most dramatic nights in American history—of how one gunshot changed the country forever. Adapted from Bill O'Reilly's bestselling historical thriller, Killing Lincoln, this book will have young readers—and grown-ups too—hooked on history.

In the spring of 1865, President Abraham Lincoln travels through Washington, D.C., after finally winning America's bloody Civil War. In the midst of celebrations, Lincoln is assassinated at Ford's Theatre by a famous actor named John Wilkes Booth. What follows is a thrilling chase, ending with a fiery shoot-out and swift justice for the perpetrators.

With an unforgettable cast of characters, page-turning action, vivid detail, and art on every spread, Lincoln's Last Days is history that reads like a thriller. This is a very special book, irresistible on its own or as a compelling companion to Killing Lincoln.

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I'm slightly fascinated by assassinations (and attempts), especially Lincoln's. This book was a fast-paced, informative chronology of the events leading up to and proceeding the assassination and subsequent manhunt. 

Deaf People in Hitler’s Europe by Donna Ryan

Inspired by the conference “Deaf People in Hitler’s Europe, 1933–1945,” hosted jointly by Gallaudet University and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1998, this extraordinary collection, organized into three parts, integrates key presentations and important postconference research.

Deaf people living in Europe between 1933 and 1945 were mistreated, forcibly sterilized, incarcerated, and murdered by the Nazis. Their stories have been overlooked or underappreciated because of the complexities of communication and the difficulties historians face gaining access to those communities.

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I had to read this one for a Deaf culture college course, but actually enjoyed it. It was an interesting look into aspects of WWII history I'd never read in textbooks. 

In the Line of Duty by Bernard B. Kerkik, Thomas Von Essen

On September 11, 2001, with the terrorist attack on the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, the United States entered one of the greatest trials in its history. There were thousands of deaths in the wake of that tragedy -- and thousands of heroes. Led by Police Commissioner Bernard B. Kerik and Fire Commissioner Thomas Von Essen, the New York Police Department (NYPD) and the New York Fire Department (FDNY) banded together in courage and hope during the rescue and recovery effort. 

In the Line of Duty salutes the brave men and women of those two departments, who proved to the nation and the world the strength and heroism of the American people. Through over 100 pages of black and white photographs (and 16 pages of full colour), this memorial volume documents the heroism of New York's Finest and Bravest in the hours and days following the disaster. With a Foreword in tribute to the search and rescue teams -- and their fallen comrades -- by Commissioner Kerik, and filled with the inspirational words of national and spiritual leaders, In the Line of Duty bears witness to the indomitable spirit of the American people.

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A thoughtful but melancholy collection of photos, quotes, news articles, and speeches from and about September 11, 2001. 

History’s Worst: Bonnie & Clyde by James Buckley Jr.

Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow are possibly the most famous and most romanticized criminals in American history. When the police found photos of them posing with guns and goofing around, they became media darlings. However, their fame was short-lived, and their lives would end in a violent police ambush.

Because the reality was very different. During their 1930s crime spree, the two young Texans and the rest of their gang lived a vicious life filled with narrow escapes, bungled robberies, injuries, and murders. And they weren’t the only gangsters operating at the time. Criminals like Al Capone, Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd, and “Ma” Barker grabbed their own share of headlines, but in the end it was Bonnie and Clyde who really captured the public’s imagination. A lot of that was because of Bonnie herself. The cute, blonde criminal was unique at the time.

There is no question that their story continues to fascinate writers, musicians, visual artists, and filmmakers. But is that fascination justified? Or are we confusing the movie images with reality and ignoring the ugly truth of their story?

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So I have a slight fascination with Bonnie & Clyde stories. Not the wild, made-up tales, but the irony and humor within the surviving true stories. This was definitely one of the good ones, lots of cool history stuff. 

last day to enter the giveaway!