History Recent Picks
July 2009
The title-underlined links will take you directly to our catalogue.
Some featured items are linked via a book cover to enable you to read more reviews.
Feisty first ladies: & other unforgettable women of the White House , by Autumn Stephens, (2009).
First ladies are supposed to be dignified background figures, quietly supportive of their husbands' agendas. Above all, they're not supposed to act out or cause even a whiff of scandal. Of course, reality often overrides conventional wisdom, and this book shows how far from the prim ideal many of the Presidents' wives have strayed. Part irreverent portrait gallery, part exuberant expose, Feisty First Ladies and Other Unforgettable White House Women introduces a remarkable array of wild women, from Martha Washington, who opposed her own husband's presidential election; to Abraham Lincoln's eccentric wife, Mary; to rebellious daughters like Patti Davis who were the tabloid fodder of their day. Laugh-out-loud funny and filled with amazing stranger-than-fiction facts from our American history, Feisty First Ladies journeys into the realm of the eclectic sisterhood whose outrageous words and deeds have rocked the fusty old foundations of the White House — and the nation! (Amazon)
The French explorers and Sydney 1788-1831, by Colin Dyer, (2009).
Featuring previously unpublished translations, this insightful volume of journals and records from seven expeditions of French exploration between 1788 and 1831 documents the early years of Sydney. These revealing accounts present intimate details of the everyday lives at all levels of society, from governors' parties to convict labor. The cultural observations and outsider perspectives on the new British colony and its leading citizens is surprising and engaging, simultaneously painting a vivid picture of early Australia, British colonial history, and the interests of pivotal French explorers such as Freycinet, Laperouse, and Bouganville. (Amazon)
The curious case of the Mayo librarian, by Pat Walsh, (2009).
In July 1930 Miss Letitia Dunbar Harrison's appointment as Mayo County Librarian set in motion a chain of events that resulted in a full scale political crisis. Mayo priests and politicians attempted to have her removed, and organized an effective boycott of the Library Service. `The Mayo library row,' as it was commonly known, became news far outside the confines of the county. Looking at the background to the dispute uncovers many of the fault-lines of the newly formed Free State. Examining the anatomy of the crisis lays bare the tensions of society in 1930s Ireland as it moved away from colonial rule.
Pat Walsh is a Librarian with Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Library Service. Originally from Mayo, he now lives and works in Dun Laoghaire He was intrigued by the story of the Mayo Librarian when he discovered it was one of the few occasions that libraries made national news in Ireland. The result of his research is this fascinating book. (Amazon)
Far horizons: unusual journeys and strange encounters from a travelling life, by Frank Gardner; with a foreword by Michael Palin, (2009).
Lost on a remote Sumatran volcano...pursued through a Tokyo backstreet by a Japanese gangster...picnicking with the French Foreign Legion in the Horn of Africa: Frank Gardner's idea of a holiday is not everyone's. But ever since his student days, the BBC security correspondent has done some epicly hard travelling in a remarkable number of countries. Drawing on the diaries, sketches and photos he kept during his travels, his immaculately observed accounts of these often strange, sometimes daring, adventures in many of the world's most out of the way places form the backbone of his new book. In June 2004, while reporting on what should have been a routine assignment in Riyadh, his life - never mind his ability to travel the world - was nearly brought to a violent end by Islamist gunmen. Incredibly, Frank not only survived being shot six times at point blank range but also, against all the odds and through force of will, has found himself looking towards those far horizons once more. He's not only been slalom skiing in the Alps, scuba diving in the Red Sea and explored the jungle in northern Thailand. And he is also reporting once more from far-flung destinations like Afghanistan and Colombia - and this is a man who no longer has the use of his legs...This is Frank Gardner's compelling, personal yet unsentimental account of the myriad adventures that made him the man he was on that fateful day five years ago - and of the journeys he's made since, and how they've helped him to become the remarkable and inspiring individual he is today. (Amazon)
The New York times : the complete front pages 1851-2008 , introduction by Bill Keller; essays by Richard Bernstein...[et al.]; front page news summaries by James Barron, (2008).
This stunning and cutting-edge package provides access to the world as reflected in its most influential and respected newspaper. From wars and political assassinations to social movements and space exploration, all the news that is fit to print—or download—can be found in this extraordinary book-and-DVD set.
More than 300 of the most significant New York Times front pages have been carefully selected and beautifully reproduced in the book. Read the headlines and stories covering such world-changing events as Abraham Lincoln's assassination, Charles Lindbergh's transatlantic flight, Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, and the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Ten foldouts present twenty key front pages at their magnificent full size. News summaries throughout highlight the most significant events of each era and put the front pages into a historical context. Seventeen insightful essays by prominent Times writers comment on pivotal moments, including "The End of Slavery" by William Safire, "Women’s Suffrage" by Gail Collins, and "The Age of Television" by Frank Rich.
The 3 DVDs include each of the 54,266 front pages printed by the Times over the past 157 years. Completely searchable and user-friendly, the disks are designed to provide access to the full stories that made front-page news each day since the paper’s founding in 1851. Click on a page—the day you were born, for example—and you're instantly transported to the Times' online archive. (Amazon)
We can have peace in the Holy Land: a plan that will work, by Jimmy Carter, (2009).
Nobel Peace Laureate Jimmy Carter argues that the present moment is a unique time for achieving peace in the Middle East--and he offers a bold and comprehensive plan. For the last three decades, as President of the United States and as founder of The Carter Center, Carter has studied the complex and interrelated issues of the region's conflicts and has been actively involved in reconciling them. He knows the leaders of all factions who will need to play key roles, and he sees encouraging signs. Carter describes the history of previous peace efforts and why they fell short. He argues persuasively that the road to a peace agreement is now open and that it has broad international and regional support. Most of all, since there will be no progress without courageous and sustained U.S. leadership, he says the time for progress is now, and President Barack Obama is committed to a personal effort to exert that leadership. (Library Catalogue)
The perfect storm: a true story of men against the sea , by Sebastian Junger.
The Perfect Storm is the tale of a doomed ship caught in the middle of what some meteorologists have called the storm of the century. At its heart is a gripping narrative about struggling for survival in a tempest of ferocious winds and 100-foot waves. But rookie author Sebastian Junger does more than simply spin a good yarn. His account of how fishermen ply their trade and lead their lives in the 1990s is fascinating. The same goes for his descriptions of storm formation, wave physics and the terror of drowning. Anybody who enjoys Jon Krakauer's work or "Drama in Real Life" from Reader's Digest will appreciate The Perfect Storm.
Rocks and hard places: the Takaka Hill , by Cliff Turley.
Kiwi companeros: New Zealand and the Spanish Civil War , edited by Mark Derby.
Before ANZAC, beyond Armistice: the Central Otago soldiers of World War One and the home they left behind , by Keith Douglas Scott.
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