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Editors’ Picks: History
Eye-opening lessons from the past that our editors have taken to heart.
Published on November 18, 2022
The Library Book
Susan OrleanPart history, part true-crime, Orlean’s book is all love: Love for the anything-but-quiet history of libraries, librarians, and books. Starting with a disastrous fire that consumed the Los Angeles Central Library in 1986, “The Library Book” chronicles the hunt for the suspected arsonist. Along the way, Orlean ignites readers’ interest in the unexpectedly enthralling multitudes of the public library. Filled with fascinating anecdotes, inextinguishable curiosity, and colorful personalities, Orlean delivers everything we’ve come to expect from the author of “The Orchid Thief.” — Katie W.
The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary
The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary
Simon WinchesterCrazy. Obsessive. Killer. Just a few words that describe the surprisingly thrilling history of how the Oxford English Dictionary came to be in 1884. Who knew the history of the dictionary was so fraught with drama and intrigue? Winchester brings to life the story of the criminally insane genius behind our most important literary tool. — Katie W.
The Light of Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler's Ghettos
Judy BatalionThis is the gripping, previously hidden story of a courageous group of women who fought back against the Nazi occupation in Poland. These resistance fighters employed ingenious — and incredibly dangerous — tactics, like seducing and then killing German soldiers, hiding guns in loaves of bread, and bombing German train lines. “The Light of Days” is a stirring tribute to unsung heroes. It’s no wonder Steven Spielberg immediately scooped it up to adapt it for the screen. — Katie W.
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper
Hallie RubenholdJack the Ripper’s story has been told over and over, again and again, in print and on screen. His victims’ stories, however, have been overlooked, ignored, or salaciously caricatured. “The Five” finally rectifies that. As the Washington Post puts it, Rubenhold “offer[s] a blistering counter-narrative to the ‘male, authoritarian, and middle class’ legend of a demonic superman preying on prostitutes.” In this deeply researched history, Rubenhold paints a rich portrait of each of the serial killer’s five known victims, proving three were not sex workers, and all five were victims of poverty, homelessness, and their gender. I can’t recommend this moving history enough. — Katie W.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
Yuval Noah HarariExpand your mind with this new classic. Harari dives deep and waxes philosophical about many of the large problems that plague us today. Whether you agree with his takes isn’t really the point; his well-considered, thoughtful arguments will give you a different perspective on the problems we face than headlines and 30-second news clips provide. — Ashley M.
Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster
Adam HigginbothamYou haven’t heard the horrifying details of the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown as thrillingly or nightmarishly as in this gripping account from journalist Higginbotham. The chain of human errors and the systemic secrecy that led to this disaster are the heart of the book, and much more frightening than the radioactivity. — Ashley M.
Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race
Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race
Margot Lee ShetterlyThanks to Shetterly’s blockbuster book, the black female mathematicians whose calculations were critical to winning the space race in a still-segregated America are a hidden history no more. A crucial story that challenges our conceptions around race and gender. — Ashley M.
Neither Snow Nor Rain: A History of the United States Postal Service
Devin LeonardThis history of America’s mail system proves that there's perhaps nothing more American than arguing over the worth of the United States Postal Service. Its founding and subsequent efficiency improvements have always been at the whims of powerful people with personal stakes (from bankers to pilots to stamp collectors), and its utility has constantly been the subject of intense scrutiny. But the fact remains that it’s one of the fastest and most robust mail systems in the world today, albeit with a rollicking history. — Ashley M.