The warmth of other suns : the epic story of America’s great migration

From Ellen Druda Author:  Isabel Wilkerson The warmth of other suns : the epic story of America’s great migration  The great migration by African Americans from the South to the North during the 20th century is told through the stories of three individuals who made the trip. We learn about the rough lives of Ida [...]

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Leningrad : the epic siege of World War II, 1941-1944

From  Eileen  Effrat Author:  Anna Reid Leningrad : the epic siege of World War II, 1941-1944  Thirty years ago I read Harrison Salisbury’s 900 Days, about the siege of Leningrad during World War II.  Since that monumental publication, the   archives of Russia, Germany, and Great Britain have opened to reveal more details.  Diaries, interviews and [...]

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The Greater Journey : Americans in Paris

From Ellen Druda Author:  David McCullough The Greater Journey : Americans in Paris “Not all pioneers went west.”  McCullough looks at Paris in the 19th century as the other destiny for Americans as they looked to expand their horizons as a new nation.  Starting in 1830, we watch the prominent citizens come and go: Samuel [...]

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Mary Boleyn : the mistress of kings

From Eileen Effrat Author:  Alison  Weir Mary Boleyn : the mistress of kings  Alison Weir, noted Tudor historian, is on a mission.  Weir wants to set the record straight on what is known and what is not known concerning Mary Boleyn, sister of Anne Boleyn and sister-in-law of Henry VIII. Using an impressive array of [...]

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The President and the Assassin: McKinley, terror, and empire at the dawn of the American Century

From Ellen Druda Author:  Scott Miller The President and the Assassin: McKinley, terror, and empire at the dawn of the American Century  President McKinley’s two terms as president saw America move from an inward-looking isolationist country to a world power as we came into the twentieth century.  Our borders and outlook began to open up [...]

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In the garden of beasts : love, terror, and an American family in Hitler’s Berlin

From Eileen Effrat author: Larson, Erik In the garden of beasts : love, terror, and an American family in Hitler’s Berlin It’s July 1933 and Hitler is now German Chancellor. William E.Dodd, the new U.S. Ambassador, arrives in Berlin with his wife, son, and flamboyant 25 year old daughter, Martha. Determined to give the “new regime” [...]

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From splendor to revolution : the Romanov women, 1847-1928

From Eileen Effrat author: Gelardi, Julia P From splendor to revolution : the Romanov women, 1847-1928 Vividly portraying the lives and turbulent times of four Romanov women—-an empress, a queen, and two duchesses, this thoroughly researched  book chronicles their lives from unimaginable wealth and grandeur to their deaths in relative poverty. The four leading ladies—-Empress Marie [...]

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The Diary of a Young Girl

From Catherine Costanzo author: Frank, Anne  The Diary of a Young Girl A true story as you know — but a classic tale of a young girl and her family as they are “hidden” during world war II.  Anne keeps a diary about their day to day trials and events, and one can see the [...]

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Unfamiliar Fishes

From Ellen Druda author: Vowell, Sarah Unfamiliar Fishes Sarah Vowell’s slightly sarcastic and very personal telling of the Americanization of Hawaii begins with the arrival of Capt. James Cook and  ends in the 19th century, when we annexed the islands. The history throws sharp focus on the natives themselves: their cultural rituals and royalty, the [...]

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Hot time in the old town : the great heat wave of 1896 and the making of Theodore Roosevelt

From Eileen Effrat author: Kohn, Edward P. Hot time in the old town : the great heat wave of 1896 and the making of Theodore Roosevelt  One of the worst natural disasters in American history, the heat wave that struck New York City in August 1896 killed 1,500 New Yorkers in 10 days. People suffered [...]

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