February’s Best History Books

The Blood of Emmett Till, by Timothy B. Tyson
The horrific 1955 lynching of Emmett Till and the trial that followed—which resulted in acquittal from the all-male, all-white jury—remains one of the most shocking crimes of 20th century American history. Tyson doesn’t simply reexamine the facts of the case, but the people involved in every facet of it. He sketches the relationships between families and neighbors, between the accused, the victim, and law enforcement, and between witnesses and other actors. Tyson uncovers the people behind the names, slowly sifting through details to study the humanity of each, and consider the steps that led to such a disgusting act of brutality. The end result isn’t reassuring when it comes to human nature, but it is one of the most essential, educational books you’ll read this year.

My Life, My Love, My Legacy, by Coretta Scott King and Barbara Reynolds
Beginning in 1975, Barbara Reynolds was a confidante and friend to Coretta Scott King. She’s crafted the many private conversations the two shared into this joint memoir, a kind of oral history that focuses on the work King did in the wake of her husband’s assassination. For many who can only think of Coretta Scott King as the wife of Martin Luther King, this book is a refreshing reminder that she was a powerhouse for the Civil Rights movement in her own right, a woman who shared her husband’s beliefs and his unflagging energy. It offers a personal glimpse of an important woman even as it makes a case for her importance in history.

Portraits of Courage, by George W. Bush
It’s impossible to tell how history will treat ex-presidents. Since leaving office, George W. Bush has kept a low political profile, but has been busy in other, more important ways—working with veterans. As the commander-in-chief who personally ordered our men and women in uniform into harm’s way, President Bush has been quietly meeting some of America’s veterans—and painting their portraits. Sixty-six of these amazing works of art have been collected in this beautiful book, each accompanied by an essay about the veteran’s service, also written by Bush. The former president’s devotion to our servicemen and women is a testament to his character, as is the fact that the profits will all be donated to the George W. Bush Presidential Center, a non-profit organization that seeks to highlight the struggles of returning veterans and provide practical assistance as they struggle to adapt to civilian life.

Caught in the Revolution: Petrograd, Russia, 1917—A World on the Edge, by Helen Rappaport
History can sometimes seem a bit like looking at a diorama behind glass, leaving you to wonder what it was like to actually be there. Rappaport solves this problem with this fascinating new look at the Russian Revolution, focusing on foreigners from Western nations who were in Petrograd as the powder keg of revolution exploded. Glimpse the beginnings of a violent uprising that transformed an empire (and the world) from the perspective of the confused, scared people who were on hand to witness it. From barricaded offices to views of riots, Rappaport’s lively writing offers a “you are there” approach to history that is sobering in its immediacy.

Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, by Yuval Noah Harari
History normally looks back and attempts to say, with certainty, what did or didn’t happen. Harari takes a different approach: looking forward. While admitting that no one can accurately predict the future, he attempts to take all the information on hand and make bold predictions as to the most likely course of future human history—and his conclusions aren’t very reassuring. While he sees plenty of achievements in store for us, his theory is that humanity’s progress is inevitably making us insignificant, resulting in a future where we won’t be in control of our existence—if we’re even still around (the “post-human future” is certainly in the tea leaves.) It’s up to you to decide if Harari makes his case—but whether you agree or not, the time spent with this book is worthwhile.

Churchill’s Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: The Mavericks Who Plotted Hitler’s Defeat, by Giles Milton
Winston Churchill and World War II have become sepia-toned ancient history for many people. As a result, Churchill is often thought of as a blustery old man chomping a cigar, while the war has dissolved into a series of action sequences from movies and old newsreel footage. Milton’s new book reminds us that the outcome of the second great global conflict was terrifyingly uncertain at its beginnings, and that Churchill was a dynamic, brilliant iconoclast instrumental in saving his weakened empire from complete destruction, in part with the establishment of the Special Operations Executive—informally known as the Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Churchill knew he needed to use every dirty trick and unconventional weapon he could think of to defeat the Nazis, and Milton’s rousing story of those tactics makes for eye-opening reading.

High Noon: The Hollywood Blacklist and the Making of an American Classic, by Glenn Frankel
Sometimes the best way to understand a period in history is to focus intently on a single moment in time. Frankel uses this technique to explore the McCarthy era and the days of the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) though an analysis of the making of the classic 1952 Western High Noon, starring Gary Cooper. By focusing on a single film, Frankel manages to demonstrate the scope of the damage effected by HUAC and the “Red Scare” that saw a literal blacklist created in Hollywood, inspiring many in the business to accuse peers of communist sympathies—often to save themselves from being blackballed themselves. Frankel also offers a detailed analyses of the film, making this book a dual threat.