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January’s Top Picks in History
There’s a lot of pressure on the first book of a new year. It’s a fresh start, a clean slate, a way out of your holiday reading slump. You want a book that’s meaty enough to cleanse the decadence of the last two months, but you still want it to be gripping. Enter this month’s top picks in history: seven books spanning centuries, continents, and political affiliations. Grab one, curl up in a cozy chair, and get your reading year started off on the right foot.
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13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi, by Mitchell Zuckoff
What exactly happened during the 2012 terrorist attack on the US State Department Special Mission Compound in Benghazi, Libya has been a source of constant controversy and debate for the last three years. 13 Hours attempts to set the record straight, telling the story of the six American security operators who were fighting on the ground and piecing together details to present a painstakingly researched picture. The book has also been made into a motion picture produced and directed by Michael Bay, which will be released on January 15th.
Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right, by Jane Mayer
In this fascinating, intensively researched book, the best-selling author of The Dark Side turns her attention to the financial side of politics. Relying on five years of interviews, Mayer paints a picture of a libertarian political network, funded by some of the country’s richest people (most prominently Charles and David Koch), that has, over the past several decades, slowly gained control over many of the nation’s most significant institutions, from universities to Congress. Including interviews with sources within the network, Dark Money raises important questions about reform and politics in America today.
The Three Battles of Wanat: And Other True Stories, by Mark Bowden
This well-reviewed essay collection from the author of Black Hawk Down brings some of his best long-form war reporting together with essays on topics ranging from internet journalism, to a profile of the creator of The Wire, to a fascinating and hilarious piece on Kim Jong-un. A great collection for any fan of long-form journalism, war reporting, or accessible and energetic non-fiction, The Three Battles of Wanat will make you laugh, make you think, and make you cry.
The Triumph of William McKinley: Why the Election of 1896 Still Matters, by Karl Rove
William McKinley is an oft-overlooked figure: despite a presidency filled with important political moments, he is remembered more for his death-by-assassination than for his life. Republican strategist Rove brings McKinley’s story back to life in The Triumph of William McKinley, arguing that the issues facing America in 1896 bear a startling resemblance to those we face today, and that the solutions McKinley’s campaign hit upon over a century ago might still have merit.
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex, by Nathaniel Philbrick
This is not the first book based on the horrific tale of the Essex, a whaleship struck by a sperm whale and sunk, leaving its 20-person crew adrift for months. Thirty years after the tragedy, it served as part inspiration for a little story called Moby Dick. In this riveting account, the basis for Ron Howard’s same-titled movie, Philbrick weaves a gripping, terrifying tale of survival that will stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page.
Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates: The Forgotten War That Changed American History, by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger
The young United States faced many problems when President Thomas Jefferson took office in 1801. Chief among them: the country was seriously in debt and needed money quickly, but pirates off the North African coast were capturing merchant ships and forcing their sailors into slavery. In this fast-paced, exciting book, Kilmeade and Yaeger describe Jefferson’s initial attempts at diplomacy and the events of what would become the first Barbary War. A great choice for anyone interested in military or American history.
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Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush, by Jon Meacham
This in-depth biography from Pulitzer Prize-winner Meacham draws from personal interviews and wide-spanning access to President Bush’s White House diaries (as well as the papers of his wife, Barbara), creating an intimate portrait of our 41st president. Following him from his Connecticut childhood through his service in WWII, his entry into the oil business, and his meteoric political career, Destiny and Power has received significant praise from people like David McCullough, Walter Isaacson, and Tom Brokaw.