November’s Best New History Books

Heirs of the Founders: The Epic Rivalry of Henry Clay, John Calhoun and Daniel Webster, the Second Generation of American Giants, by H. W. Brands
American history loves to celebrate past presidents, but Brands new book shifts the focus to three men who never managed to be elected to the nation’s highest office—and yet had a profound impact on its history. Henry Clay, John Calhoun, and Daniel Webster served in high positions in the early 19th century—secretary of state and vice president among them—and the author argues that their ambitions to eventually become presidents themselves in many ways helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War, as they made compromises great and small, abandoned their natural principles, and fiercely defended the status quo in the hopes that it would make them more electable. Brands, a history professor at the University of Texas at Austin, makes the case that these men each represented tensions in the origins of our country that the founding fathers left unresolved, leading directly to the schism that almost split the United States in two.

Churchill: Walking with Destiny, by Andrew Roberts
There is little question Winston Churchill is one of the most fascinating political figures of the 20th century. Born into privilege in a time of imperial power, he was a resolute believer in British authority, a brilliant writer, and legendary political and military strategist who nevertheless saw his career come crashing to what should have been its ignominious end after World War I. That he went into the political wilderness only to return as prime minister in 1940, them seemingly single-handedly save the country from ruin, is a testament to his powers. Roberts offers a comprehensive look at Churchill the man, the politician, and the friend; it’s a respectful but thoroughly honest portrait of a man whose flaws were as huge as his talents—and whose impact is still felt today.

Apollo to the Moon: A History in 50 Objects, by Teasel E. Muir-Harmony
Fifty years have passed since man first walked on the moon. This remarkable book recounts that historic effort and achievement in a unique, powerful way, focusing in on 50 objects connected to the project, each of which tells a part of the overall story. A survival kit, a Russian stamp, the lunar rover, plastic astronaut figures, astronaut food and, of course, moon rocks—the accounts of this varied objects offers both visual delights and an absorbing trip into a heady era of scientific ambition. Connected to each photo and object are people, of course—the astronauts, engineers, politicians, and journalists who each contributed something to one of the greatest achievements of mankind; and their stories are here as well.

The Allies: Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin, and the Unlikely Alliance That Won World War II, by Winston Groom
Surprisingly underplayed in many histories of World War II, the disparate personalities and political realities of the Allied leaders—Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Josef Stalin—made their enduring alliance surprising, and surprisingly effective. Groom, a noted historian and novelist (Forrest Gump), uses both skills to great advantage as he breathes life into the three leaders who came together to stop the desperate threat of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Imperial Japan. Giving the reader insight into both the personal and political background of his main players, Groom brings their complex relationships to life and explores how each man compromised just enough at just the right moments to keep a fragile alliance together until the war could be won.

The Boys in the Cave: Deep Inside the Impossible Rescue in Thailand, by Matt Gutman
Just a few months ago, the world paused to watch a remarkable story unfold: in Thailand, a soccer coach took his team on a excursion to explore a cave system, and a sudden storm surge flooded the caves, trapping them inside. Over three weeks, an immense effort was launched to locate the boys in the pitch black caves, then figure out how to get them out safely despite varying water levels, the boys’ varying swimming capabilities, and the incredible danger of navigating underwater in the pitch black. Gutman, a chief national correspondent at ABC News, uses his own coverage and extensive interviews to craft a compelling narrative of this remarkable story, offering heretofore unknown details and perspectives on a rescue that, up until the last possible moment, remained in question.

John Marshall: The Man Who Made the Supreme Court, by Richard Brookhiser
With the Supreme Court on everyone’s mind these days, it’s a serendipitous moment for the release of a biography of John Marshall, the man who almost single-handedly defined the Supreme Court for the nation and raised its prestige. A hero of the Revolution who revered George Washington, Marshall became chief justice of the Supreme Court in 1801, assuming leadership of a little-regarded group that met in a basement. Over the course of his storied career, he guided the court to a reputation as an impartial defender of the constitution and the final word on legal issues that were shaping the still-molten nation into the country we recognize today.

We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy, by Ta-Nehisi Coates
This collection of essays by Coates, now available in paperback, is drawn from his writing for The Atlantic during the years 2008 to 2016, roughly paralleling the Obama administration, and ending on the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War. These are the essays that made Coates a figure no serious thinker could ignore; they trace the evolution of his thought from the optimism of Obama’s first election to the somewhat darker mood of the later years. In new annotations, Coates adds a wealth of background to the original material, including new reflections, contemporaneous notes taken from his journals, and personal stories that expand on and illuminate his themes.

Playing with Fire: The 1968 Election and the Transformation of American Politics, by Lawrence O’Donnell
MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell makes a persuasive argument that the modern American political morass can be traced firmly back to 1968, the year Nixon was elected to his first term. O’Donnell examines all the dominoes, beginning with Eugene McCarthy’s decision to run against Lyndon Johnson, which he argues spurred Johnson to make the unusual decision not to seek a second term, setting in motion a series of events that ended with Nixon triumphant and the liberal wing of the Republican Party extinguished. O’Donnell backs up his writing with in-depth research and detailed sources; this is the sort of history book that illuminates more than just a single event.