October’s Top Picks in History

Killing Reagan: The Violent Assault That Changed a Presidency, by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard
President Ronald Reagan faced an attempted assassination a mere 69 days into his presidency. Although his wounds were life-threatening, he left the hospital only two weeks after the shooting, and returned to the Oval Office after less than a month. Killing Reagan, written by O’Reilly and Dugard, the duo behind Killing Lincoln, Killing Kennedy, and Killing Patton, follows Reagan from his Hollywood days to the White House, but pays special attention to the struggle he faced after the shooting, when he had to balance the duties of the presidency with his own personal trauma. A sympathetic behind-the-scenes portrait of a larger-than-life figure.

The Witches: Salem, 1692, by Stacy Schiff
In the winter of 1692, 20 people in Massachusetts, mostly women, were put to death for practicing witchcraft. Nineteen of them were hanged; one old man was crushed to death under a pile of rocks over the course of two days. Pulitzer Prize-winner Schiff, the author of Cleopatra: A Life, brings that winter to life in a beautifully written, impeccably researched story. An important book for anyone interested in Salem, early American history, women’s history, or stories centering on religion.

Lafayette in the Somewhat United States, by Sarah Vowell
Vowell’s cheeky, humorous style brings the Marquis de Lafayette to vivid life in this enjoyable, irreverent account of his service as a teenaged major general during the American Revolution, his friendship with George Washington, and his return to the States as an old man in 1824, when three quarters of the population of New York City came out to meet him. A book that educates the reader and makes them laugh at the same time, Lafayette in the Somewhat United States has already racked up significant critical praise.

The Last of the President’s Men, by Bob Woodward
The man who was there at the very beginning reveals what he terms, “the last pieces of the Nixon puzzle” in this in-depth book focusing on former Nixon aide Alexander Butterfield. Butterfield, the man who admitted the existence of a secret White House recording system, was also in charge of its installation—in addition to being privy to some of the most important and secret moments of the Nixon administration. Drawing from 46 hours of interviews, The Last of the President’s Men gives readers new insight into the man, the scandal, Nixon, and the White House itself.

Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice, by Adam Makos
A touching story of war-time heroism and loyalty, Devotion chronicles the friendship of fighter-pilot duo Lieutenant Tom Hudner and Ensign Jesse Brown. Brought together in the years before the Korean War, Hudner, a white man from New England’s upper crust, and Brown, a black man from Mississippi, began their friendship landing planes on the decks of an aircraft carrier. A few months after they’re called to Korea, a mission goes terribly awry, leaving Brown injured and trapped behind enemy lines and forcing Hudner to undertake an impossibly daring rescue mission.

PT 109: An American Epic of War, Survival, and the Destiny of John F. Kennedy, by William Doyle
A new look at a young John F. Kennedy’s heroic actions after the destruction of a U.S. Patrol Torpedo boat, PT 109 brings fresh accounts and incisive writing to the attack and subsequent escape and fight for survival: Kennedy rescuing a fellow sailor, leading his men to safety on a nearby island, scouting for food and water, and finally, being rescued after six days. Doyle goes beyond that one week, tracing the long-lasting effects of the event, both positive and negative, on the rest of Kennedy’s life. An engrossing and insightful account that brings new life to an oft-told tale.