Exploring Top Books of Shelfari

The Birth of America: From Before Columbus to the Revolution

The Birth of America: From Before Columbus to the Revolution

by William Roe Polk

From the fearful crossing of the stormy Atlantic to the growth of the early settlements, from the French and Indian War and the unrest of the 1760s to the inevitable break with England—here is an insightful and fascinating account of the transformation of an unknown land into an extraordinary nation. In this provocative history of colonial America, William R. Polk explores the key events and individuals that... (more)

A Simple Act of Murder: November 22, 1963

A Simple Act of Murder: November 22, 1963

by Mark Fuhrman

This title talks about the true crime, and is written by America' most famous homicide detective. Fascinated in who killed JFK, it contains chilling re-enactment. It has received reviews in men's magazines, reviews in true crime magazines, and possibly serialisation in national tabloid newspaper. Mark Fuhrman, America' most famous detective, turns his sights on the biggest crime of the twentieth century. "A Simple... (more)

Rebirth of a Nation: The Making of Modern America, 1877-1920 (American History)

Rebirth of a Nation: The Making of Modern America, 1877-1920 (American History)

by Jackson Lears

In the half-century between the Civil War and World War I, widespread yearning for a new beginning permeated American public life. Dreams of spiritual, moral, and physical rebirth formed the foundation for the modern United States, inspiring its leaders with imperial ambition. Theodore Roosevelt's desire to recapture frontier vigor led him to promote U.S. interests throughout Latin America. Woodrow Wilson's vision... (more)

At the Center of the Storm: The CIA During America's Time of Crisis

At the Center of the Storm: The CIA During America's Time of Crisis

by George Tenet

At the Center of the Storm is a revealing look at the inner workings of the most important intelligence organization in the world during the most challenging times in recent history. Based on his unparalleled access to both the highest echelons of government and raw intelligence from the field, former CIA Director George Tenet's candid and gripping memoir disentangles the interlocking events that led to 9/11 and... (more)

Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, The: A Novel (P.S.)

Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, The: A Novel (P.S.)

by Ron Hansen

Jesse James was a fabled outlaw, a charismatic, spiritual, larger-than-life bad man whose bloody exploits captured the imagination and admiration of a nation hungry for antiheroes. Robert Ford was a young upstart torn between dedicated worship and murderous jealousy, the "dirty little coward" who coveted Jesse's legend. The powerful, strange, and unforgettable story of their interweaving paths—and twin destinies... (more)

The 9/11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (Authorized Edition)

The 9/11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (Authorized Edition)

by National Commission on Terrorist Attacks

A History of the American People

by Paul Johnson

"The creation of the United States of America is the greatest of all human adventures," begins Paul Johnson's remarkable new American history. "No other national story holds such tremendous lessons, for the American people themselves and for the rest of mankind." Johnson's history is a reinterpretation of American history from the first settlements to the Clinton administration. It covers every aspect of U.S.... (more)

Don't Know Much About History

Everything You Need to Know About American History but Never Learned

by Kenneth C. Davis

Who really discovered America? What was "the shot heard 'round the world"? Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: Did he or didn't he? From the arrival of Columbus through the bizarre election of 2000 and beyond, Davis carries readers on a rollicking ride through more than 500 years of American history. In this updated edition of the classic anti-textbook, he debunks, recounts, and serves up the real story behind... (more)

Coming to America (Second Edition): A History of Immigration and Ethnicity in American Life

Coming to America (Second Edition): A History of Immigration and Ethnicity in American Life

by Roger Daniels

With a timely new chapter on immigration in the current age of globalization, a new Preface, and new appendixes with the most recent statistics, this revised edition is an engrossing study of immigration to the United States from the colonial era to the present.

The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast

The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast

by Douglas Brinkley

In the span of five violent hours on August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina destroyed major Gulf Coast cities and flattened 150 miles of coastline. Yet those wind-torn hours represented only the first stage of the relentless triple tragedy that Katrina brought to the entire Gulf Coast, from Louisiana to Mississippi to Alabama. First came the hurricane, one of the three strongest ever to make landfall in the... (more)

Starbuck Chronicles: Book 4

The Bloody Ground

Antietam, 1862

by Bernard Cornwell

The Nathaniel Starbuck Chronicles Book Four Battle of Antietam, 1862 In this fourth, final, and rousing installment of Nathaniel Starbuck's Civil War adventures, Nate is given command of a punishment battalion: a motley collection of cowards, thieves, deserters, and murderers. Setting off to Join General Robert E. Lee's army, Starbuck's men reach Harper's Ferry in time to take part in Stonewall Jackson's capture... (more)

Under a Flaming Sky: The Great Hinckley Firestorm of 1894

Under a Flaming Sky: The Great Hinckley Firestorm of 1894

by Daniel Brown

On September 1, 1894, two forest fires converged on the town of Hinckley, Minnesota, trapping more than two thousand people. The fire created its own weather, including hurricane-strength winds, bubbles of plasma-like glowing gas, and 200-foot-tall flames. As temperatures reached 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit, the firestorm knocked down buildings and carried flaming debris high into the sky. Two trains—one with every... (more)

Disaster! The Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906

Disaster! The Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906

by Dan Kurzman

On the morning of April 18, 1906, an earthquake measuring 8.3 on the Richter scale ripped through sleeping San Francisco. At the Palace Hotel, opera star Enrico Caruso fled, half dressed, into the street; John Barrymore searched through the chaos for a bar where he could get a whiskey; orphans screamed for parents crushed to death in their beds. Drawing on contemporary reports and eye-witness accounts, Dan Kurzman... (more)

1812: The War That Forged a Nation (P.S.)

1812: The War That Forged a Nation (P.S.)

by Walter R. Borneman

Although frequently overlooked between the American Revolution and the Civil War, the War of 1812 tested a rising generation of American leaders; unified the United States with a renewed sense of national purpose; and set the stage for westward expansion from Mackinac Island to the Gulf of Mexico. USS Constitution, "Old Ironsides," proved the mettle of the fledgling American navy; Oliver Hazard Perry hoisted a... (more)

Smithsonian Q & A: Presidential Families: The Ultimate Question & Answer Book (Smithsonian Q & A)

Smithsonian Q & A: Presidential Families: The Ultimate Question & Answer Book (Smithsonian Q & A)

by Edith Mayo

Smithsonian Q & A: Presidential Families looks at the role of the first ladies, the children's struggles and accomplishments, and the influence of extended families on the office of the U.S. presidency. Find out the answers to: Which first lady said "I know what's best for the president, I put him in the White House"? and Who did not have an inaugural ceremony? Draws the reader behind the doors of the... (more)

The Bronx Is Burning

1977, Baseball, Politics, and the Battle for the Soul of a City

by Jonathan Mahler

A New York Times Notable Book of the Year Scheduled for release in July 2007 as an ESPN original miniseries, starring John Turturro as Billy Martin, Oliver Platt as George Steinbrenner, and Daniel Sunjata as Reggie Jackson. A kaleidoscopic portrait of New York City in 1977, The Bronx Is Burning is the story of two epic battles: the fight between Yankee Reggie Jackson and team manager Billy Martin, and the... (more)

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Tags: history (american)