Perhaps nothing says holidays in New York like the subject of The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree: The History & Lore of the World’s Most Famous Evergreen. Nancy Armstrong tells everything there is to know about this 77 – year tradition, neatly summarized in an appendix listing tree species, height and donors. Her style is easy and breezy as she imparts all sorts of fascinating details – the trees are never watered during their holiday stint; two trees had been indoor Christmas trees decades earlier and then replanted by their respective owners – and a bit of cultural history as well. This is a great way to get into the holiday spirit.
Valiant Women is a vital and engrossing attempt to correct the record and rightfully celebrate the achievements of female veterans of World War II.