Alice L. Baumgartner’s South to Freedom shows that enslaved people who escaped to Mexico before the Civil War contributed to the downfall of slavery in the U.S.
The Kidnapping Club by Jonathan Daniel Wells is an eye-opening history of antebellum New York’s dirtiest secrets.
In Magic: A History, Oxford professor of archaeology Chris Gosden treats readers to a history of humanity through the lens of magic.
In Paper Bullets, Jeffrey H. Jackson unearths the fascinating story of two women and artists who resisted in the face of the Nazi regime.
Lisa Robinson offers a panoramic view of the women rockers she’s interviewed over the course of her decadeslong career in Nobody Ever Asked Me About the Girls.
While Martin Puchner’s interest in linguistics remains in focus, he writes clearly and thoughtfully, using history to examine past, present and future.
Sex With Presidents is a mostly playful account of politicians experiencing arousal, confusion and even disgust about sex while making history.
H.W. Brands examines the relationship between two men who never met but played pivotal roles in 19th-century American history: John Brown and Abraham Lincoln.
The Dead Are Arising illustrates the forces that shaped Malcolm X and captures the voice of a revolutionary whose words resonate powerfully in our own times.
The Daughters of Yalta is a splendid, colorful tapestry of details, as witnessed by three smart young women at an extraordinary moment in history.
We get the full scope of Sylvia Plath’s incredible talent in Red Comet, rightfully established as complicated, radiant and worthy of deep consideration.
Mad at the World vibrantly illuminates the life and work of John Steinbeck, a writer who is still widely read and relevant today.
David Michaelis has created an intimate, lively and emotional portrait of Eleanor Roosevelt that unfolds like a good novel.
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