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Best Nonfiction of 2012: History

Cover art for THE HOLY OR THE BROKEN
NONFICTION
Released: Dec. 4, 2012
Kirkus Star THE HOLY OR THE BROKEN: LEONARD COHEN, JEFF BUCKLEY, AND THE UNLIKELY ASCENT OF "HALLELUJAH"
by Alan Light
"A masterful work of critical journalism."
Charting the remarkable journey of a modern musical classic, from obscurity to ubiquity. Read full book review >
Cover art for 38 NOOSES
NONFICTION
Released: Dec. 4, 2012
Kirkus Star 38 NOOSES: LINCOLN, LITTLE CROW, AND THE BEGINNING OF THE FRONTIER'S END
by Scott W. Berg
"A captivating tale of an oft-overlooked, morally ambiguous moment in American history."
An exploration of the violent downfall of Little Crow's Dakota nation at the hands of American soldiers. Read full book review >
Cover art for IRON CURTAIN
NONFICTION
Released: Nov. 27, 2012
Kirkus Star IRON CURTAIN: THE CRUSHING OF EASTERN EUROPE, 1945-1956
by Anne Applebaum
"A dark but hopeful chronicle that shows how even humanity's worst can fracture and fall."
A Pulitzer Prize–winning author returns with the story of those dark decades in Eastern Europe when the Soviet Union slammed the prison doors on people, cultures and countries. Read full book review >
Cover art for RISE TO GREATNESS
NONFICTION
Released: Oct. 30, 2012
RISE TO GREATNESS: ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND AMERICA'S MOST PERILOUS YEAR
by David Von Drehle
"A thoroughly engaging examination of the irreversible changes emerging from a year when the nation's very survival remained in doubt."
A historian zeroes in on the year Lincoln found his footing as president and set the country on a bold new course. Read full book review >
Cover art for ON POLITICS
NONFICTION
Released: Oct. 22, 2012
Kirkus Star ON POLITICS: A HISTORY OF POLITICAL THOUGHT: FROM HERODOTUS TO THE PRESENT
by Alan Ryan
"Provocative, illuminating and entertaining--an exemplary work of philosophy and history whose author's deep learning is lightly worn."
An ambitious survey not of politics itself, but of the way Westerners have thought about politics for 2,500 years. Read full book review >
Cover art for CONSIDER THE FORK
NONFICTION
Released: Oct. 9, 2012
CONSIDER THE FORK: A HISTORY OF HOW WE COOK AND EAT
by Bee Wilson
"Rarely has a book with so much information been such an entertaining read."
From British food writer Wilson (Sandwich: A Global History, 2010, etc.), a savory survey of kitchen implements and their impact. Read full book review >