Book List

Best 2017 Books of Disturbing Yet Necessary History

  • NONFICTION

    THE EMPIRE MUST DIE

    NOV. 7, 2017

HISTORY

THE EMPIRE MUST DIE

by Mikhail Zygar

An excellent complement to recent work by other Russian journalists who have turned to history, and to brilliant purpose. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >
  • NONFICTION

    STALIN

    OCT. 31, 2017

BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR

STALIN

by Stephen Kotkin

A well-written, finely detailed installment in a definitive biography—sure to receive many prize nominations this year. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >
  • NONFICTION

    THE FUTURE IS HISTORY

    OCT. 3, 2017

HISTORY

THE FUTURE IS HISTORY

by Masha Gessen

A superb, alarming portrait of a government that exercises outsize influence in the modern world, at great human cost. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >
  • NONFICTION

    THE SECOND WORLD WARS

    OCT. 17, 2017

HISTORY

THE SECOND WORLD WARS

by Victor Davis Hanson

An ingenious, always provocative analysis of history’s most lethal war. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >
  • NONFICTION

    THE THIRD REICH

    OCT. 10, 2017

HISTORY

THE THIRD REICH

by Thomas Childers

An elegantly composed study, important and even timely, given current trends in American and global politics. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >
  • NONFICTION

    HUE 1968

    JUNE 6, 2017

HISTORY

HUE 1968

by Mark Bowden

One of the best books on a single action in Vietnam, written by a tough, seasoned journalist who brings the events of a... Full review >

FULL REVIEW >
  • NONFICTION

    THE COOKING GENE

    AUG. 1, 2017

NONFICTION

THE COOKING GENE

by Michael W. Twitty

An exemplary, inviting exploration and an inspiration for cooks and genealogists alike. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >
  • NONFICTION

    ONE LONG NIGHT

    SEPT. 19, 2017

HISTORY

ONE LONG NIGHT

by Andrea Pitzer

A potent, powerful history of cruelty and dehumanization. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >
  • NONFICTION

    THE HOLOCAUST

    APRIL 11, 2017

HISTORY

THE HOLOCAUST

by Laurence Rees

A thorough, concise, evenhanded work, essential for libraries and schools. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >
  • NONFICTION

    THE UNWOMANLY FACE OF WAR

    JULY 25, 2017

  • NONFICTION

    BLITZED

    MARCH 7, 2017

HISTORY

BLITZED

by Norman Ohler translated by Shaun Whiteside

Written with dramatic flair (Ohler has published several novels in Germany), this book adds significantly to our... Full review >

FULL REVIEW >
  • NONFICTION

    MY LAI

    MAY 25, 2017

HISTORY

MY LAI

by Howard Jones

Jones succeeds on all counts in a book that, due to its subject matter, is not pleasant to read but is powerful and... Full review >

FULL REVIEW >
  • NONFICTION

    HE CALLS ME BY LIGHTNING

    MAY 2, 2017

HISTORY

HE CALLS ME BY LIGHTNING

by S. Jonathan Bass

A stirring book that explores numerous aspects of racism in Alabama and the nation as a whole. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >
  • NONFICTION

    WHY?

    JAN. 17, 2017

HISTORY

WHY?

by Peter Hayes

“Beware the beginnings,” admonishes a German proverb. This noteworthy book is a chilling compendium of warning signs, past... Full review >

FULL REVIEW >
  • NONFICTION

    KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON

    APRIL 18, 2017

HISTORY

KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON

by David Grann

Dogged original research and superb narrative skills come together in this gripping account of pitiless evil. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >
  • NONFICTION

    THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD

    JAN. 3, 2017

HISTORY

THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD

by Daniel Beer

An eye-opening, haunting work that delineates how a vast imperial penal system crumbled from its rotten core. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

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