by History 500 | Mar 29, 2019 | Welcome
Yorktown and The Genius of George Washington
In March, 1781 George Washington was at his greatest in planning the siege of Yorktown which depended totally on the inclusion of the French fleet under De Grasse. The great Nathaniel Philbrick's, In the Hurricane's Eye (2018), describes how Washington put all the pieces together to seal the trap at Yorktown, from overland marches to the great conflict at sea in the Battle of the Chesapeake Capes. A remarkable feat of his true genius.
Top Recommendation for March
In the Hurricane's Eye: The Genius of George Washington and the Victory at Yorktown, by Nathaniel Philbrick (2018 - 384pp)
Brilliantly told, behind-the scenes politics, machinations in drawing in the French fleet to ensure final victory. All within the context of a world struggle at sea between England, France and Spain.
by History 500 | Feb 18, 2019 | Welcome
Stalingrad - Turning Point of War II on the Eastern Front
In February of 1943, the massive German army surrendered in the dead of a horrific Soviet winter to over 1 million hardened Soviet troops in what was the largest, most desperate battle of World War II. Acclaimed British historian Anthony Bevor's, "Stalingrad: The Fateful Seige 1942-1943" is a sweeping account of this titanic struggle with 2.2 million casualties that decided the outcome of World War II and settled the fate of Germany.
Top Recommendation for February
Stalingrad: The Fateful Seige 1942-1943, by Anthony Bevor
(1990 - 560 pp)
Majestic, definitive account of one of WW II's most harrowing battles with 2 million casualties. A surprise Soviet counter attack destroyed the German 6th Army.
by History 500 | Jan 22, 2019 | Welcome
The Epic Story of the Conquest of the American West
In 1846, the Army of the West moved through Santa Fe to occupy the Western territories 
claimed by Mexico. Acclaimed author Hampton Sides, brings this period to life in his sweeping, "Blood and Thunder: the Epic Story of Kit Carson and the American West". Under "Manifest Destiny", this land grab led to decades of conflict with the Navajos, fierce rulers of the vast Western mountains and deserts..
Top Recommendation for January
Blood and Thunder: The Epic Story of Kit Carson and the Conquest of the American West, by Hampton Sides (2007 - 624 pp)
Sweeping portrayal of this pivotal moment in American history where the doorway to the future lay in the hands of the great men and women who risked their lives and fortunes to open the West.
by History 500 | Dec 21, 2018 | Welcome
An American Family in Hitler's Berlin
Chilling, riveting account of the family of Chicago history professor William Dodd 
who became ambassador to Berlin with his daughter Martha who proceeded to befriend and date various Nazi officials. One of our favorite authors, Erik Larson's "In the Garden of the Beasts: Love, Terror and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin" will leave you breathless as Martha becomes involved with a Soviet spy, head of the Gestapo and Hitler himself.
Top Recommendation for December
In the Garden of the Beasts, by Erik Larson (2012 - 480 pp)
Unforgettable book about U.S. Ambassador Dodd's family in Berlin in the 30's and the terrifying events that altered their perceptions of Germany.
by History 500 | Nov 28, 2018 | Welcome
Empire of the Summer Moon: The Rise and Fall of the Great Comanche Nation
This stunningly vivid historical account of the 40 year battle between the Comanche 
Indians and white settlers for control of the American West, centers on Quanah, the greatest chief of all. S.C. Gwynnes' award-winning "Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History" traces the rise of the Comanches and life of the pioneer woman who came to live with them
Top Recommendation for November
Empire of the Summer Moon, by S.C. Gwynne
Award-winning book on the life of the great Comanche chief, Quanah Parker, his white captive pioneer mother and his historic battle for the West.
by History 500 | Oct 29, 2018 | Welcome
The Race to Solve the Greatest Navigation Problem of its Time
The greatest navigational problem of the 17th Century was solving the question
of longitude and how to measure time at sea. Dava Sobel's "Longitude:The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time" provides a riveting account of maritime disasters, fortunes and wars lost because of the inability of ships to accurately compute their location. The solution was the invention of the Chronometer
Top Recommendation for October
Longitude, by Dava Sobel (2007 - 208 pp)
Just great. This short book tells the suspenseful story of the 17th century competition to invent the chronometer as a critical aid to navigation at sea.
by History 500 | Sep 24, 2018 | Welcome
Europe Before the Great War - Portents of a World in Conflict
A penetrating examination of a peaceful European world of 100 years ago in which the seeds for the great conflicts of the 20th Century were being laid. Master British Historian Barbara Tuchman takes us on a beautifully written voyage back in time with "The Proud Tower: A Portrait of the World Before the War, 1890 - 1914, unravels the Dreyfus and Hay Market affairs, and the anarchist mood of the times that produced WW I.
Top Recommendation for September
The Proud Tower: A Portrait of the World before the War, 1890 - 1914,
by Barbara Tuchman ( 1996 - 608 pp)
Master historian Barbara Tuchman's colorful description of a European world at peace and lays the ground for the outbreak of a century of war.
by History 500 | Aug 16, 2018 | Welcome
Guadalcanal - Turning point of the War in the Pacific
On August 7, 1942 U.S. Marines landed on the island of Guadalcanal in the Southwest Pacific, signaling the end of Japanese control of the Pacific. Joseph Wheelen's tightly spun "Midnight in the Pacific: Guadalcanal - The World War II Battle the Turned the Tide of War" chronicles the 5 land and 7 naval battles of the bloodiest battle of the Pacific. At risk was pivotal Henderson Field and control of the U.S. lifeline to Australia.
Top Recommendation for August
Midnight in the Pacific
, by Joseph Wheelan (400 pp - 2017)
The best account yet of the amazing struggle between Japan and U.S. that left 67 ships in "Iron Bottom Sound" and resulted in the death of 24,000 Japanese and 1400 Americans in a vicious conflict that encompassed land, naval and air forces.
by History 500 | Jul 17, 2018 | Welcome
The Basques Heroic Fight for Independence from Spain
Looking for summer reading off the beaten path? Before WW II, Many Americans (Hemingway) fought in the Spanish Civil War. One unknown facet was the Basques' heroic attempt to secure their freedom as a nation. Mark Kurlansky's "The Basque History of the World" traces the origins of this mysterious culture with its own language and how Franco at Guernica tried to stamp it out. A great Basque recipe at the end of each chapter.
Our top Recommendation for July
The Basque History of the World, by Mark Kurlansky
(2001 - 424 pp)
Best on audio, this amazingly interesting book covers the mysterious history of The Basques, Franco and the Civil War, the Destruction of Guernica by the Nazis, the obscure Basque language which he banned, and many great cooking recipes for Basque cuisine.
by History 500 | Jun 18, 2018 | Welcome
Vicksburg - The South Loses the Mississippi
The great Siege of Vicksburg in June, 1863 was the beginning 
of the end for the South during the Civil War. Winston Groom's, "Vicksburg: 1863", paints a panorama of siege by starvation and a population that was reduced to living caves and eating rats to survive. Their surrender ceded control of the Mississippi to the North and ensured Lincoln's 'Anaconda' strategy.
Top Recommendation for June
Vicksburg 1863, by Winston Groom (2011 - 512 pp)
Great storytelling of the battles leading up to Vicksburg including the final siege and fall, leaving the Union in control of the critically important Mississippi.
