Category Archives: history

Germany

Posted on October 3, 2012 by smellincoffee

Germany: Unraveling an Enigma© 2000 Paul Nees236 pages If you follow European news, chances are good that you’ve heard the name Angela Merkel in recent months. Chancellor of Germany, her nation is the economic heart of Europe and essential to … Continue reading →

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Moon Shot

Posted on September 17, 2012 by smellincoffee

Moon Shot: the Inside Story of America’s Race to the Moon© 1995 Alan Shepard, Deke Slayton. Introduction by Neil Armstrong383 pages The Apollo program has been in the news as of late given the death of Neil Armstrong, who with … Continue reading →

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This Week at the Library (12 September)

Posted on September 13, 2012 by smellincoffee

About a week ago, ten inches of rain were dumped on my hometown in 24 hours, leading to widespread flooding. Various services around town were disrupted, meaning the people who — inexplicably — journeyed to the library in the midst … Continue reading →

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The Most Glorious Fourth

Posted on September 4, 2012 by smellincoffee

The Most Glorious Fourth: Vicksburg and Gettysburg, July 4th, 1863© 2002 Duane Schultz447 pages When the American Civil War began in 1861, no one imagined that it would devastate the countryside for four long years. All the attempts to bring … Continue reading →

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A Man on the Moon

Posted on August 27, 2012 by smellincoffee

A Man on the Moon:  the Voyages of the Apollo Astronauts © 1994 Andrew Chaikin670 pages Yet a higher goal was calling, and we vowed to reach it soon So we gave ourselves a decade to put fire on the moon … Continue reading →

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Lost Moon

Posted on August 3, 2012 by smellincoffee

Lost Moon: the Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13© 1994 Jim Lovell, Jeffrey Kluger368 pages No one wants to hear ominous noises coming from their car in the middle of a road trip, especially if they’re in the middle of nowhere. … Continue reading →

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The Artificial River

Posted on July 31, 2012 by smellincoffee

The Artificial River: the Erie Canal and the Paradox of Progress, 1817-1867© 1997 Carol Sheriff272 pages At the dawn of a new century, the two-decade old American republic stood hemmed in between storm-tossed Atlantic ocean and the towering Appalachian mountains. … Continue reading →

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The Age of Napoleon

Posted on July 14, 2012 by smellincoffee

The Age of Napoleon© 2004 Alistair Horne218 pages Napoleon Bonaparte cast a long shadow over history, considering the relative slightness of his origins. Who would expect a boy from a conquered island to rise to the height of power and … Continue reading →

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Founding Brothers

Posted on June 30, 2012 by smellincoffee

Founding Brothers:  the Revolutionary Generation © 2000 288 pages Laboring always at the same oar, with some wave ever ahead threatening to overwhelm us, and yet passing harmless under our bark, we knew not how, we rode through the storm … Continue reading →

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Something from the Oven

Posted on June 24, 2012 by smellincoffee

Something from the Oven: Reinventing Dinner in 1950s America 306 pages © 2004 Laura Shaprio      The latter half of the 20th century saw the United States convulsed with social change. Millions of women and blacks who found their … Continue reading →

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