Friday Free Read: 50 Core American Documents by Christopher Burkett

Since tomorrow the U.S. is celebrating its 250th birthday, I thought today we should feature a book about the founding of the U.S. If you are hoping to learn something of our history and how we got to where we are today, then you should check out today's free read.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. The ebook was free when posted. Please confirm the price before purchasing.

Books to Read for Memorial Day

by Donna Huber

Monday is Memorial Day, which for many in the United States marks the unofficial start of summer. If you are heading to the beach, lake, or pool this summer, we have featured several books that would be perfect for a relaxing weekend. But if you are looking for books that will help you appreciate the true purpose of the holiday, keep reading for some recommendations.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.

World War II History Books to Read for Women's History Month

by Donna Huber

I've been reading more nonfiction lately, and several of them have involved women in history. As it is Women's History Month, I thought I would share a few of those books in case you are looking for something to read. It probably isn't surprising that they all have something to do with WWII, but they aren't really war books. (If you are doing the Goodreads Challenges, these books will get you the Her Story bookmark.)

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. 

I Told You So! by Matt Kaplan ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

An energetic and impassioned work of popular science about scientists who have had to fight for their revolutionary ideas to be accepted—from Darwin to Pasteur to modern-day Nobel Prize winners.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A Free book was provided for an honest review.

Tom Paine's War by Jack Kelly ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

In 1776, one man’s words—and the determination of American patriots—allowed our nation to survive its first crisis.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Once There Was a Town by Jane Ziegelman ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

By the close of World War II, six million Jews had been erased from the face of the earth. Those who eluded death had lost their homes, families, and entire way of life. Their response was quintessentially Jewish. From a people with a long-history of self-narration, survivors gathered in groups and wrote books, yizkor books, remembering all that had been destroyed. Jane Ziegelman’s Once There Was a Town takes readers on a journey through this largely uncharted body of writing and the vanished world it depicts.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

The Girl Bandits of the Warsaw Ghetto by Elizabeth Hyman ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

A Holocaust historian, archivist, and history blogger adds a new dimension to the story of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising during World War II, shining a long overdue spotlight on five young, Polish Jewish women—champions who helped lead the resistance, sabotage the Nazis, and aid Jews in hiding across occupied Poland and Eastern Europe.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free audiobook was provided for an honest review.

The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald by John U. Bacon ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

 

On the fiftieth anniversary of the Edmund Fitzgerald’s sinking, the bestselling author of The Great Halifax Explosion tells the definitive story of the “Mighty Fitz.”

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.  A free book was provided for an honest review.

3 New & Notable Nonfiction Books to Read

by MK French

Are you a true crime buff or love history? I don't often review nonfiction, but these three books are worth the read, even if it isn't your usual thing.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. Free books were provided for an honest review.

Reading More Than Novels: Poetry and 2 Biographies

by Susan Roberts

I don't read a lot of non-fiction books, but have read several in the last few months that were very interesting and well-written.  Here are reviews of a book of poetry. a collection of Holocaust stories, and a book about the greatest rock band of all time.  

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.  Free books were provided for honest reviews.

The Ride: Paul Revere and the Night That Saved America by Kostya Kennedy ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

On April 18, 1775, a Boston-based silversmith, engraver, and anti-British political operative named Paul Revere set out on a borrowed horse to fulfill a dangerous but crucial to alert American colonists of advancing British troops, which would seek to crush their nascent revolt.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Propaganda Girls: The Secret War of the Women in the OSS by Lisa Rogak ~ an Audiobook Review

by Donna Huber

What are you reading for Women's History Month? I love learning about women in history but I usually choose biographical fiction as it is more entertaining than nonfiction history. If you feel the same way, then I have a recommendation on a nonfiction history book you need to read.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free audiobook was provided for an honest review.

5 Books for Presidents' Day

by Donna Huber

One of my favorite classic holiday movies is Holiday Inn with Bing Crosby. If you've watched the movie you know that they celebrated both Washington's birthday and Lincoln's birthday. In 1968, the Uniformed Monday Holiday Act moved many federal holidays to Mondays to create a three-day weekend. The third Monday, which fell between Washington's and Lincoln's birthdays, was chosen to celebrate both and became known as Presidents' Day. Now it celebrates the legacies of all presidents. As today is Presidents' Day in the U.S. here are a few books to read to learn more about U.S. history and the lives of these men who have led the country.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. 

Sisters in Science by Olivia Campbell ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

In the 1930s, Germany was a hotbed of scientific thought. But after the Nazis took power, Jewish and female citizens were forced out of their academic positions. Hedwig Kohn, Lise Meitner, Hertha Sponer, and Hildegard Stücklen were eminent in their fields, but they had no choice but to flee due to their Jewish ancestry or anti-Nazi sentiments.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

5 Books to Read for Memorial Day

by Donna Huber

Memorial Day in the United States marks the unofficial start of summer. Families and friends will gather for picnics, a day at the lake, or a trip to the beach. But Memorial Day is so much more than just a celebration of summer vacation. It is the day we honor and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of Freedom. The list of books below are a mix of historical fiction, biographical fiction, nonfiction, biographies, and memoirs. It is a little heavy on WWII, but there is also a book featuring the Vietnam War and one set during the Korean War. 

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.

God Save Benedict Arnold by Jack Kelly ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Benedict Arnold committed treason— for more than two centuries, that’s all that most Americans have known about him.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Luck of the Draw: My Story of the Air War in Europe by Frank Murphy ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

“In the pursuit of authenticity, of accurate history and undeniable courage, no words matter more than, ‘I was there.’ Read Luck of the Draw and the life of Frank Murphy and ponder this: how did those boys do such things?” —Tom Hanks

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

The Dirty Tricks Department by John Lisle ~ a Nonfiction Review

by Donna Huber

I read a lot of WWII fiction but I've been trying to pick up some nonfiction books about that period in history as I'm discovering a lot of the events were never covered in my history classes. The Dirty Tricks Department is about the OSS (the forerunner to the CIA), Stanley Lovell (the head of the R&D Branch), and their contributions to the war effort. 

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Pillar of Salt: A Daughter's Life in the Shadow of the Holocaust by Anna Salton Eisen & Aaron Eisen ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

"You can't do it alone.  You must let other people help you.  And when you're better, then  you go and help someone else."  (p 148)

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Damn Lucky by Kevin Maurer ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

I love WWII fiction and have really gotten into reading biographical fiction so it makes sense that I start reading historical NONfiction. Last fall for Nonfiction November, I read my first WWII nonfiction book (Lightning Down - read my review) and really enjoyed it. So when I saw the audiobook Damn Lucky, I decided to give it a try. It is also about a pilot - John Luckadoo was a B-17 bomber pilot.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free audiobook was provided for an honest review.