Ballpark
Like many of us, Paul Goldberger has an obsession over America’s favorite pastime, baseball. This book is an in-depth peek into the history of the stadiums that we have come to know and love. From the first park to the modern stadiums that we enjoy now, Paul Goldberger does and amazing job of collecting and organizing the history of these stadiums in a beautiful way.
Girls of D-Day
Sarah Rose brings us D-Day Girls, the history of a few brave women who fought behind enemy lines in Nazi-occupied Germany. Much of this story is information gathered from declassified military documents, diaries that the women kept, and various letters sent back and forth to paint a picture of these lesser-known heroines. With all of that collected together, we are treated to a novelization of that historic part of WWII and the history of the women of the Special Operations Executive.
These Truths
Jill Lepore takes on an ambitious project with These Truths: to create a one volume history of the United States of America. In it, we see comparisons of the hypocrisy in how we act and treat each other, along with how much of our collective point of view has not drastically changed from then to now. These Truths gives us the history from 1492 onward, showing how politics, law, journalism, and technology have shaped and changed America since the beginning.
Weber’s Ultimate Grilling
The good folks at Weber have created this beautiful cookbook/guide for those that have been dreaming of grilling since the end of winter. This book is more than just recipes, giving helpful advice and information related to the science of cooking, so that anyone can be a master of the grill. With beautifully done, high-quality photos, easy-to-follow recipes and wonderful facts about grilling, this book really does live up to its name.
The Longest Line on the Map
Discussing a forgotten piece of American history, The Longest Line on the Map brings the story of the Pan-American Highway to those who have either forgotten about it or have never heard of it. The road was built in an effort to connect North and South America, and this book details the history and effort that was needed to bring this ambitious project to life. It also explores the politics, deals, and technology needed to take on such an ambitious and unprecedented project.
The Pioneers
David McCullough is best known for his writings on history, and The Pioneers is no different, following a few early settlers who settled near the Ohio River and built one of the earliest settlements in the area. This story follows Cutler, Putnam, Cutler’s son Ephraim, a carpenter/architect, and a physician who would become a pioneer in science. The story is pieced together from mostly unknown text and documents from these early settlers, giving us a unique look into the lives of those early pioneers.
The Impeachers
Brenda Wineapple’s The Impeachers is a fascinating narrative of an important piece of American history: the very first impeachment of a United States President. After the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson was placed into the highest office during a difficult time in America. To further disrupt things, he used his power as the president in ways that had not been experienced up to that point, much to the dismay of Congress and various others that were dedicated to fighting for justice. This book is a terrific read for anyone with questions regarding the use of impeachment.
Life to the Extreme
Talented handyman Ty Pennington spent much of his youth in trouble due to ADHD but found one way to cope with an untreated issue: build. He found that making, building, and designing things was the best way to stay focused. Following the journey of Pennington, we get to see the path that lead to him being an advocate for ADHD, getting into modeling and carpentry, and eventually shifting into television.
Every Tool’s a Hammer: Life is what you make it
Adam Savage is best known for Mythbusters, and anyone familiar with the show should also be aware that he is an accomplished maker. Every Tool’s a Hammer is a collection of Adam’s own personal experiences in building, crafting, and making, and it features Jamie Hyneman, Nick Offerman, Andrew Stanton, Guillermo del Toro, Tom Sachs, and Traci Des Jardins. Intended to get you on the right track, this is a great gift for any dad with a couple projects still sitting around.
CSNY: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Peter Doggett is a renowned music historian, and in CSNY he discusses the riveting history of one of rock n’ roll’s biggest bands. Following the band and their grandiose lifestyle, the book gives us an intimate look into what is considered one of the first and most renowned supergroups of all time. Featuring high quality photos and tales about the path that theses titans of music took, this is sure to be a pleasure for anyone with fond memories of Woodstock and the rise of CSNY.