'In The Hurricane's Eye' Focuses On Naval Power's Role In The Victory At Yorktown October 19, 2018 • In his new book, Nathaniel Philbrick grabs the reader's head and turns it towards the sea, providing a fresh take on an old story of the Revolutionary War.
'The Big Fella' Highlights Babe Ruth's Spot As First Celebrity Sports Star October 18, 2018 • Jane Leavy tells the story of Ruth as the first baseball superstar — but also of his roles as movie star, vaudeville performer, barnstormer, pitchman for every conceivable product, and columnist.
'Ruth Bader Ginsburg' Reminds Us Why The Justice Is A True Legal Icon October 18, 2018 • Jane Sherron De Hart's biography sheds light on personal and professional challenges Ginsburg faced on the way to the top and puts the Supreme Court justice's life in context.
'Melmoth' Bears Witness To Our Worst, Loneliest Moments October 18, 2018 • Sarah Perry's new novel isn't subtle — it's full of ominous birds, guttering candles and mysterious figures in gloomy windows. But there's something satisfying about its emotional flamboyance.
Eleanor Roosevelt's advice column — "If You Ask Me" — ran from 1941, when she was still first lady, to her death in 1962. She's shown in October 1957. AP hide caption toggle caption AP What Would Eleanor Do? 'If You Ask Me' Revisits Roosevelt's Advice Columns Fresh Air October 17, 2018 • For 20 years, Roosevelt answered reader questions on topics monumental, mundane and everywhere in between. A new book presents a selection of her essential advice and practical wisdom. What Would Eleanor Do? 'If You Ask Me' Revisits Roosevelt's Advice Columns Listen · 7:08 7:08 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/658113308/658190465" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
What Would Eleanor Do? 'If You Ask Me' Revisits Roosevelt's Advice Columns Listen · 7:08 7:08 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/658113308/658190465" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
'Vietnam' Takes On All Sides With A Critical Gaze October 17, 2018 • While historian Max Hastings may break no new ground in his tome, it's how he crafts his story with color, detail and pathos that makes it great — and likely to become the standard on the war.
NPR 'Heavy' Brilliantly Renders The Struggle To Become Fully Realized October 17, 2018 • The book is at once a paean to the Deep South, a condemnation of our fat-averse culture, and a beautiful memoir of being black, bookish, and part of a family that's as challenging as it is grounding.
'Brief Answers To The Big Questions' Is Stephen Hawking's Parting Gift To Humanity October 16, 2018 • The physicist's posthumous book highlights his belief in the rationality of nature and in our ability to uncover its secrets — and a faith in science's ability to solve humanity's biggest problems.
'Frederick Douglass' Is An Extended Meditation On The Legend's Self-Invention October 16, 2018 • David W. Blight's opus manages to be both a celebration of a remarkable life and a sober reminder of the many ways in which our terrible times are shaped by those Douglass lived through.
In 'Them,' Sen. Sasse Aims To Find Ways To Move America Beyond Divisive Politics October 15, 2018 • Them doesn't read like a campaign book — there's no humble-bragging about accomplishments. Sasse instead focuses on building relationships, but doesn't go deep enough or propose tangible solutions.
NPR 'Washington Black' Is A Soaring Tale Of Enslavement And Escape Fresh Air October 15, 2018 • Esi Edugyan's new novel centers on a boy who escapes slavery via hot air balloon — before crashing down to hard historical realities. Critic Maureen Corrigan calls Washington Black "a wonder." 'Washington Black' Is A Soaring Tale Of Enslavement And Escape Listen · 5:58 5:58 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/657451187/657521019" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
'Washington Black' Is A Soaring Tale Of Enslavement And Escape Listen · 5:58 5:58 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/657451187/657521019" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
In 'Scribe,' A World Haunted By Absences October 14, 2018 • Alyson Hagy's new dystopian novel paints an America torn apart by war and plague, leaving little of the past intact. It's a lean, hungry book that draws on Appalachian folk myths, mercilessly told.
'The Witch Elm' Starts Slow, Then Sucks You In October 14, 2018 • Tana French's new standalone novel packs a lot of character and background information into the first few chapters, but the atmosphere and dialogue will keep you turning pages as the mystery unfolds.
For October, 3 Romances To Keep You On The Path To Happily Ever After October 13, 2018 • A good romance is an easy read, but a tough emotional journey for the characters. This month, we're showcasing three books that'll keep you flipping pages through all the highs and lows along the way.
Difference Beats At The Heart Of 'White Dancing Elephants' October 13, 2018 • Chaya Bhuvaneswar's new collection can be a hard read at times — she doesn't shy away from the difficulties of the immigrant experience in America. But these stories also offer a core of hope.
In 'My Brother's Husband Vol. 2,' Family Values (And The Value Of Family) October 12, 2018 • Part two of Gengoroh Tagame's heartfelt manga about a Japanese man coming to terms with his late brother's sexuality depicts an achingly real process of fits and starts, advancements and reversals.
'Bitter Orange' Keeps The Tension Simmering October 11, 2018 • Claire Fuller's finely crafted psychological thriller follows a seemingly mousy, buttoned-up woman who becomes embroiled in a strange, voyeuristic triangle over the course of a country house summer.
Matthew T. Carroll/Getty Images Three Pulitzer Prize-Winning Historians Aim To Put American Politics In Context October 11, 2018 • In new books, Doris Kearns Goodwin and Joseph J. Ellis — also Jon Meacham, whose tome hit shelves in May — aim to contextualize or contrast the Trump era with the leadership of previous presidents.
CCAC North Library/Flickr Books 'Florida,' 'Heartland' Among National Book Awards Finalists October 10, 2018 • "This year, instead of just celebrating the best American literature, we're celebrating the best literature in America," said Lisa Lucas, executive director of the National Book Foundation.
'The Reckonings,' Examines What It Means To Have Justice October 10, 2018 • Writing about topics as diverse as race, sexual assault, Hurricane Harvey, and art history, Lacy M. Johnson's essays are together a philosophy in disguise — equal parts memoir, criticism, and ethics.
Light And Dark, Characters Shine In 'Blanca & Roja' October 10, 2018 • Anna-Marie McLemore braids old bits of myth about swans and cursed sisters into a new, more inward-looking story that lets readers see just how hard it is to be a character in a fairy tale.
'Presidents Of War' Sounds The Alarm About Presidential Power October 9, 2018 • In his new book, Michael Beschloss focuses on the lead up to war. But a more pressing danger and indictment of presidential power may be the interventions not authorized by Congress.
'Once And Forever' Turns Familiar Fairy-Tale Ideas Upside Down October 8, 2018 • Kenji Miyazawa is a beloved author in Japan; this book — a reissue of a 1993 story collection — balances chaos and kindness, natural and supernatural to build a world in which anything might happen.
'False Calm' Acts As A Record Of Real Life In Patagonia October 8, 2018 • Argentine writer María Sonia Cristoff wants to be honest: She won't shape her subjects' narratives or take control of another person's story. This is both the book's great strength and great weakness.
