Book List

Best 2017 Books of Disturbing Yet Necessary History

HISTORY

THE EMPIRE MUST DIE

by Mikhail Zygar

An excellent complement to recent work by other Russian journalists who have turned to history, and to brilliant purpose. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR

STALIN

by Stephen Kotkin

A well-written, finely detailed installment in a definitive biography—sure to receive many prize nominations this year. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

HISTORY

THE FUTURE IS HISTORY

by Masha Gessen

A superb, alarming portrait of a government that exercises outsize influence in the modern world, at great human cost. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

HISTORY

THE SECOND WORLD WARS

by Victor Davis Hanson

An ingenious, always provocative analysis of history’s most lethal war. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

HISTORY

THE THIRD REICH

by Thomas Childers

An elegantly composed study, important and even timely, given current trends in American and global politics. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

HISTORY

HUE 1968

by Mark Bowden

One of the best books on a single action in Vietnam, written by a tough, seasoned journalist who brings the events of a... Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

NONFICTION

THE COOKING GENE

by Michael W. Twitty

An exemplary, inviting exploration and an inspiration for cooks and genealogists alike. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

HISTORY

ONE LONG NIGHT

by Andrea Pitzer

A potent, powerful history of cruelty and dehumanization. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

HISTORY

THE HOLOCAUST

by Laurence Rees

A thorough, concise, evenhanded work, essential for libraries and schools. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

HISTORY

BLITZED

by Norman Ohler translated by Shaun Whiteside

Written with dramatic flair (Ohler has published several novels in Germany), this book adds significantly to our... Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

HISTORY

MY LAI

by Howard Jones

Jones succeeds on all counts in a book that, due to its subject matter, is not pleasant to read but is powerful and... Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

HISTORY

HE CALLS ME BY LIGHTNING

by S. Jonathan Bass

A stirring book that explores numerous aspects of racism in Alabama and the nation as a whole. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

HISTORY

WHY?

by Peter Hayes

“Beware the beginnings,” admonishes a German proverb. This noteworthy book is a chilling compendium of warning signs, past... Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

HISTORY

KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON

by David Grann

Dogged original research and superb narrative skills come together in this gripping account of pitiless evil. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

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