Outside of a Dog, #93

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx

Contrary to popular culture there is and should be much more to our celebration of Memorial Day than a pile of circulars on the kitchen table highlighting local sales events. The following titles offer a wide variety of reading that may inspire, enlighten, or simply entertain you over this holiday weekend.

Operation Homecoming: Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Home Front, in the Words of U.S. Troops and Their Families - Andrew Carroll, Ed.

Supported by the National Endowment for the Arts this volume brings together a wide variety of eye witness accounts, letters, short stories, and other personal writings that form a dramatic narrative, illustrating in a very real sense the human side and cost of modern warfare.

956.7044 O WCV

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Forgotten Americans: Footnote Figures Who Changed American History - Willard Sterne Randall & Nancy Nahra

Fifteen fascinating but little known lives are explored and come to life in this well researched but very readable volume. From early colonial settlements to the close of the nineteenth century, the biographical selections presented here give us an engaging look at our nation’s past through the eyes and actions of very ordinary folks.

920.073 R WCV

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Miracles on the Water: The Heroic Survivors of a World War II U-boat Attack - Tom Nagorski

On September 17, 1940 the British liner SS City of Benares was sailing across the North Atlantic with more than four hundred passengers, including ninety children. They were on their way to Canada attempting to escape the German blitz over England. When a German submarine torpedoed and sank the ship their terrifying ordeal was just beginning. This book is a vivid retelling of that fateful journey.

940.54 N WCV

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An Album of Memories: Personal Histories from the Greatest Generation - Tom Brokaw

History comes alive and is faithfully preserved in people’s own words, through oral histories, photographs, reflections, and memorabilia of Word War II. A collection of everyday Americans sharing their wartime experiences with one of our most trusted journalist.

940.5481 B WCV ARM CLL EPL FRA WAM UPL SHL

Herstory: Women Who Changed the World - Ruth Ashby & Deborah Gore Ohrn, Eds.

For years the achievements of many remarkable women have been largely forgotten or ignored by historians. The 120 biographical sketches presented here offer a remarkable look back at some very influential and important women who by their personal decisions, bravery, and actions have helped shape the lives of all women living today.

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