Greetings from Amazon.com Delivers History Editor, Sunny Delaney FEATURED IN THIS E-MAIL: * What We're Reading: "The Sword and the Shield," "The Hungry Years," "Secret War in Shanghai" * Alternate History Month * Stormy Weather: Amazon.com talks to Erik Larson * Great Explorers: Books on men who dared * Bestsellers: Countdown to 2000: "The Millennium Year by Year," "A People's History of the United States," "The Century" * New in Paperback: Civil War softcovers: "Gettysburg 1863," "Grant Wins the War," "Lee Moves North" * Editor's Choice: The Blue and the Gray in Color * Coming Soon: Bad science: "The Plutonium Files" WHAT WE'RE READING ****************** "The Sword and the Shield" by Christopher Andrew and Vasili Mitrokhin http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0465003109/entertainmentsit A secret dissident working in the KGB archive stole copies of its most highly classified files every day for over a decade. In 1992 he defected with his entire collection. These shocking revelations about the KGB's worldwide network come out for the first time in "The Sword and the Shield." "The Hungry Years: A Narrative History of the Great Depression 1929-1939" by T.H. Watkins http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805016759/entertainmentsit The stock-market crash. "Buddy, Can You Spare a Dime?" Breadlines. "The Hungry Years" tells the story of the Great Depression through the lives, and the voices, of the Americans who lived it. "Secret War in Shanghai" by Bernard Wasserstein http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0395985374/entertainmentsit Even after the Imperial Japanese Army invaded in 1941, Shanghai remained a center of corruption, espionage, and vice. In "Secret War in Shanghai," Bernard Wasserstein presents a portrait of the city and the spies, gangsters, and powerbrokers who inhabited its dens. OCTOBER IS ALTERNATE HISTORY MONTH ********************************** What if the Confederacy had won the Civil War? What if Britain had not entered WWI? What if aliens had landed during WWII? In honor of Alternate History Month, Amazon.com asked noted historians and science fiction authors to write brief what-if essays. On October 1, we'll launch our Alternate History feature--but we'll whet your appetite now with this original essay from Niall Ferguson, noted historian and editor of "Virtual History: Alternatives and Counterfactuals"; who justifies asking the historical question "What if?" http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search/?keyword=niall+ferguson&tag=entertainmentsit STORMY WEATHER: AMAZON.COM TALKS TO ERIK LARSON *********************************************** The hurricane that struck Galveston, Texas, on September 8, 1900, remains the deadliest natural disaster in American history. "Isaac's Storm" tells the story of the storm, the people of Galveston, and of a time when, basking in the hubris of a new century, people believed they could even disregard nature. In an interview with Amazon.com, Erik Larson talks about "liquid light," hurricane predictions, and messing with Mother Nature. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search/?keyword=erik+larson&tag=entertainmentsit GREAT EXPLORERS: BOOKS ON MEN WHO DARED *************************************** Whether they're questing for the North Pole like Nansen or the South Pole like Shackleton, crossing North America like Lewis and Clark or circumnavigating the globe like Drake, explorers inspire all of us with their tales of adventure. Roland Huntford's "The Last Place on Earth" is one of four classics just republished in the Modern Library Exploration series. We've compiled a list of these great books and others about the world's greatest explorers. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search/?keyword=explorers&tag=entertainmentsit BESTSELLERS: COUNTDOWN TO 2000 ****************************** As we near the end of the year, century, and millennium, more and more sweeping histories are appearing in Amazon.com's History Bestsellers list. Here are some of the best: "Millennium Year by Year" http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0789446413/entertainmentsit DK Publishing's "Millennium Year by Year" is the most ambitious, presenting a chronicle of the world's events, 1000 to 1999, in the style of lavishly illustrated newspaper articles. "A People's History of the United States: 1492-Present" by Howard Zinn http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060926430/entertainmentsit Narrower in scope but great in influence, Howard Zinn's classic "A People's History of the United States" covers over 500 years of American history, from Columbus to Clinton, and provides an outlet for the oft-unheard voices of women, Native Americans, and African Americans. "The Century" by Peter Jennings and Todd Brewster http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0385483279/entertainmentsit Peter Jennings and Todd Brewster zoom further in on "The Century," an America-centric view of the 20th century acclaimed for its photographs and first-person narratives. NEW IN PAPERBACK: CIVIL WAR SOFTCOVERS ************************************** Amazon.com history fans just can't get enough of the War Between the States. Some of the best new titles happen to be in paperback this month. "Gettysburg 1863: Campaign of Endless Echoes" by Richard Wheeler http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0452281393/entertainmentsit Richard Wheeler's "Gettysburg 1863" is an excellent look at the famous battle and the events that led up to it. "Grant Wins the War: Decision at Vicksburg" by James R. Arnold http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/047135063X/entertainmentsit James R. Arnold's "Grant Wins the War" details his decisive victory at Vicksburg and examines Grant's successful strategies. "Lee Moves North: Robert E. Lee on the Offensive" by Michael A. Palmer http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0471350591/entertainmentsit Michael A. Palmer's "Lee Moves North" runs contrary to most of the writing on General Lee and argues that Lee made serious tactical errors when on the offensive. EDITOR'S CHOICE: THE BLUE AND THE GRAY IN COLOR *********************************************** "Don Troiani's Civil War" by Don Troiani http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0811727157/entertainmentsit "I try to paint it how it was." That's how artist Don Troiani explains his remarkable paintings. As evidenced by the nearly 100 examples of his work included in this volume, Troiani's work really brings home the day-to-day experience of the war--sometimes boring, sometimes frightening. "Don Troiani's Civil War" captures the beauty and detail of the artist's work and provides an excellent introduction to the War Between the States. COMING SOON: BAD SCIENCE ************************ "The Plutonium Files" by Eileen Welsome http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0385314027/entertainmentsit While developing the atomic bomb, the U.S. government ran tests on the effects of plutonium on humans, exposing subjects to the radioactive substance without their knowledge. "The Plutonium Files" tells the story of these victims of bad science. ****** You'll find more great books, articles, excerpts, and interviews in Amazon.com's History section at History
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