ELLINWOOD — There are new books at the Ellinwood School/Community Library. They are:
“Lincoln’s Boys” by Joshua Zeitz. Abraham Lincoln’s presidential secretaries, were his close confidants in the darkest and loneliest days of the Civil War. They were present at every event and every crises. Their letters, diaries, and memoirs and superb sources for a fresh account of Lincoln, the war, Washington, D.C. Zeitz shares their story of friendship and Lincoln’s historical legacy.
“The Bully Pulpit” by Doris Kearns Goodwin. This is a dynamic history of the first decade of the Progressive era, that tumultuous time when the nation was coming unseamed and reform was in the air, and the brutal politics associated with the times. It is also the story of the muckraking press which forced the government to address such issues as robber barons and corporate exploiters.
“Lawrence in Arabia” by Scott Anderson. This is the thrilling and revelatory narrative of one of the most epic and consequential episodes in twentieth-century history—the Arab revolt and the secret great game to control the Middle East. During WWI, European combatants paid slight heed to the Middle Eastern theater of war. Yet the conflict there was as dramatic and world changing as any other battle front.
“The Kid” by Ben Bradlee. Veteran investigative journalist Ben Bradlee, Jr. draws on numerous untapped sources to take us inside the clubhouse, the batter’s box, and beyond to reveal baseball legend Ted William’s life and his outsized personality.
“Duty” by Robert Gates. From the former secretary of defense, this is a strikingly candid, vividly written account of his experience serving Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Working for six presidents in both the CIA and the National Security Council provides a deep background for his insights in to a unique world perspective.
“All Joy and No Fun” by Jennifer Senior. This book asked a unique question: What are the effects of children on their parents? Senior tries to tackle this question, isolating and analyzing the many ways in which children reshape their parent’s lives, their marriages, their jobs, their friendships, and their internal sense of self.
Sharon Sturgis is the librarian at the Ellinwood School/Community Library.