Hi. Looking for a new non-fiction book to read...

[Noggin]

Something along the lines of Boys in the Boat, Unbroken, Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea, The Emerald Mile.  Any suggestions?  Thanks!

[ScoutTN]

Have you read any of Erik Larson’s books? I find them to be page turners. 
 

David McCullough writes fat tomes, but they are very good if you like American History. I recently reread 1776 and John Adams.

 

[Alicia64]

I just finished the Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson. So good! It's about Churchill dealing w/ Hilter. I highly recommend it.

I would have read Larson's other books, but I need a break from the Nazis.

W.

[Chris in VA]

I don't know if this is along the same lines, but The Heart of the Sea (sort of, the story behind Moby Dick) was really good. 

[marbel]

41 minutes ago, Alicia64 said:

I just finished the Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson. So good! It's about Churchill dealing w/ Hilter. I highly recommend it.

I would have read Larson's other books, but I need a break from the Nazis.

W.

He has books on other topics. One of my kids loved Isaac's Storm.

My favorite nonfiction author is John McPhee. He has written books on all sorts of topics, I have not read all his books, but I have loved every one I've read. Simon Winchester is a close second. 

Edited February 11, 2021 by marbel

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

39 minutes ago, Alicia64 said:

I just finished the Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson. So good! It's about Churchill dealing w/ Hilter. I highly recommend it.

I would have read Larson's other books, but I need a break from the Nazis.

W.

The Splendid and the Vile is on my list!  

I'm just finishing up Flags of our Fathers, which was very good.  

 

[vonfirmath]

1 hour ago, ScoutTN said:

Have you read any of Erik Larson’s books? I find them to be page turners. 
 

David McCullough writes fat tomes, but they are very good if you like American History. I recently reread 1776 and John Adams.

 

I really loved David McCullough's book _The Pioneers_

 

Two other Non-fiction that are so good I periodically reread.

The Great Influenza by John Barry

Emperor of All Maladies; The History of Cancer by Siddharta Mukherjee

 

Oh also: The Demon Under the Microscope: From Battlefield Hospitals to Nazi Labs, One Doctor's Heroic Search for the World's First Miracle Drug by Thomas Hager -- the history of antibiotics

[gardenmom5]

Jimmy Stewart: Bomber Pilot (The man was brilliant, and a leader, and when he ripped some habitually late to briefings major a "new one" - EVERYONE sat and and took notice because he was "just a nice guy".)

Endurance -  Earnest Shakleton.  Books by Lansing, Worsley (the captain of the ship), - Great treatise on leadership. He got everyone home alive (incld. the stowaway.)

     There are also documentaries where people attempted to recreate the sea crossing (with support, they needed help), and the glacier crossing - even           with modern equipment they dont' know how Shackleton succeeded.

The Perfect Horse (Lipizaners, kidnapped by nazis.  Disney made a movie about this in the 60s.)

[Noggin]

Wow!  Some awesome suggestions.  I was actually looking at Issac's Storm by Larson.  Think I have read everything else by him and McCullough.  The Jimmy Stewart book looks amazing.  By Walter Cronkite??  How did that get past me?  Cheers!

[gardenmom5]

1 hour ago, Noggin said:

Wow!  Some awesome suggestions.  I was actually looking at Issac's Storm by Larson.  Think I have read everything else by him and McCullough.  The Jimmy Stewart book looks amazing.  By Walter Cronkite??  How did that get past me?  Cheers!

Walter Cronkite only wrote the forward/introduction.  He'd met JS in the 40s when JS was stationed in England.

While his "official records" states 20 bombing missions - it was probably a lot more as he didn't want to be used for propaganda.  (and the military was using him for propaganda.)