Historical Fiction
By Barney Campbell
Edward Salter was a solicitor working for a firm in Brighton before World War I started. Feeling a call to serve, he volunteered and gained a commission in a regiment raised after Britain entered the war. As the book opens, Salter and his regiment are sailing to join Allied forces at Gallipoli. It follows Salter and his regiment from there through the war’s end and beyond. The book explores the meanings of friendship, duty, and loyalty, providing a vivid portrayal of men in the forge of combat.
Maritime History
By Steven Ujifusa
It was still the Golden Age of ocean liners when the SS United States was completed in 1952. This Golden Age was contingent on three principles: size, speed, and luxury. Germany, France, Italy and Great Britain competed for decades for the title of best ocean liner, winning the Blue Riband each time a speed record was broken. American naval architect William Francis Gibbs designed a vessel that would leave all others in its wake. A smooth-sailing read.
Food
By Paul Hollywood, Prue Leith, and the Bakers
The 14 contributors to this cookbook spotlight delicious recipes for creating comfort foods: pastries, breads, desserts, and more. Some of these recipes are traditional but with special add-ons, while some aim to evoke a sense of nostalgia with treats remembered from the past. With choices ranging from malted chocolate and honeycomb layer cake to steak and kidney pudding, fans of the show and bakers in general will find here lots of options for baking some wonderful comforts for the soul.
History
By Carol O’Keefe Wilson
James E. and Miriam A. Ferguson, were America’s first political power couple. He was elected Texas governor in 1914 and was reelected in 1916. Ethical failings led to impeachment and removal from office in 1917. Blocked from running for office in 1918 by the Texas Supreme Court, he had his wife run instead. She won in 1924. Several scandal-plagued years as governor followed. This book peels back myths about the Fergusons, revealing the reality and showing the consequences of political corruption.
Classics
Edited by Michael Rosen
Perhaps because Rosen is known as a children’s author, some advertise this collection as a book for the young. Don’t be fooled. This volume of poetry, accompanied by the art of illustrator Paul Howard, should appeal to people of all ages. Poets, like Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, and W.B. Yeats, all appear in high school and college anthologies. Howard’s lovely pictures complement the beauty of works like Lord Tennyson’s “The Splendour Falls.” Highly recommended.
For Kids
By Berta and Elmer Hader
Canada geese honk as they fly by, high in the sky, during their journey south, as forest animals on the ground and in the trees prepare for winter. This beautifully illustrated picture book features a variety of creatures and the different ways they anticipate and make their way through the snowy season. A lovely book from beginning to end.
