Epoch Booklist: Recommended Reading for April 21–27

Epoch Booklist: Recommended Reading for April 21–27
Dustin Bass
Jeff Minick
Barbara Danza
Updated:
This week, we feature an important biography of an undervalued president and a lucid argument for putting children’s welfare before adult desires.

Biography

‘A Man of Iron: The Turbulent Life and Improbable Presidency of Grover Cleveland’ By Troy Senik

Grover Cleveland is the quintessential topic of political trivia: the only president to serve two separate terms, the only president to be married in the White House, and the only president to undergo a secret surgery at sea during his presidency. Troy Senik, however, digs deeper into Cleveland’s life and presents a politician Americans would most desire: an honest and principled one. This biography of the 22nd and 24th president is diligently detailed and full of Senik’s sharp wit.

Threshold Editions, 2022, 384 pages

Military History

‘The Brotherhood of the Flying Coffin: The Glider Pilots of World War II' By Scott McGaugh

This is the first major history of American glider pilots. It opens with combat gliders and their introduction into the U.S. Army Air Forces. The heart of the book looks at the combat gliders at Sicily, Normandy, and Southern France, and in specific campaigns: Operation Market Garden, the relief of Bastogne, and Operation Varsity. The book’s focus is the men who flew the gliders, following them through training, deployment overseas, their airborne arrival at the battlefield, and their experiences in combat.

Osprey Publishing, 2023, 288 pages

Social Services

‘Them Before Us: Why We Need a Global Children’s Rights Movement’ By Katy Faust and Stacy Manning

The book’s subtitle says a great deal. The work argues that children have rights, too, and that often adults fail to recognize children’s feelings about marriage and family. Citing both data and anecdotal evidence, the authors show that most children yearn for the love of their biological parents, are damaged by broken homes and irregular adult relationships, and should be given much more consideration in matters such as divorce. It’s a moving argument for traditional—and loving—marriages and families.

Post Hill Press, 2022, 304 pages

Espionage

‘A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal’ By Ben Macintyre

Kim Philby is arguably the most notorious spy in British history. The MI6 agent spent two decades betraying his country to the Soviets. Macintyre tells the story through the lives of Philby and his close counterparts: the American James Jesus Angleton and Philby’s best friend and fellow MI6 agent, Nicholas Elliott. It’s a powerful telling of the true story of how Philby successfully deceived his country and his closest friends. It’s full of intrigue, mystery, and history during the height of the Cold War.

Crown, 2015, 384 pages

Classics

‘The Golden Age’ By Kenneth Grahame

Some may recommend this as a book for children, but don’t be fooled. The author of “The Wind in the Willows” does indeed explore childhood, but he sets his sights on a grownup audience. Based in part on the circumstances faced by Grahame and his siblings, these charming stories center around five orphaned children living on a large property in the English countryside. Through their adventures and emotions, he evokes a children’s world of nature and imaginative play that few writers can match.

SeaWolf Press, 2020, 168 pages

For Kids

‘Henny Penny’ By Paul Galdone

Convinced that the sky is falling, Henny Penny runs off to tell the king. On her way, she is joined by such characters as Cocky Locky, Goosey Loosey, Turkey Lurkey, and Ducky Lucky, until finally, they encounter Foxy Loxy, who lives up to his sly reputation. Spoiler: It doesn’t end well for the band of doomsayers. The fox on the other hand ...

Clarion Books, 2013, 40 pages
Dustin Bass is an author and co-host of The Sons of History podcast. He also writes two weekly series for The Epoch Times: Profiles in History and This Week in History.
Related Topics