History and Politics from our 2017 Winter Newsletter

Eduardo Galeano passed away in 2015, leaving behind a great literary legacy that ranged from journalism to fiction to history and everything in between. Here for the first time in English, you will find the pieces he was working on at the time of his death. Poetic parables on history, politics, and human life, these will echo in your mind and your heart. - Jocelyn

In the same vein as Radium Girls and Hidden Figures, Code Girls delves into the stories of the women working behind the scenes during World War II. From deciphering codes to soldering together the cipher machines themselves, these women were at the forefront of the war and its outcome but unable to tell anyone about their work. Code Girls dragged my emotions all over the place and is at the top of my all-time must-read list. - Rachel

Pete Souza (former chief official White House photographer) took more than 2 million images of President Obama during Obama’s two terms, many of which became instant classics (including “The Situation Room” as the Bin Laden raid was happening). I have always loved how Souza’s images both personalized the president and captured the respect Obama had for the office and the seriousness with which he took his job. This new collection of photographs brings tears to my eyes not only for reasons of nostalgia (and the stark difference between Obama and the current resident in the White House), but because Souza captures the humanity of a man who bore so much weight on his shoulders. From the emotional moment the Obamas visited Nelson Mandela’s cell on Robben Island to the president’s reaction to a tiny Spiderman trick-or-treating at the White House, these are images to treasure. - S.B.

Smartly written, The Far Away Brothers chronicles the lives of two teenage El Salvadoran siblings as they become hermanos lejanos, or “faraway brothers.” Driven from their country, twins Ernesto and Raul brave the Rio Grande and Texas desert and make their way to their older brother in Oakland, only to face all the trials and tribulations of American teenagers, and with their debt to the coyotes constantly looming. - Aric

Women are frequently shunted to the side or ignored altogether in history, but they have often played a vital role in shaping our world. Alison Weir, with her signature meticulousness, puts the powerful women in the palace at the very center of history in this first of four planned volumes. I was more than happy to read about these important women and hope they will soon become household names, as they well deserve to be. - Ivy

Ta-Nehisi Coates exploded into our world after Between the World and Me hit the shelves. He has a keen eye for the issues facing America and uses his blistering words to highlight what needs to be done. His newest work is no exception. He has collected some of his best articles and combined them with his own personal stories. What emerges is a powerful look at the Obama years. By looking back, Coates has given us hope for the future. - Ivy

Legendary comedian and activist Dick Gregory gives a crash course in the people and events of U.S. history that we didn’t learn, or didn’t learn enough of—specifically, the black parts. Interwoven throughout are his own theories on unilluminated history, as well as continual calls to black Americans to stand up and take possession of their history and themselves. No matter your background, you owe it to yourself to pick up this book, learn something, and pay tribute to this late, great American. - Jocelyn

Having watched former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich’s short yet informative videos on numerous topics related to the economy, I’m excited for this compilation of his essays and cartoon illustrations (drawn on a large sketchpad with magic markers). Reich has always been able to make perplexing subjects accessible to those of us who are less informed, and I’m sure this book will be no different. - Ian