BARD annotation Star-spangled men: America’s ten worst presidents DB46576 Author: Miller, Nathan Reading Time: 9 hours, 48 minutes Read by: Gregory Gorton Subjects: Biography of Heads of State and Political Figures, U.S. History   Biographical profiles of American presidents the author judges to be the ten worst in the nation’s history. Candidates were evaluated on the basis of their personal qualities and the extent to which they damaged the nation. Includes Richard Nixon for his moral lapses and Jimmy Carter for lacking purpose and direction.   New York, NY : Scribner, c1998.   Bookshare This book can be found on Bookshare at the following link:   https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/6372261?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPVN0YXItc3BhbmdsZWQlMkJtZW4lMjUzQSUyQkFtZXJpY2ElMjUyNiUyNTIzMzklMjUzQnMlMkJ0ZW4lMkJ3b3JzdCUyQnByZXNpZGVudHMlMkI Enter the Journey Through History Zoom Room A Journey Through History Meets the first Tuesday of each month at 8pm to 9pm Eastern. Join A Journey Through History Meeting from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: Or iPhone one-tap: US: +14086380986,,177809772 or +16468769923,,177809772# Or Telephone: Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 408 638 0986 or +1 646 876 9923 Meeting ID: 177 809 772 International numbers available

BARD annotation A sense of the world: how a blind man became history’s greatest traveler DB62703 Author: Roberts, Jason Reading Time: 12 hours, 41 minutes Read by: David Cutler Subjects: Biography of Persons with Disabilities, Disability, Travel   Biography of Englishman James Holman (1786-1857), who was blinded at twenty-five after serving in the Napoleonic wars and who then achieved fame as a world traveler. Quoting from Holman’s memoirs, describes how he fought slavery in Africa, survived captivity in Siberia, charted the Australian outback, and published three books. 2006.   New York : Harper Collins Publishers, c2006. Bookshare This book can be found on Bookshare at the following link:   https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/6462474?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPUElMkJzZW5zZSUyQm9mJTJCdGhlJTJCd29ybGQlMjUzQSUyQmhvdyUyQmElMkJibGluZCUyQm1hbiUyQmJlY2FtZSUyQmhpc3RvcnklMjUyNiUyNTIzMzklMjUzQnMlMkJncmVhdGVzdCUyQnRyYXZlbGVyJTJC  

Jana Littrell facilitates A Journey through History book group and will lead the discussion on 9/2/25 at 8pm Eastern of  James K. Polk DBC27665 by John Seigenthaler.   BARD  annotation James K. Polk DBC27665 Author: Seigenthaler, John Reading Time: 5 hours, 21 minutes Read by: Raines, Eric Subjects: Biography, Government and Politics, U.S. History   The story of a pivotal president who watched over our westward expansion and solidified the dream of Jacksonian democracy. James K. Polk was a shrewd and decisive commander in chief, who served as Speaker of the House and governor of Tennessee before taking office in 1845. Shortly after his inauguration, he settled the disputed Oregon boundary and by 1846 had declared war on Mexico for the annexation of Texas and California. The considerably smaller American army never lost a battle. At home, however, Polk suffered a political firestorm of antiwar attacks from many fronts. And yet despite his tremendous accomplishments, he left office an extremely unpopular man, whose stresses had taken such a physical toll that he died within three months of departing Washington. Fellow Tennessean John Seigenthaler traces the life of this President who, as Truman noted, “said what he intended to do and did it.” Adult.   New York : Times Books, 2004. Bookshare This book can be found on Bookshare at the following link:   https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/70191?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPUphbWVzJTJCSy4lMkJQb2xr  

David Faucheux will join us again on 8/5/25 at 8pm Eastern to facilitate the discussion of The Colony Club: a novel DB127808 by Shelley Noble. NLS annotation The Colony Club: a novel DB127808 Author: Noble, Shelley Reading Time: 11 hours, 42 minutes Read by: Hewitt, Caroline Subjects: Historical Fiction, Women, General Fiction “When young Gilded Age society matron Daisy Harriman is refused a room at the Waldorf because they don’t cater to unaccompanied females, she takes matters into her own hands. She establishes the Colony Club, the first women’s club in Manhattan, where visiting women can stay overnight and dine with their friends; where they can discuss new ideas, take on social issues, and make their voices heard. She hires the most sought-after architect in New York, Stanford White, to design the clubhouse. As “the best dressed actress on the Rialto” Elsie de Wolfe has an eye for décor, but her career is stagnating. So when White asks her to design the clubhouse interiors, she jumps at the chance and the opportunity to add a woman’s touch. He promises to send her an assistant, a young woman he’s hired as a draftsman. Raised in the Lower East Side tenements, Nora Bromely is determined to become an architect in spite of hostility and sabotage from her male colleagues. She is disappointed and angry when White “foists” her off on this new women’s club project. But when White is murdered and the ensuing Trial of the Century discloses the architect’s scandalous personal life, fearful backers begin to withdraw their support. It’s questionable whether the club will survive long enough to open.Daisy, Elsie, and Nora have nothing in common but their determination to carry on. But to do so, they must overcome not only society’s mores but their own prejudices about women, wealth, and each other. Together they strive to transform Daisy’s dream of the Colony Club into a reality, a place that will nurture social justice and ensure the work of the women who earned the nickname “Mink Brigade” far into the future.”– From publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. New York : HarperAudio, 2024. Bookshare This book can be found on Bookshare at the following link: https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/6193331?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPVRoZSUyQmNvbG9ueSUyQmNsdWI  

NLS annotation God save Benedict Arnold: the true story of America’s most hated man DB122599 Author: Kelly, Jack Reading Time: 8 hours, 42 minutes Read by: Jim Seybert Subjects: U.S. History, Biography “A gripping exploration of the intense psychology and character of Benedict Arnold, arguing that he was essential to victory before he was a traitor. Benedict Arnold committed treason — for more than two centuries, that’s all that most Americans have known about him. Yet Arnold was much more than a turncoat — his achievements during the early years of the Revolutionary War defined him as the most successful soldier of the era. GOD SAVE BENEDICT ARNOLD tells the gripping story of Arnold’s rush of audacious feats — his capture of Fort Ticonderoga, his Maine mountain expedition to attack Quebec, the famous artillery brawl at Valcour Island, the turning-point battle at Saratoga — that laid the groundwork for our independence. Arnold was a superb leader, a brilliant tactician, a supremely courageous military officer. He was also imperfect, disloyal, villainous. One of the most paradoxical characters in American history, and one of the most interesting. GOD SAVE BENEDICT ARNOLD does not exonerate him for his treason — the stain on his character is permanent. But Kelly’s insightful exploration of Arnold’s career as a warrior shines a new light on this gutsy, fearless, and enigmatic figure. In the process, the book offers a fresh perspective on the reasons for Arnold’s momentous change of heart”– Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. New York : Tantor Media, Inc., 2023. Bookshare This book can be found at Bookshare at the following link: https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/5795457?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPUdvZCUyQnNhdmUlMkJCZW5lZGljdCUyQkFybm9sZCUyNTNBJTJCdGhlJTJCdHJ1ZSUyQnN0b3J5JTJCb2YlMkJBbWVyaWNhJTI1MjYlMjUyMzM5JTI1M0JzJTJCbW9zdCUyQmhhdGVkJTJCbWFu

David Faucheux will join us again on 4/1/25 at 8pm Eastern to facilitate the discussion of the historical fiction novel The house is on fire DB120593 by Rachel Beanland.   NLS annotation The house is on fire DB120593 Author: Beanland, Rachel Reading Time: 12 hours, 31 minutes Read by: Rachel Beanland, Michael Crouch, Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Andi Arndt, Ruffin Prentiss III Subject: Historical Fiction “Richmond, Virginia 1811. It’s the height of the winter social season, the General Assembly is in session, and many of Virginia’s gentleman planters, along with their wives and children, have made the long and arduous journey to the capital in hopes of whiling away the darkest days of the year. At the city’s only theater, the Charleston-based Placide & Green Company puts on two plays a night to meet the demand of a populace that’s done looking for enlightenment at the front of a church. On the night after Christmas, the theater is packed with more than six hundred holiday revelers. In the third-floor boxes, sits newly-widowed Sally Henry Campbell, who is glad for any opportunity to relive the happy times she shared with her husband. One floor away, in the colored gallery, Cecily Patterson doesn’t give a whit about the play but is grateful for a four-hour reprieve from a life that has recently gone from bad to worse. Backstage, young stagehand Jack Gibson hopes that, if he can impress the theater’s managers, he’ll be offered a permanent job with the company. And on the other side of town, blacksmith Gilbert Hunt dreams of one day being able to bring his wife to the theater, but he’ll have to buy her freedom first. When the theater goes up in flames in the middle of the performance, Sally, Cecily, Jack, and Gilbert make a series of split-second decisions that will not only affect their own lives but those of countless others. And in the days following the fire, as news of the disaster spreads across the United States, the paths of these four people will become forever intertwined. Based on the true story of Richmond’s theater fire, The House Is on Fire offers proof that sometimes, in the midst of great tragedy, we are offered our most precious–and fleeting–chances at redemption” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Waterville, Maine : Simon & Schuster Audio, 2023. Bookshare This book can be found at Bookshare at the following link: https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/5948434?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPVRoZSUyQmhvdXNlJTJCaXMlMkJvbiUyQmZpcmU  

NLS  annotation The first conspiracy: the secret plot against George Washington DB93794 Authors: Meltzer, Brad, Mensch, Josh Reading Time: 11 hours, 10 minutes Read by: Scott Brick Subject: U.S. History   An account of a treasonous plan by George Washington’s bodyguards, working together with New York City mayor David Mathews and New York governor William Tryon, to kill the commander in the months leading up to the Revolutionary War. Some violence. Commercial audiobook. 2019.   [New York, NY] : Macmillan Audio, 2019. Bookshare This book can be found at Bookshare at the following link:   https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/3674411?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPVRoZSUyQmZpcnN0JTJCY29uc3BpcmFjeQ

NLS annotation Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I: the mother and daughter who changed history DB124509 Author: Borman, Tracy Reading Time: 8 hours, 53 minutes Read by: Tracy Borman Subjects: World History and Affairs, Biography of Heads of State and Political Figures, Women “One of the most extraordinary mother and daughter stories of all time – Anne Boleyn, the most famous of Henry VIII’s wives and her daughter Elizabeth, the ‘Virgin Queen’. Anne Boleyn is a subject of enduring fascination. By far the most famous of Henry VIII’s six wives, she has inspired books, documentaries and films, and is the subject of intense debate even today, almost 500 years after her violent death. For the most part, she is considered in the context of her relationship with Tudor England’s much-married monarch. Dramatic though this story is, of even greater interest – and significance – is the relationship between Anne and her daughter, the future Elizabeth I. Elizabeth was less than three years old when her mother was executed. Given that she could have held precious few memories of Anne, it is often assumed that her mother exerted little influence over her. But this is both inaccurate and misleading. Elizabeth knew that she had to be discreet about Anne, but there is compelling evidence that her mother exerted a profound influence on her character, beliefs and reign. Even during Henry’s lifetime, Elizabeth dared to express her sympathy for her late mother by secretly wearing Anne’s famous ‘A’ pendant when she sat for a painting with her father and siblings. Piecing together evidence from original documents and artefacts, this book tells the story of Anne Boleyn’s relationship with, and influence over her daughter Elizabeth. In so doing, it sheds new light on two of the most famous and influential women in history.”– From publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. London : Audible Studios, 2023. Bookshare This book can be found at Bookshare at the following link: https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/5297406?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPUFubmUlMkJCb2xleW4lMkIlMjUyNmFtcCUyNTNCJTJCRWxpemFiZXRoJTJCSQ  

NLS  annotation The situation room: the inside story of presidents in crisis DB121216 Authors: Stephanopoulos, George, Dickey, Lisa Reading Time: 10 hours, 10 minutes Read by: Peter Ganim, George Stephanopoulos, Elisabeth Rodgers Subjects: U.S. History, Government and Politics   “George Stephanopoulos, former senior advisor to President Clinton and for more than 20 years host of This Week and Good Morning America, recounts never-before-told crises that decided the course of history, from the place 12 presidents made their highest-pressure decisions: the White House Situation Room. No room better defines American power and its role in the world than the White House Situation Room. And yet, none is more shrouded in secrecy and mystery. Created under President Kennedy, the Sit Room has been the epicenter of crisis management for presidents for more than six decades. Time and again, the decisions made within the Sit Room complex affect the lives of every person on this planet. Detailing close calls made and disasters narrowly averted, THE SITUATION ROOM will take readers through dramatic turning points in a dozen presidential administrations, including: –Incredible minute-by-minute transcripts from the Sit Room after both Presidents Kennedy and Reagan were shot –The shocking moment when Henry Kissinger raised the military alert level to DEFCON III while President Nixon was drunk in the White House residence –The extraordinary scene when President Carter asked for help from secret government psychics to rescue American hostages in Iran –A vivid retelling of the harrowing hours during the 9/11 attack –New details from Obama administration officials leading up to the raid on Osama Bin Laden –And a first-ever account of January 6th from the staff inside the Sit Room. THE SITUATION ROOM is the definitive, past-the-security-clearance look at the room where it happened, and the people–the famous and those you’ve never heard of–who have made history within its walls”– Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. New York : Hachette Audio, 2024. Bookshare This book can be found at Bookshare at the following link:   https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/6017442?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPVRoZSUyQnNpdHVhdGlvbiUyQnJvb20  

David Faucheux will be leading a historical fiction discussion as he does three times a year of Ella: a novel DB123445 by Diane Richards. Below is a book review submitted by David of this novel followed by its NLS annotation, Bookshare link, and Zoom invitation. Book review I want to thank Alan for forwarding this review of my December choice for discussion during the next Journey through History. First the NLS annotation: Ella: a novel DB123445 Author: Richards, Diane Reading Time: 10 hours, 24 minutes Read by: Alexandra Grey Subjects: Historical Fiction, African American Topics “When fifteen-year-old Ella Fitzgerald’s mother dies at the height of the Depression in 1932, the teenager goes to work for the mob to support herself and her family. When the law finally catches up, the “ungovernable” adolescent is incarcerated in the New York Training School for Girls in upstate New York–a wicked prison infamous for its harsh treatment of inmates, especially Black ones. Determined to be free, Ella escapes and makes her way back to Harlem, where she is forced to dance for pennies on the street. Looking for a break into show business, Ella draws straws to appear at the Apollo Theater’s Amateur Night on November 21, 1934. Rather than perform a dance routine directly after “The World Famous Edwards Sisters” number, the homeless Ella, wearing men’s galoshes a size too big, risks everything when she decides to sing Judy instead. Four years later, at barely twenty-one, Ella Fitzgerald has become the bestselling female vocalist in America.”– From publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. I have always found biographical novels of interest because they somehow — and in a way that nonfiction simply cannot – manage to bring characters to life and make us care. Sometimes, after taking one of these historic novels in, I look for a nonfiction biography to add depth or another perspective. Reviewer’s Note: See the short bibliography at the conclusion of this review. I found this novel about Ella Fitzgerald’s early life interesting if a bit upsetting. The novel opens on July 18, 1948, with her about to appear on The very new Ed Sullivan Show. But then we are taken back to January of 1932 when Ella is told by her mother that she will have to help out in the laundry where the mother works. Ella, needless to say, is not amused. She loves to dance and has been practicing with her neighbor; they live in Yonkers and Ella lives for dance contests especially because participants who do well can earn money prizes. In any event, the mother unexpectedly dies at work, her white boyfriend becomes abusive to Ella who goes to live with her aunt in Harlem where she takes up with a criminal element and becomes a Numbers Runner in order to bring in much-needed income as the money is very good in the numbers racket. Her mentor is killed when the white mob decides that they want to muscle in on the lucrative numbers game. In typical mob fashion, people start dying as bullets start flying. Because Ella has been missing so much school at the excellent institution where her aunt has enrolled her, she is picked up by the truant officer. With the help of several police officers who have accompanied the truant officer, Ella is taken to jail. She then is sent to an upstate reformatory where she is badly treated as are other “colored” girls who are told “to know your place.” They are not taught typical high school subjects such as English as are the white girls but rather made to work in the reformatory garden. They learn from other imprisoned girls about the sexual predations of several low-life white, male workers at the reformatory. Ella herself is locked up in solitary for over a week. She manages to escape after a year when several of the girls, both white and African-American, are chosen to sing Christmas carols at the nearby town. With the help of several women hiding in the train yard, she hops a

We will be discussing the book Master slave husband wife: an epic journey from slavery to freedom DB112758 by Ilyon Woo. NLS Annotation Master slave husband wife: an epic journey from slavery to freedom DB112758 Author: Woo, Ilyon Reading Time: 12 hours, 59 minutes Read by: Janina Edwards, Leon Nixon Subjects: Bestsellers, Biography, U.S. History, African American Topics “The remarkable true story of Ellen and William Craft, who escaped slavery through daring, determination, and disguise, with Ellen passing as a wealthy, disabled White man and William posing as “his” slave. In 1848, a year of international democratic revolt, a young, enslaved couple, Ellen and William Craft, achieved one of the boldest feats of self-emancipation in American history. Posing as master and slave, while sustained by their love as husband and wife, they made their escape together across more than 1,000 miles, riding out in the open on steamboats, carriages, and trains that took them from bondage in Georgia to the free states of the North. Along the way, they dodged slave traders, military officers, and even friends of their enslavers, who might have revealed their true identities. The tale of their adventure soon made them celebrities, and generated headlines around the country. Americans could not get enough of this charismatic young couple, who traveled another 1,000 miles criss-crossing New England, drawing thunderous applause as they spoke alongside some of the greatest abolitionist luminaries of the day—among them Frederick Douglass and William Wells Brown. But even then, they were not out of danger. With the passage of an infamous new Fugitive Slave Act in 1850, all Americans became accountable for returning refugees like the Crafts to slavery. Then yet another adventure began, as slave hunters came up from Georgia, forcing the Crafts to flee once again—this time from the United States, their lives and thousands more on the line and the stakes never higher. With three epic journeys compressed into one monumental bid for freedom, Master Slave Husband Wife is an American love story—one that would challenge the nation’s core precepts of life, liberty, and justice for all—one that challenges us even now.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller. [New York] : Simon & Schuster Audio, 2023. Bookshare This book can be found at Bookshare at the following link: https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/5915051?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPU1hc3RlciUyQnNsYXZlJTJCaHVzYmFuZCUyQndpZmUlMjUzQSUyQmFuJTJCZXBpYyUyQmpvdXJuZXklMkJmcm9tJTJCc2xhdmVyeSUyQnRvJTJCZnJlZWRvbQ  

Jana Littrell has generously volunteered some of her new retirement time to leading and programming this group’s discussion, congratulations Jana ! Her first book is Walls: A History Of Civilization In Blood And Brick, DB 92383, by David Frye. Approximately 10 hours in reading time. NLS Annotation Walls: a history of civilization in blood and brick DB92383 Author: Frye, David Reading Time: 9 hours, 56 minutes Read by: Robert Sams Subject: World History and Affairs A historian discusses the role of man-made edifices and barriers throughout history. Explores the importance of walls in ancient civilizations, a thousand-mile-long wall in Asia, sieges of fortified cities, political conflicts centered upon walls, gated communities, and more. 2018. New York : Scribner, [2018] c2018 Bookshare This book can be found at Bookshare at the following link: https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/2790145?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPVdhbGxzJTI1M0ElMkJhJTJCaGlzdG9yeSUyQm9mJTJCY2l2aWxpemF0aW9uJTJCaW4lMkJibG9vZCUyQmFuZCUyQmJyaWNrJTJC  

On Tuesday, September 3, 2024, the group will discuss 1923: The Crisis of German Democracy in the Year of Hitler’s Putsch by Mark William Jones (DB116875 ). The book recounts the unsuccessful first attempt to overthrow Germany’s democracy. This was followed 10 years later by Hitler’s appointment as Prime Minister, the end of democratic government in Germany and the deaths of millions in World War Two. Can this happen again? NLS Annotation 1923: the crisis of German democracy in the year of Hitler’s putsch DB116875 Author: Jones, Mark William Reading Time: 14 hours, 11 minutes Read by: Matt Addis Subjects: World History and Affairs, War and the Military “In 1923, the Weimar Republic faced a series of crises, including foreign occupation of its industrial heartland, rampant inflation, radical violence, and finally Hitler’s infamous “beer hall putsch.” Fanning the flames of anti-government and anti-Semitic sentiment, the Nazis tried to violently seize power in Munich, only failing after they were abandoned by like-minded conservatives. In 1923, historian Mark William Jones draws on new research to offer a revealing portrait of German politics and society in this turbulent year. Tracing Hitler’s early rise, Jones reveals how political pragmatism and unprecedented international cooperation with the West brought Germany out of its crisis year. Although Germany would succumb to tyranny a decade later, the story of the republic’s survival in 1923 offers essential lessons to anyone concerned about the future of democracy today.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Bookshare This book can be found at Bookshare at the following link: https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/5898846?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPTE5MjMlMjUzQSUyQnRoZSUyQmNyaXNpcyUyQm9mJTJCR2VybWFuJTJCZGVtb2NyYWN5JTJCaW4lMkJ0aGUlMkJ5ZWFyJTJCb2YlMkJIaXRsZXIlMjUyNiUyNTIzMzklMjUzQnMlMkJwdXRzY2g  

On August 6 we will review THE GREAT DIVIDE: A NOVEL, db120159 by Cristina Henríquez. The program is produced by David Faucheux. The author describes the Pros and cons regarding the construction of the Panama Canal through a sweeping description of the lives of the inhabitants living in or drawn to canal area by the chance of employment . NLS Annotation The great divide: a novel DB120159 Henríquez, Cristina Reading time: 13 hours, 25 minutes. Robin Miles Historical Fiction Family “It is said that the canal will be the greatest feat of engineering in history. But first, it must be built. For Francisco, a local fisherman who resents the foreign powers clamoring for a slice of his country, nothing is more upsetting than the decision of his son, Omar, to work as a digger in the excavation zone. But for Omar, whose upbringing was quiet and lonely, this job offers a chance to finally find connection. Ada Bunting is a bold sixteen-year-old from Barbados who arrives in Panama as a stowaway alongside thousands of other West Indians seeking work. Alone and with no resources, she is determined to find a job that will earn enough money for her ailing sister’s surgery. When she sees a young man, Omar, who has collapsed after a grueling shift, she is the only one who rushes to his aid. John Oswald has dedicated his life to scientific research and has journeyed to Panama in single-minded pursuit of one goal: eliminating malaria. But now, his wife, Marian, has fallen ill herself, and when he witnesses Ada’s bravery and compassion, he hires her on the spot as a caregiver. This fateful decision sets in motion a sweeping tale of ambition, loyalty, and sacrifice.”– OCLC. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Bookshare This book can be found at Bookshare at the following link: https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/5915809?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPXRoZSUyQmdyZWF0JTJCZGl2aWRl

Join us on July 2, 2024, first Tuesday, to review another blockbuster and best seller by Robert Woodward , Fear: Trump in the White House DB91876 Duration: 12 hours 20 minutes. NLS Annotation Fear: Trump in the White House DB91876 Woodward, Bob Reading time: 12 hours, 22 minutes. Robert Petkoff A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress. Biography Government and Politics Bestsellers U.S. History Pulitzer prize-winning investigative journalist details the decision-making process for both foreign and domestic policy within the Trump administration. Draws on interviews with firsthand sources, meeting notes, diaries, files, and documents. Strong language. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller. 2018. Bookshare This book can be found at Bookshare at the following link: https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/2686300?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPUZlYXIlMjUzQSUyQlRydW1w  

NLS Annotation Mercury rising: John Glenn, John Kennedy, and the new battleground of the Cold War DB110864 Shesol, Jeff Reading time: 11 hours, 40 minutes. James Frangione Biography History, Juvenile “A riveting history of the epic orbital flight that put America back into the space race. If the United States couldn’t catch up to the Soviets in space, how could it compete with them on Earth? That was the question facing John F. Kennedy at the height of the Cold War–a perilous time when the Soviet Union built the wall in Berlin, tested nuclear bombs more destructive than any in history, and beat the United States to every major milestone in space. The race to the heavens seemed a race for survival–and America was losing. On February 20, 1962, when John Glenn blasted into orbit aboard Friendship 7, his mission was not only to circle the planet; it was to calm the fears of the free world and renew America’s sense of self-belief. Mercury Rising re-creates the tension and excitement of a flight that shifted the momentum of the space race and put the United States on the path to the moon. Drawing on new archival sources, personal interviews, and previously unpublished notes by Glenn himself, Mercury Rising reveals how the astronaut’s heroics lifted the nation’s hopes in what Kennedy called the “hour of maximum danger.”” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Bookshare This book can be found at Bookshare at the following link: https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/4597347?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPU1lcmN1cnklMkJSaXNpbmc  

On May 7th, JOURNEY THROUGH HISTORY introduces best-selling author, poet and teacher, Clint Smith, who brings his Harvard sociology training on his visits (with recorder) to Civil War and Reconstruction Era Monuments from New Orleans to New York and Virginia to Texas in his book How the word is passed: a reckoning with the history of slavery across America DB103908. As noted on Blinkist.com: “ Through immersive visits to historical sites, Smith examines how slavery is remembered and how it continues to shape the country today.” The Journey through History Zoom meeting link follows. Be aware that all Accessible World Zoom meetings are set to automatically record and the Zoom Client on both your computer and your smart device presents a message announcing the recording when you first enter a meeting using these clients. You must tab or swipe to the Got it or OK button and execute it to acknowledge your awareness of the recording or you will be unable to unmute your device and speak in the meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/177809772?pwd=dSt5ZjBzK3hYL3doRE5NVy96M3JVUT09 Please join us on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 at 8:00 PM Eastern to discuss the following: HOW THE WORD PASSED: A RECKONING WITH THE HISTORY OF SLAVERY ACROSS AMERICA. DB103908  

By her own design DB110548 Huguley, Piper Reading time: 12 hours, 48 minutes. Tracey Conyer Lee Historical Fiction Historical Romance Fiction Romance “1953, New York City. Less than a week before the society wedding of the year where Jacqueline Bouvier will marry John F. Kennedy, a pipe bursts at Ann Lowe’s dress shop and ruins eleven dresses, including the expensive wedding dress, a dress that will be judged by thousands. A Black designer who has fought every step of the way, Ann knows this is only one struggle after a lifetime of them. She and her seamstresses will find the way to re-create the dresses. It may take all day and all night for the next week to accomplish the task, but they will do it. 1918, Tampa. Raised in Jim Crow Alabama, Ann learned the art of sewing from her mother and her grandmother, a former slave, who are the most talented seamstresses in the state. After Ann elopes at twelve with an older man who soon proves himself to be an abusive alcoholic, her dreams of becoming a celebrated designer seem to be put on hold. But then a wealthy Tampa socialite sees Ann’s talent and offers her an amazing opportunity–the chance to sew and design clothing for Florida’s society elite. Taking her young son in the middle of the night, Ann escapes her husband and embarks on the adventure of a lifetime. Based on the true story of one of the most famous designers of the twenties through the sixties who has since been unjustly forgotten, By Her Own Design is an unforgettable novel of determination despite countless obstacles and a triumph celebrated by the world.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Download By her own design DB110548 Here is the Bookshare link to this title: https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/4583204?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPWJ5JTJCaGVyJTJCb3duJTJCZGVzaWdu

Please join us on Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at 8:00 PM Eastern to discuss America’s first daughter DB88020 by Stephanie Dray. NLS Annotation America’s first daughter DB88020 Dray, Stephanie Reading time: 21 hours, 53 minutes. Pilar Witherspoon A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress. Historical Fiction Patsy Jefferson, eldest daughter of Thomas, grows up during the tumult of the American Revolution. When her mother dies, she joins her father in France and is torn between love and filial duty when courted by an abolitionist. This conflict of desires follows her through life. Some violence. 2016. Bookshare This book can be found at Bookshare at the following link: https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/1887909?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPWFtZXJpY2ElMjUyNiUyNTIzMzklMjUzQnMlMkJmaXJzdCUyQmRhdWdodGVy  

Tuesday night a stalwart group of History Buffs read and reviewed the first half of American Prometheus which is a product of over twenty-five years of painstaking research by its two prize winning authors. The first half or “TRIUMPH” portion of the book focuses on how he resolved his social problems which many financially privileged prodigies experience to demonstrate the leadership skills to successfully direct the massive and famous World War Two Atomic Bomb Project. After the “triumph” comes the “TRAGEDY “the how and why of his fall from national fame plus his plans for nuclear control. The list of literati attending his two funerals demonstrated the extent of his fame which surpassed the impact of loss of Security Clearence the during the McCarthy era. We know how it ended and hope to find out the why and how of the fall and its ultimate impact on the world under the nuclear umbrella. So read on and tell us your thoughts next February sixth. American Prometheus: the triumph and tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer DB61087 Bird, Kai; Sherwin, Martin J. Read Chapter 23 to end. On February 6 Here’s the Bookshare link for this title: https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/5599711?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPUthaSUyQkJpcmQlMkI Don Queen