This week, we feature a comprehensive look at a museum’s expansive collection of WWI artifacts and a personal peek into a writer and a statesman’s fight for freedom.
Nonfiction
‘Churchill and Orwell: The Fight for Freedom’
By Thomas E. Ricks
Ricks dedicates his book to “all those who seek to preserve our freedoms,” then proceeds to compare and contrast a statesman and a writer who serve as inspiration in that battle. Churchill and Orwell never met, but each admired, for the most part, the work of the other. This dual biography of two men who “see things as they are” is perfect for all who are interested in 20th-century history and literature and in the ongoing conflict between liberty and totalitarianism. Highly recommended.
Penguin Books, 2018, 368 pages
History
‘The First World War Galleries’
By Paul Cornish
For those who may never get the chance to visit the Imperial War Museum (IWM) and the somber view of World War I history through British eyes, this book, assembled by the curator of IWM’s WW I collection, will enable readers to view the gallery’s artifacts. The photographs, letters, and propaganda posters are just part of this wonderfully and respectfully constructed book. It is a work that helps put into context what, as the book notes, became “a turning point in world history.”
Imperial War Museum, 2014, 224 pages
Naval History
‘Chasing the Bounty: The Voyages of the Pandora and Matavy’
Edited by Donald A. Maxton
The Bounty mutiny continues to fascinate 230-plus years after happening. This is a new take on the Bounty. It follows events surrounding HMS Pandora, a 24-gun frigate sent to hunt the mutineers, and the cutter Matavy, built by Bounty mutineers in Tahiti and seized when Pandora arrived at Tahiti. It contains eyewitness accounts written by Pandora’s captain, Bounty mutineers and a member of Pandora’s crew. An insightful look at the events through the words and thoughts of the participants.
McFarland, 2020, 200 pages
Humor
‘Ruggles of Red Gap’
By Harry Leon Wilson
Marmaduke Ruggles is a gentleman’s gentleman, confident of Britain’s superior place in the world. Then his master, a British nobleman, gambles Ruggles away, forcing Ruggles to enter the employ of nouveau riche Americans in the small Eastern Washington town of Red Gap. Initially disdainful of American ways, life in Red Gap converts Ruggles into a believer in the American Dream.
First published in 1915, this comic novel highlights America’s virtues as seen through the lens of a British valet.
Sharp Ink, 2023, 160 pages
Classics
‘An Old-Fashioned Girl’
By Louisa May Alcott
Fourteen-year-old Polly Milton leaves her simple country life to visit the home of her city friend, Fanny Shaw. Polly’s optimism and high spirits bring joy to the Shaws’ wealthy but dysfunctional household. Six years later, Polly returns to live independently while teaching music lessons. The contrast of manners and morals between Polly and her city friends inspires reflection on today’s culture. A lesser-known Alcott novel suitable for anyone looking for fine writing and a good story.
Puffin Books, 1996, 368 pages
For Kids
‘Mirette on the High Wire’
By Emily Arnold McCully
When a daring tightrope walker takes up residence at her boardinghouse, young Mirette becomes fascinated by his craft. “In the beginning, everyone falls. Most give up,” he tells her. Through determination and courage, she discovers her own abilities. This Caldecott Medal-winning tale celebrates perseverance and the rewards of overcoming fear.
Puffin Books, 1997, 32 pages
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