History & Society

Provides a firsthand account of the battle against Islamic fundamentalism, from the rise of the Taliban in the 1990s, to the terrorist attacks of 9/11, to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, offering a study of the people involved from all sides of the conflict.

Traces the Bin Laden family's rise to power and privilege, describes the diverse lifestyles of the generation to which Osama bin Laden belongs, and discusses their attempts to recover from the effects of September 11.

Part family memoir, part Studs Terkel, How To Live considers some unusual sources—deathbed confessions, late-in-life journals—as well as offering a rich compilation of interviews with the over-70 set to deliver a highly optimistic look at our dying days.

The author describes her quest to interview the sons and daughters of slaves, and presents a picture of African-American life in the post-Civil War world that describes how their beliefs, attitudes, and actions paved the way for the civil rights movement.

A New Yorker film critic evaluates the cultural consequences of the sarcastic language that has become pervasive in the media and on the Internet, in an assessment that cites the importance of developing true wit.

Traces the origins and history of religious freedom in America, looking at the role of religion in the early republic, the separation of church and state, and how the beliefs of the Founding Fathers affected the battle for religious freedom.

A dual portrait of the two nineteenth-century leaders evaluates their successes as self-made men, in an account that traces their dramatic rise from poverty and slavery to influential activists and writers.

Describes how a simple act of faith and the relationship between two families—one Israeli, one Palestinian—represents a personal microcosm of decades of Israeli-Palestinian history and symbolizes the hope for peace in the Middle East.

Recounts the escape of John Wilkes Booth, Abraham Lincoln's assassin, and follows the intensive search for him from the streets of Washington, D.C., through the swamps of Maryland, into the forests of Virginia.

Draws on interviews with top officers in Iraq to document the war as it has unfolded in recent years, focusing on the unorthodox strategies of General David Petraeus, from his work with foreign advisors to the ways in which his officers disagreed with key decisions.

A memoir offers a portrait of the author's family and childhood in Iran, centered around her powerful mother and her manipulative fictions about herself, as she reflects on women's choices and her own struggle to free herself from her mother's influence.

Twelve essays present the ideas of recent historians on Lincoln's evolving views on race, religion, and civil liberties, his military leadership, his family, photographs and portraits of Lincoln, and the use of his memory in the 21st century.

A narrative history of the Civil War looks at the lives and careers of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, two men who played iconic roles during the era and who had a profound impact on the Civil War, slavery and emancipation, and race and equality.

A treasure trove of original documents on African-American history and culture includes memoirs, speeches, songs, letters, and literary works, along with laws, court opinions, and other materials on the subject, with contributions from Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., Frederick Douglass, Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, Wynton Marsalis, and others. Reprint.