All Book Reviews
In the framers鈥� words, the US Constitution was meant as a living documentJill Lepore鈥檚 鈥淲e the People鈥� examines amendments as engines of change. And 鈥淗istory Matters鈥� offers insights from the late David McCullough.
A writer schools himself on the plight and might of birdsAdam Nicolson, a self-described 鈥渂eginner in the wood,鈥� unfolds singular facts and compelling anecdotes about birds that fire the imagination.
Kick off autumn with books aplenty. Here are September鈥檚 10 best.Time to put down those summer beach reads and focus on September鈥檚 crisp mix of fiction and nonfiction titles.
In this roundup of fall mysteries, everyone has skeletons in the family closetGenerations are teaming up to put away the bad guys in mysteries ranging from the cozy to the decidedly not.
Digging deep into the trenches of World War I in 鈥楻ing of Fire鈥�鈥淩ing of Fire: A New History of the World at War: 1914鈥� details how colonial powers sought land grabs and new weaponry gave them increased fire power.
Shakespeare鈥檚 rival, Marlowe, awakened 鈥榯he genius of the English Renaissance鈥�Elizabethan poet and playwright Christopher Marlowe set the stage for Shakespeare and others, according to Stephen Greenblatt in 鈥淒ark Renaissance.鈥�
How 鈥楳artian mania鈥� fueled a desire to study the red planet鈥淭he Martians鈥� unfolds the fantastical claims of life on Mars, which forced astronomers to bolster their research and separate fact from science fiction.
Amelia Earhart and her husband shared sky-high ambitions鈥淭he Aviator and the Showman鈥� probes the question: Why did the fiercely independent flyer go along with the schemes of her promoter spouse?
Let summer linger with the 10 best books of AugustThe Monitor鈥檚 reviewers choose the best of August 2025, from novels and biographies to accounts of history.
Robert Louis Stevenson鈥檚 travels 鈥� and travails 鈥� fueled his imagination鈥淪toryteller,鈥� a new biography by Leo Damrosch, arrives amid a brighter spotlight on Stevenson鈥檚 life and legacy.
Wagner wrote stunning operas. His political views have a tangled history.鈥淭he Ring鈥� exudes dramatic power. Author Michael Downes tackles the controversies, while keeping the music front and center.聽聽
Seals have rebounded. Not everyone loves them.A number of seal species have been pulled back from near-extinction. But the animals are being blamed for attracting sharks to beaches and decimating fish stocks.聽
Bruuuce! The story behind the rock-star power of Springsteen鈥檚 鈥楤orn to Run.鈥�In 1975, Bruce Springsteen was about to be dropped by his record label. But the album 鈥淏orn to Run鈥� changed everything 鈥� for him and for rock.
Art theft or reclamation? A mystery of epic proportions.In 鈥淭he Great Chinese Art Heist,鈥� Ralph Pezzullo links a string of recent robberies with misdeeds of the colonial past.
The day that Unite the Right marched in CharlottesvilleJournalist Deborah Baker follows the trail of far-right agitators, city officials, and church leaders in 鈥滳harlottesville: An American Story.鈥�
Cool midsummer reads to help you get by in JulyThe Monitor鈥檚 10 best books for July take you on a spin through humor, history, true crime, and nature.聽
Test your killer instincts: Here are 4 summer mysteries to solveA cavalcade of crime stoppers is hot on the trail of murderers and miscreants in this quartet of entertaining mystery novels.聽
Charity begins at home for a privileged family in 鈥楾he Greatest Possible Good鈥�Ben Brooks pokes gentle fun at a wealthy do-gooder and his materialistic family in this morality tale that asks: How far would you go to help others?聽
4 picture books that roar with stories of courage and friendshipEven the smallest among us can lead change. That鈥檚 the message of this charming quartet of children鈥檚 picture books.
The vanilla orchid gave up its secrets to an enslaved Black botanist鈥淭he Rarest Fruit鈥� depicts how Edmond Albius, a 19th-century Black wunderkind, solved a pollination puzzle.
