All Book Reviews
'From Cold War to Hot Peace' offers a US ambassador's up-close view of RussiaMichael McFaul served as the United States Ambassador to Russia from 2012 to 2014.
'The Ideal of Culture' showcases Joseph Epstein鈥檚 familiar ease with the treasures of Western cultureIt is Epstein鈥檚 gift to be able to take a reader by the sleeve and gently tug him into a topic he had no idea he鈥檇 be interested in.
'The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs' covers millennia of dinosaur dominanceUniversity of Edinburgh paleontologist Steve Brusatte transforms great piles of geological and paleontological data into an absorbing historical saga.
'1983' chronicles a Cold War-era narrow escape from nuclear warThe incident聽was sparked by a routine NATO military exercise and聽occurred when mistrust and suspicion between superpowers America and the USSR was sky-high.
Three compelling biographies of remarkable womenSpanning 500 years in history, these bios profile women who made their marks in the fields of art, astronomy, and philanthropy.聽
'Buttermilk Graffiti' is a road trip in search of contemporary American cuisineStar chef Edward Lee drives across the United States as he explores a mind-meltingly diverse world of food.
'Beneath a Ruthless Sun' is a wrenching story of bigotry 鈥� and an inspiring tale of heroesThis kind of narrative is familiar territory for Gilbert King, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his remarkable 2012 bestseller "Devil in the Grove," another look at violence, injustice, and heroic opposition.
'The Best Cook in the World' is Rick Bragg's tribute to his mother and her somewhat exotic culinary skillsThe book includes 75 recipes, which read like oral tradition.
'You Think It, I鈥檒l Say It' shows Curtis Sittenfeld at her best, where gender meets classSittenfeld聽trafficks in the minor humiliations of fictional women who often self-sabotage, or at least overthink.
'Dread Nation' is a rollicking 'Gone With the Wind + Zombies' adventureBut don't underestimate the latest YA novel by activist Justina Ireland 鈥� it's also a biting commentary on contemporary race relations in America.
'God Save Texas' is Lawrence Wright鈥檚 affectionate, eye-opening, slightly rueful love letter to his native stateIntended to be part travelogue, part reportage, and part memoir, 'God Save Texas' reads less like a coherent narrative and more like a collection of essays.
'Varina' imagines the life of Jefferson Davis's widow in the aftermath of the Civil War'Varina' can be seen as a reminder that a national reckoning over the legacy of slavery has yet to take place.
'The Pope Who Would Be King' details the birth of the modern papacyAuthor David聽Kertzer won a Pulitzer Prize in 2015 for his book 'The Pope and Mussolini.'
'Wade in the Water' is poet laureate Tracy K. Smith鈥檚 most overtly political collectionMuch of the subject matter of 'Wade in the Water' takes its inspiration from the headlines, but ruminations on pregnancy and motherhood聽strikes a more hopeful and humorous note.
In 'The Feather Thief,' a British bird burglary exposes a hidden worldThis true story about the theft of a bunch of bird skins is one of the most peculiar and memorable true-crime books ever.
'The Class of '74' chronicles a young, liberal, and impatient House of RepresentativesAuthor John A. Lawrence had a front row seat to observe the times as they were a-changing.
'Something Wonderful' unpacks the magic behind Rodgers and HammersteinPurdum does a fine job of drawing readers into the spirited, gossipy world of Broadway theater 鈥� a world that Rodgers and Hammerstein drastically re-shaped.
'Neruda' plumbs the man behind the legendAlthough Eisner's fascination with the celebrated poet sometimes lapses into hagiography, he frankly chronicles Neruda鈥檚 dark side.
'Wild is the Wind' explores those things made all the more beautiful because they can鈥檛 lastThe verse of Carl Phillips often seems like an interior monologue on which the reader is casually eavesdropping.
'Greeks Bearing Gifts' will be the penultimate in the popular 'Bernie Gunther' series begun in Nazi GermanyThe 'Bernie Gunther' books were uniformly superb and reflected聽 their hangdog protagonist: tough, cynical, very quotable, and ultimately, even quixotically, idealistic.
