Books | Book Reviews
In 鈥楬ostage,鈥� Eli Sharabi chronicles his 491 days in Hamas captivity鈥淗ostage鈥� is a frank account of Eli Sharabi鈥檚 time in captivity, our critic writes. It is both difficult to read and difficult to put down.聽
Fall is for falling in love with books. Here are October鈥檚 10 best.The midautumn crop of books includes a captivating South Seas saga and a lively history of the stock market crash that sparked the Great Depression.
What does the worst stock market crash in history have to tell us today?The immersive new 鈥�1929鈥� benefits from journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin鈥檚 meticulous archival research and his access to documents never before available, including the board notes from the New York Federal Reserve.
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.
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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
Monitor's Best: Top 5
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Portland鈥檚 ICE office is already federally protected. So why is the National Guard needed?
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