On November 6, 1860, Abraham Lincoln became the fluky victor in a tight race for president. The country was bitterly at odds; Southern extremists were moving ever closer to destroying the Union, with one state after another seceding and Lincoln powerless to stop them. Slavery fueled the conflict, but somehow the passions of North and South came to focus on a lonely federal fortress in Charleston Harbor: Fort Sumter. Master storyteller Erik Larson...

An insightful investigation of how and why the two major political parties have failed to appeal to the Latino vote--the largest ethnic voting group in the country--and the impact it will have on American democracy and politics for decades to come. In 2020, Latinos became the second largest ethnic voting group in the country. They make up the largest plurality of residents in the most populous states in the union, as well as the fastest segment of...

"When Gretchen Whitmer was growing up, her beloved grandmother Nino taught her that you can always find something good in other people. "Even the meanest person might have pretty eyes," she would say. Nino's words persuaded Whitmer to look for the good in any person or situation--just one of many colorful personal experiences that have shaped her political vision. (And, as Whitmer writes, one that resonated more than another piece of advice her grandmother...

"A history of the right-wing political figures who defined the early 1990s"-- In When the Clock Broke, the acclaimed political writer John Ganz tells the story of America’s late-century discontents. Ranging from upheavals in Crown Heights and Los Angeles to the advent of David Duke and the heartland survivalists, the broadcasts of Rush Limbaugh, and the bitter disputes between neoconservatives and the "paleo-con" right, Ganz immerses us in a time...

"As a card-carrying lesbian, Hillary voter, and New York Times reporter, Nellie Bowles fit right in with her San Francisco neighbors and friends -- until she started questioning whether the progressive movement she knew and loved actually helped people. Gently informed that asking these questions meant she was 'on the wrong side of history,' Bowles did what any reporter worth her salt would do: she started investigating for herself. The answers she...

"The story begins not in star-studded Hollywood but in the cradle of the Midwest, small-town Illinois, where Reagan was born in 1911 to Nelle Clyde Wilson, a devoted Disciples of Christ believer, and Jack Reagan, a struggling, alcoholic salesman. Boot vividly creates a portrait of a handsome young man, indeed a much-vaunted lifeguard, whose early successes mirrored those of Horatio Alger. And contextualizing Reagan's life against American history,...

"This books collects amendments to the Constitution of the United States that Virginians proposed during the secession crisis alongside select speeches of the state's political leaders. Editor Dwight T. Pitcaithley's selection and introduction emphasize that advocates and opponents of secession alike wanted to protect slavery and the interests of enslavers in Virginia. Among the documents are Governor Letcher's January 7, 1861, address to the General...

"Lula is among the greatest political figures in Brazilian history. The only president in the country with a working-class background, combined with a party that was profoundly original in its roots, he exercised charismatic power and influence in a more lasting way than any other public figure in the republican period. Since 2011, Fernando Morais, one of Brazil's leading writers, has gained direct, frank and frequent access to Lula. To these dozens...

"The New York Times bestselling author, governor of South Dakota, and former congresswoman tells eye-opening stories of DC dysfunction, shares lessons from leading her state through unprecedented challenge, and explains how we seize this moment to move America forward. Any elected official can talk about how broken our government is. But their solutions always seem to involve more money, new programs--and reelection to another term. Few offer an unfiltered...

"In today's political climate, it's hard not to get discouraged. Isolated, doom scrolling, lacking a sense of purpose or community...it's easy to become overwhelmed by the dire state of American democracy and do nothing, because why try when the odds are never in our favor? At this fragile moment in history, Emily Amick, lawyer and former counsel to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, alongside New York Times bestselling author and Betches Media...