The Best New History Books of April 2018

The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America, by Timothy Snyder
Snyder offers a sobering look at the rise of authoritarian leaders abroad as well as in our own country, tracing the origins of Vladimir Putin’s political philosophy to an early-20th century Russian political thinker who predicted fascism as the future of government all over the world and then tracing the parallels between Putin’s rise to power and Donald Trump’s. Snyder takes the reader through recent events like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the downing of a Malaysian passenger jet and shows how they presaged the election meddling in the 2016 election and the actions of the current president. Alarming and insightful, Snyder’s analysis of how “alternative facts” and fake news have helped Putin solidify his hold on power will be chilling.

Blood Moon: An American Epic of War and Splendor in the Cherokee Nation, by John Sedgwick
The story of Native Americans in this country is as varied as the number of different tribes and nations, each with its own history and cast of characters as varied and complex as any country. Sedgwick explores the story of the Cherokee, once one of the most stable and advanced of all the tribes, and the two men who defined it in its final years. He Who Walks on Mountains, a.k.a. The Ridge, and John Ross, half-Cherokee, half-Scottish, were once united in their leadership of the Cherokee Nation. But when gold was discovered in Georgia and the Cherokee were ordered to evacuate (leading to the Trail of Tears) the two men fell on opposite sides of the issue, with Ross determined to fight and The Ridge determined to get the best deal out of what he viewed as the inevitable. The two men found themselves fighting on opposite sides during the Civil War, and Sedgwick finds the humanity behind the history in this dramatic tale.

Chasing Hillary: Ten Years, Two Presidential Campaigns, and One Intact Glass Ceiling, by Amy Chozick
For many, Hillary Clinton is divisive—but for many women she’s also a symbol, and never more so then when she failed to crack the glass ceiling and become the first woman president. Chozick smartly interpolates her journalism with her own personal story, offering a bracingly intimate view of Hillary’s campaign from the view of someone who was in the room each step of the way, combined with her own response to Hillary’s near-miss. Chozick faces the decisions that only women have to face—decisions regarding starting a family, freezing her eggs, and how any number of personal decisions will affect her career in ways men simply don’t have to consider—and explores how Clinton handled similar dilemmas as she rose to the top tier of politicians in this country. There’s little doubt that the 2016 campaign will be one of the most-analyzed in history, and Chozick gets out in front with a perspective that’s sorely needed in today’s world.

God Save Texas: A Journey into the Soul of the Lone Star State, by Lawrence Wright
Wright, a Texas resident for many years, explores the fascinating contradictions and complexities of the Lone Star state in this complex and challenging book. Texas has had a huge influence on the rest of the country, providing several modern presidents, and remains a state that values smaller government and individual freedoms. The result is a part of the country often considered a conservative bastion while also being a place where the weirdness of Austin can thrive, a state that is often surprisingly liberal despite its deep red reputation. As someone who live sin and has clear affection for Texas, Wright doesn’t shy away from what he sees as its flaws, but the book serves to make the appeal and importance of this state clear.

President Carter: The White House Years, by Stuart E. Eizenstat
Elected in the wake of Watergate, Jimmy Carter was a fascinating choice for president, a man who disdained politics and who refused to play the game as he saw it. His administration will be one of the most-studied in years to come as he’s reassessed, his surprising number of positive accomplishments separated from the unmitigated failures of the Iran hostage crisis and his economic policies. Eizenstat, who served as one of Carter’s chief advisors, doesn’t simply rely on his own memory to offer this detailed accounting of the Carter presidency. He also conducts detailed interviews, deep research, and offers an honest assessment of the mistakes Carter made and his failings as a leader. Carter may never be known as one of the most successful presidents, but Eizenstat makes the argument that he was more effective than many remember, and that his time in the White House was more influential than suspected.

Rocket Men, by Robert Kurson
In 1961, President Kennedy pledged that America would send astronauts to the moon, kicking off the Space Race of the 1960s. By 1968, however, America was seen to be lagging far behind the Soviet Union, which announced a moon flyby that year. NASA quickly altered the mission for Apollo 8 and declared it would orbit the moon by end of the year, sending the agency into overdrive as it prepared. Kurson does more than just recount then facts of the remarkable effort that resulted in Apollo 8’s journey, he also manages to convey the giddy excitement and unsettling social change that surrounded and in part fueled the mission. As a reminder that this country once looked to the stars with excitement and a sense of infinite possibility, the book is a jolt of excitement that doubles as a detailed history of one of mankind’s greatest achievements.

Hunting El Chapo, by Andrew Hogan and Douglas Century
Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán-Loera—better known as El Chapo—was one of the richest and most dangerous criminals in the world. Andrew Hogan was a green DEA agent assigned to Arizona. What unfolds between them is like a classic western, paralleling classic stories of dogged law enforcement like Eliot Ness and Wyatt Earp, as Hogan spends years of his life tracking and building a case against El Chapo, culminating in an ambitious plot to infiltrate the criminal’s empire and apprehend him despite his money, power, and the myth that surrounded him. The end result is the story of one of the most complicated and thrilling takedowns in the history of law enforcement.

Killers of the Flower Moon, by David Grann
Considering how important they were in shaping the modern age, the Osage Indian murders of the 1920s are remarkably little-known today. When the Nation became incredibly wealthy after oil was discovered on their land, more than 20 of its members of were murdered between 1921 and 1926. As public outrage grew, the federal government was pressured into putting the obscure Bureau of Investigation, led by a young Herbert Hoover, in charge of the case. Hoover used the notoriety of these awful crimes to establish what would soon be known as the FBI as the nation’s preeminent investigative body, and himself as its all-powerful chief. Grann, of The Lost City of Z fame, does a marvelous job catching you up on vital history that’s been nearly forgotten.

The American Spirit, by David McCullough
McCullough is one of the most celebrated historians in American history. He has written absorbing accounts of the Wright Brothers, John Adams, and the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge—winning two Pulitzer Prizes and National Book Awards along the way. A thinker like that naturally makes a lot of speeches in front of a lot of audiences, and he compiles here some of his best—speeches made before Congress, before academic audiences, before groups of fellow historians. This is stirring stuff, the sort of of clear-eyed, patriotic, smart rhetoric we need more of in these divisive and confusing times. McCullough brings a calm authority to his words, equal parts comforting and energizing. It is an ideal book to read if your faith in our institutions is fading.

The Operator: Firing the Shots that Killed Osama bin Laden and My Years as a SEAL Team Warrior, by Robert O’Neill
History by scholars is one thing, but history written by the people who make is something else—something more visceral and exciting. O’Neill, who served as a Navy SEAL for 16 years, tells his stories, including his participation in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden and the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips from Somali pirates. O’Neill offers a glimpse of his childhood, details the difficult training he underwent for the SEALS, and let’s you follow along as he and his fellow soldiers clear buildings one door at a time in Afghanistan. O’Neill doesn’t sugarcoat or bend the facts, and he tackles the backlash he received when he was seen by his peers as profiting from his service. In the end, though, we need books like this so we know the truth behind the headlines.