Becoming Queen Victoria

April 1865: a month etched in American memory, but one whose true significance has been obscured by myth. In this gripping narrative, Jay Winik reveals April 1865 as the pivotal moment when the Civil War's end hung precariously in the balance, and the fate of the nation teetered on a knife's edge.

From the smoldering ruins of Richmond to the Appomattox surrender, from Lincoln's assassination to the dangerous power vacuum that followed, Winik masterfully interweaves political intrigue, military strategy, and vivid portraits of iconic figures like Lincoln, Grant, and Lee. He unveils the untold story of how close the country came to a drastically different, far more tragic outcome: a prolonged guerrilla war, a fractured nation, and a legacy of bitterness that could have haunted America for generations.

More than just a chronicle of battles and political machinations, April 1865 is a story of leadership, reconciliation, and the choices that define a nation. It explores how a war-torn country, fractured by hatred, found a path toward healing and unity, forever changing the course of American history. Discover the dramatic, untold story of the month that truly saved America.

In the shadow of World War I, a new element promised a bright future. Radium, hailed as a miracle cure and beauty enhancer, illuminated the lives of hundreds of young women who painted watch dials in factories across America. They were the "shining girls," radiant in their work, unaware of the insidious poison that coated their skin.

Kate Moore's The Radium Girls unveils the gripping true story of these forgotten heroines. Lured by the promise of prosperity, these women unknowingly ingested a deadly substance, their bodies glowing with a fatal luminescence. As they began to succumb to a mysterious illness, the corporations that once lauded them turned a blind eye, choosing profit over lives.

But these women refused to be silenced. The Radium Girls is a testament to their courage, resilience, and unwavering determination to fight for justice. Their battle exposed a shocking scandal, ignited a groundbreaking movement for workers' rights, and forever changed the landscape of workplace safety. Prepare to be captivated by their stories, haunted by their sacrifices, and inspired by their enduring legacy.

Erik Larson, the master of historical narrative, plunges readers into the heart of Hitler's Berlin in In the Garden of Beasts. As Hitler consolidates power in 1933, William E. Dodd, a mild-mannered professor from Chicago, accepts the post of American ambassador to Germany. Dodd, his wife, and their vivacious daughter Martha, anticipate a posting in a sophisticated, cultured capital. Instead, they find themselves in a city of propaganda, paranoia, and escalating violence, a place where storm troopers swagger through the streets and the Gestapo lurks in every shadow.

Through the eyes of the Dodd family, Larson paints a chilling portrait of a society seduced by extremism, revealing the slow erosion of freedom and the chilling normalization of Nazi ideology. Martha, initially entranced by the glamour and attention of high-ranking Nazi officials, finds herself caught in a web of compromising relationships, while her father struggles to comprehend the true nature of the regime.

Based on meticulous research and previously unpublished sources, In the Garden of Beasts is a gripping, true-life thriller about a family caught in the vortex of history and a stark warning about the insidious nature of evil. It is a story of love, terror, and survival in a land descending into darkness.

A Pulitzer Prize finalist, Empire of the Summer Moon chronicles the epic forty-year battle for the American West between white settlers and the Comanche Indians, the most formidable tribe in American history. S.C. Gwynne weaves together two captivating narratives: the rise and fall of the Comanches, whose mastery of horsemanship and warfare halted Spanish and French expansion, and the remarkable story of Cynthia Ann Parker, a captured pioneer girl who became a Comanche woman, and her son Quanah, the last and greatest Comanche chief. More than a history of savage warfare, this is a sweeping account of colonialism, the Civil War, the destruction of the buffalo, and the railroads, revealing how the legendary Comanches shaped the destiny of the American West.