Fortunate Son: My Life, My Music

By John Fogerty with Jimmy McDonough I became a fan of John Fogerty while listening to him reading his autobiography on audio CD in my car. Fortunate Son: My Life, My Music was written in 2015 with the assistance of Jimmy McDonough. Although of course I’m familiar with many Credence Clearwater Revival songs, and I’d […]

A Rift In The Earth: Art, Memory, And The Fight For A Vietnam War Memorial

By James Reston, Jr. A Rift In The Earth: Art, Memory, And The Fight For A Vietnam War Memorial could be considered a biography of this national memorial. Having many times visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., and having followed the controversy as it was built, I looked forward to reading this […]

Pioneer Girl Perspectives; Exploring Laura Ingalls Wilder

Edited by Nancy Tystad Koupal This is not a book for beginners. Pioneer Girl Perspectives; Exploring Laura Ingalls Wilder is a collection of essays for those with a scholarly appreciation of the life and work of Laura Ingalls Wilder. It follows an earlier book, Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography, which was an unexpected bestseller in […]

The Selected Letters Of Laura Ingalls Wilder

Edited by William Anderson “The Selected Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder is the final collection of unpublished writing from the author of the Little House books,” writes editor William Anderson in the introduction. “There no longer remains a well of her words left to print.” This book consists of excerpts of more than 400 letters […]

Shadow Warriors Of World War II: The Daring Women of The OSS And SOE

By Gordon Thomas and Greg Lewis During World War II, an underground army of spies and saboteurs was organized and controlled by Great Britain’s Special Operations Executive (SOE), along with the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in the United States. Women, who have been “shadow warriors” in many wars, were recruited for this effort. Shadow […]

Whisperin’ Bill Anderson: An Unprecedented Life In Country Music

By Bill Anderson and Peter Cooper Bill Anderson, 79, is the only songwriter in history who has written songs that charted in seven consecutive decades. From “City Lights” by Ray Price in 1958 to “Country” by Mo Pitney in 2015, his music continues to thrive. He tells the story of his music and its place […]

The Rise Of A Prairie Statesman: The Life And Times Of George McGovern

By Thomas J. Knock The Rise Of A Prairie Statesman: The Life And Times Of George McGovern is the first volume of a major two-part biography on the most eloquent critic of the Vietnam War. Thomas J. Knock, a distinguished historian and teaching professor at Southern Methodist University, has written an aptly titled account of […]

Libertarians On The Prairie: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Rose Wilder Lane, And The Making Of The Little House Books

By Christine Woodside Libertarians on the Prairie: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Rose Wilder Lane, and the Making of the Little House Books is the story of “two strong women creating literature and crusading for their fervent beliefs,” says author Christine Woodside. It chronicles the relationship between Laura Ingalls Wilder and her adult daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, […]

The Grand Tour: The Life And Music Of George Jones

By Rich Kienzle George Jones, one of the greatest performers in country music history, began his career at age twelve, playing his guitar and singing on the streets of Beaumont, Texas. At age 61, in 1992, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Sixteen years later, he was named one of the […]

The Outskirts Of Hope: A Memoir Of The 1960s Deep South

By Jo Ivester “Many Americans live on the outskirts of hope,” President Lyndon Johnson said in his historic 1964 War on Poverty speech. “Some because of their poverty and some because of their color, and all too many because of both. Our task is to help replace their despair with opportunity.” The Outskirts of Hope: […]