I like to read non-fiction, especially biographies. There are an endless number of books in existence, but over time I’ve come across some really good ones. Below is a list of some of my favorite non-fiction books. This is not a “Best of” or “Top Ten” list. Instead it’s just some books I recommend, or that I think deserve special praise and recognition.
1. TRUMAN, by David McCullough. I first read this book while recovering from a bad accident in 2000. I’ve since read it at least twice more. Sometimes I pick it up just to read random chapters. McCullough is a terrific writer, and he puts you “there,” in each scene, with dialogue and conversations meticulously detailed through long research. This book won a Pulitzer, for good reason, and it helps to show Truman as the truly honest, hard-working man he was.
2. THE RISE AND FALL OF THE THIRD REICH, by William Shirer. For starters, this book is more than 1,400 pages. But believe it or not, it’s actually an incredibly fast read. Shirer was a correspondent in Germany in the late 1930’s, and he personally witnessed speeches and appearances by some of the key figures of Nazi Germany. This firsthand knowledge helped guide him during years of extensive post-WWII research, when he combed through captured Nazi files to document every political and military step of Germany’s war machine. This book is incredibly important as both a historical text and a reminder of how a brutal fascist regime can rise to power.
3. THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOLM X , by Malcolm X, as told to Alex Haley. I could NOT put this book down once I started reading it. I was absolutely riveted. Alex Haley did an amazing job of compiling and transposing interviews with Malcolm X into a flowing narrative that takes us through X’s whole life. The self-discovery that he reveals, and his conversion to Islam is fascinating. This may be the best book I’ve ever read.
4. THE DEATH OF A PRESIDENT, by William Manchester. Essentially, this book is a vivid, almost minute-by-minute account of the events leading up to, during, and shortly after the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Manchester invested every ounce of himself into the work—and you can feel his absolute dedication and soulfulness in capturing every movement and conversation during the days in question, including (for example) even the fumbling arguments and awkwardness aboard Air Force One, before Kennedy’s body was flown back to Washington. The assassination was a profound event in American history and Manchester conveys the shock as well as the actual events as if they’ve just happened. Adding to the sense of historical weight (and responsibility) is the fact that Manchester personally interviewed the key people—LBJ, Mrs. Kennedy, the Secret Service teams, Lady Bird, the various pilots and staff, etc. He understood that whatever work he produced would need to at least equal the graciousness and vulnerable access they accorded him. He succeeded.
5. INTO THIN AIR, by John Krakauer. When I worked at a bookstore, I used to recommend this book to every customer. It’s particularly good if you have a plane flight and need an engrossing read. In 1996, Krakauer happened to be on one of the ill-fated expeditions that attempted to climb Mt. Everest. Various teams were summiting the mountain at the same time, and Krakauer describes every moment of their climb—the stunning cold, the conserving of desperately needed oxygen bottles, the altitude sickness… Eight people died among the various teams and Krakauer doesn’t spare himself when pondering his own sense of guilt, responsibility, and helplessness as events unfolded beyond their control. If nothing else, the book is a fascinating account of mountain climbing itself, and it makes one curious to experience real mountain climbing, and even the thin air at high altitude.
6. JOHN ADAMS, by David McCullough. This is the second of two books on this list authored by David McCullough. And, like TRUMAN (above), this one also won a Pulitzer. Essentially, you can’t go wrong with McCullough. His books on the building of the Brooklyn Bridge (’The Great Bridge’) and the construction of the Panama Canal (’The Path Between the Seas’) are also excellent. What makes McCullough so good, aside from his absolute dedication to the subject, is his ability to put you there, in the actual story. And that’s hard to do when you’re trying to capture the day-to-day events of someone like John Adams who lived more than 200 years ago. But so detailed is McCullough’s research that, as just one example, he can tell you that on such-and-such day of the Constitutional Convention, Adams arose with a cold and ended up arriving late to the meeting. And that’s merely a throwaway detail. But it shows how deeply McCullough inserts himself into the story, almost living it himself.
7. TEAM OF RIVALS, by Doris Kearns Goodwin. For a good book on the Civil War, read Jay Winik’s ‘April 1865.’ Or read ‘Team of Rivals.’ Goodwin does a great job of profiling Lincoln’s presidency as well as the ongoing events of waging the war. I’m re-reading it now.
8. NO ORDINARY TIME, by Doris Kearns Goodwin. This book justifiably won a Pulitzer. It’s a phenomenal account of FDR, Eleanor, and Churchill during World War II. Another fascinating book. (Anything with Churchill is always fun, educational, and entertaining).
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