The Undiscovered Country: Triumph, Tragedy, and the Shaping of the American West (Paul Andrew Hutton)

Paul Andrew Hutton’s The Undiscovered Country: Triumph, Tragedy, and the Shaping of the American West is a well-researched book that takes the reader through America’s westward expansion. Framing his narrative around seven emblematic figures (Daniel Boone, Red Eagle, Davy Crockett, Mangas Coloradas, Kit Carson, Sitting Bull, and Buffalo Bill Cody), Hutton takes us on a journey through nearly two centuries of American history in its eventual pursuit of “manifest destiny” of being a coast-to-coast nation.

From the “French and Indian War” in the mid 18th Century to the Wounded Knee massacre of 1890, Hutton dives into tales of ambition, violence, environmental ruin, and societal upheaval. The author presents a very balanced account that foregrounds Indigenous experiences alongside settler narratives. In today’s era of historical nonfiction writing, this balance is refreshing to see.

Hutton’s character-driven approach is the strongest aspect of the book, offering both depth and accessibility. This invites readers to ponder American identity through the lens of those who shaped and were impacted by the frontier. The stories and character development are at times methodical but serve a purpose, helping provide important context to particular events that shaped America’s expansion westward. The Undiscovered Country is a strong achievement in narrative history that is epic in scope, compassionate in tone, and unyieldingly honest in its portrayal of an era that defined a nation.

MY RATING: 4.5

Flashes of Brilliance: The Genius of Early Photography and How It Transformed Art, Science, and History (Anika Burgess)

In Flashes of Brilliance: The Genius of Early Photography and How It Transformed Art, Science, and History, photo editor and writer Anika Burgess provides an enjoyable journey through the early decades of photographic history. From photography’s birth in the 1830s to the early 20th century, Burgess blends art, science, and social history into an entertaining story of innovation and eccentricity. She introduces us to pioneers like Anna Atkins, whose cyanotypes produced the first photobook, and the dynamic duo Muybridge and Marey, whose motion‑capture experiments laid the groundwork for modern imaging technologies 

Burgess’s narrative thrives on astonishing and at times humorous anecdotes. Photographers risked their lives with explosive flash powders (sometimes not living to tell the tale) and were known to have lugged massive cameras into hot-air balloons, or even ventured into catacombs and underwater realms to freeze moments no one had ever seen before. Burgess’s storytelling is enriched by dry wit throughout the book. If you’re familiar with Burgess’s writing from Atlas Obscura, you’ll see the thread of their creative writing throughout this book.

Flashes of Brilliance extends beyond technical marvels. The book probes the societal ripples of photographic innovation. Issues like image manipulation, privacy concerns, and surveillance were alive at photography’s inception. Burgess shows how photographs became tools for asserting identity and power, such as self-portraits by Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass. Flashes of Brilliance is not just a history of photography. It’s a well-written, creative narrative about something that many of us take for granted one selfie at a time.

MY RATING: 5

Thomas More: A Life (Joanne Paul)

Joanne Paul’s Thomas More: A Life is a biography of one of 16th Century England’s most enigmatic figures. Drawing on over a decade of archival work, Paul constructs a portrait of More as a complex, intellectually rigorous, and deeply conflicted statesman rooted firmly in his faith and family.

Paul effectively immerses the reader in the shifting currents of late-medieval Catholic England, guided largely by the whims of a lovelorn Henry VIII in search of a wife who could give birth to a male heir. More emerges not merely as a conservative zealot, as popular portrayals might suggest, but as a deeply thoughtful man that is worn and weighed by the pressures of his faith, his country, and also his family. The narrative unfolds with a pace that is both compelling and scholarly. More’s writing, especially his poignant spiritual letters written during his final trials, is a valuable contribution to the author’s development and portrayal of More.

Paul shows More as neither monster nor martyr, but as a Renaissance man wrestling with the demands of conscience in an age of fracturing authority and in an age where faith and reason are increasingly colliding. 

Thomas More: A Life stands out as a clear narrative that brings More’s values into vivid focus. Students of the Reformation era, Henry VIII, and the Catholic-Anglican split will certainly benefit from this biography.

MY RATING: 4.5

Proof: The Art and Science of Certainty (Adam Kucharski)

In Proof: The Art and Science of Certainty, author Adam Kucharski examines the foundations of how we know what we know - whether in mathematics, science, law, or everyday life. Best known for his work on epidemics and data modeling, Kucharski turns his attention to the tools that are used in an attempt to build certainty in a world full of ambiguity. Proof is a thoughtful, timely, and accessible exploration of logic, probability, and the shifting nature of truth.

Kucharski begins with the roots of deductive reasoning and formal proof, tracing their development from Euclid to modern mathematics. From those initial foundations, Kucharski then explores how different domains such as medicine, justice, technology apply (or misapply) various forms of reasoning in pursuit of certainty. Case studies, such as flawed forensic methods or overconfident algorithms, reveal just how fragile “proof” can be when misused.

While at times Proof can get a bit technical and wonky for those who are not math or science-inclined, the book is refreshingly honest about the limits of certainty. Kucharski is candid about how rigorous methods can produce false confidence when context is ignored. Proof is not just about logic or math. It’s about trust, evidence, and the human desire to be sure. In an age of misinformation, Kucharski offers a toolkit we badly need.

MY RATING: 4

Allies at War: How the Struggles Between the Allied Powers Shaped the War and the World (Tim Bouverie)

In Allies at War: How the Struggles Between the Allied Powers Shaped the War and the World,  author Tim Bouverie explores one of the most consequential partnerships of the 20th century: the fraught alliance between Winston Churchill (Great Britain), Franklin D. Roosevelt (United States), and Joseph Stalin (Soviet Union) during World War II. Bouverie focuses on the inner tensions and political maneuverings that shaped the Allied war effort and ultimately the postwar world.

Much of Allies at War is devoted to the personalities and backstories of Churchill, FDR, and Stalin, plus the ministers that worked for them. Bouverie delves deep into the ego clashes, mistrust, and miscommunication that characterized the “Big Three,” revealing how mutual suspicion, especially between the Western leaders and Stalin, often complicated military and diplomatic strategy. Naivety in understanding the Soviet Union’s political and military motives also played a role in how their partnership developed and ultimately fizzled. Churchill emerges as the emotional, often stubborn statesman; Roosevelt as the charming but at times naive optimist; and Stalin as the cold, calculating tactician with his own brutal vision for Europe.

Bouverie’s book weaves together military history with political drama. Drawing on a wide array of primary sources, he manages to balance narrative momentum with analytical insight, offering a nuanced portrait of how this uneasy alliance held together just long enough to defeat Hitler, before breaking apart into the Cold War divide. Allies at War offers a very good study of the limits and necessities of diplomacy in an era of global crisis. It is well-suited for students of WWII and international relations.

MY RATING: 4.5