Midnight on the Potomac: The Last Year of the Civil War, the Lincoln Assassination, and the Rebirth of America (Scott Ellsworth)

In Midnight on the Potomac: The Last Year of the Civil War, the Lincoln Assassination, and the Rebirth of America, author Scott Ellsworth provides a dramatic retelling of the events of 1864 and early 1865. With page-turning narrative energy, Ellsworth brings the final stretch of the Civil War to life. This period includes the rise of Ulysses S. Grant’s fame as head of the Union army, Sherman’s march through Georgia, and the eventual assasination of Abraham Lincoln.

This period of time was arguably one of the most pivotal in our country’s history. The Civil War was wearing down morale in the North and mounting casualties made Lincoln’s reelection odds in 1864 seem slim. However, Sherman’s capture of Atlanta in September 1864 provided a turning point that, combined with strong support among voting Union soldiers, helped Lincoln win a hard-fought election that Fall.

In addition to major leaders and headliners of the time, the author includes overlooked voices such as runaway slaves, a female war correspondent named Lois Adams, and other lesser-known participants who provide added context and insight to the events of this timeframe. Ellsworth also provides added insight into the shifting methods of how war was conducted by the South, changing from mostly conventional field battle into more rogue and guerrilla tactics in an attempt to prolong the war. Those rogue tactics gradually wrap in a headlining actor of the day, who becomes a part of the plot to take down Lincoln.

Midnight on the Potomac is a very solid and exciting historical book that highlights the relatively precarious state of the Union effort in 1864 and how a few key events changed the course of the war and American history. It’s a captivating read that will keep you glued to its pages.

MY RATING: 4.5

The Heart of It's a Wonderful Life (Jimmy Hawkins)

One of my favorite holiday traditions is watching It's a Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve. There's something about watching George Bailey running down the streets of Bedford Falls yelling "Merry Christmas!" that brings tears to my eyes every time. In The Heart of It's a Wonderful Life, Jimmy Hawkins (who played Tommy Bailey) helps readers explore the messages of the beloved movie.

Each short chapter starts with an excerpt of the dialogue from a scene. Then Hawkins offers his take on what that excerpt means and how we can apply it to our own lives. He also provides never-before-heard facts about the cast and crew, including some very poignant remembrances of Jimmy Stewart.

While it could have used much more detail, The Heart of It's a Wonderful Life is a lovely reminder of the themes from a movie that never gets old. 

MY RATING: 4

Ring of Fire: A New History of the World at War: 1914 (Alexandra Churchill and Nicolai Eberholst)

In Ring of Fire: A New History of the World at War: 1914, authors Alexandra Churchill and Nicolai Eberholst provide a historical account of the early weeks of World War I. Churchill (not related to Winston) and Eberholst document with great detail the early stages of World War I, highlighting the actions taken by main combatants and the impact the fighting had on not only Europe, but also indirectly on the rest of the world. 

Drawing on previously unused primary sources in over twenty languages, the authors bring to light perspectives from Australia, Canada, North Africa, Argentina, and beyond. These diverse perspectives helped put forth the view that despite best efforts by many countries, neutrality was virtually impossible in the face of this global rupture.

The book weaves together the experiences of both soldiers and civilians, from colonial conscripts seizing an opportunity or fleeing hardship, to diplomats overwhelmed by the collapse of European stability, to ordinary people caught in the crossfire. These stories helped set the stage for what the next thirty years of history would bring about, both in wars and in the tumult that separated the two global conflicts.

Ring of Fire is a meticulous work that highlights the early weeks of World War I. It serves as essential reading for historians of this war and of the early 20th Century.

MY RATING: 4

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