Skip navigation
Close All Milwaukee Public Library Locations Closed...

Friday, March 29*, and Sunday, March 31 for Easter. All libraries open on Saturday, March 30. *View Early Voting Locations & Hours

Milwaukee Public Library Hours & Locations Close

Blog Post

Non-fiction suggestions from Tippecanoe that you don't want to miss!

By MPL Staff on May 28, 2014 12:05 PM

Dark Invasion: 1915: Germany’s Secret War and the Hunt for the First Terrorist Cell in America by Howard Blum  

A fascinating and suspenseful account of America’s slide into World War I while still ostensibly neutral, and the German attempt to pre-empt the conflict by setting up a spy network in the United States. German agents pursued an agenda of sabotage and terrorism aimed at weakening the ability of American industry to contribute to the war effort. In the absence of a federal counter-espionage agency, the German plots were countered by local law enforcement, primarily in the New York City area. A poignant side of the issue is the plight of the many German-Americans whose loyalties and patriotism were questioned years before the United States declared war on Germany.

 

Churchill’s First War: Young Winston at War with the Afghans by Con Coughlin

The late 1890s saw British troops engaged in a savage guerrilla war in Afghanistan.  On hand as a cavalry lieutenant in his first significant action was Winston Churchill, who later published a book telling of the fighting he saw: The Story of the Malakand Field Force. Coughlin gives a detailed account of how the war and Churchill’s account of it helped launch his political career, while also outlining the parallels between this chapter of British history and the ongoing American presence in Afghanistan as part of the war on terror.

 

Reading Dante: From Here to Eternity by Prue Shaw  

Just in time for what is roughly the 700th anniversary of Dante’s Divine Comedy, comes this scholarly yet accessible look at one of the greatest works in world literature. Shaw delineates Dante’s world—including Florentine politics, medieval theology, and classical myth—showing how it helped create the framework of his triptych of epic poems. Shaw goes beyond this groundwork to explicate the linguistic and literary revolution of the Commedia and demonstrates the emotional power of Dante’s poem, his vision, and their relevance to readers today. You’ll enjoy this more if you’ve read parts or all of the Divine Comedy, but if you haven’t, Reading Dante will inspire you to pick up a copy of this enduring classic!

 

 

Chris G @ Tippecanoe & Bay View



Add a Comment