Browse the Bookshelves Shelf 6

The books you'll find highlighted here won't be just another rehash of those on current bestseller lists.  I decided to take a different approach and list only titles that have received positive reviews in publications I read and respect.

The highest numbered shelf will contain the most recent additions, so naturally shelf #1 will contain the oldest entries.  I hope you'll find the selections interesting.

To Rescue the Republic: Ulysses S. Grant, the Fragile Union, and the Crisis of 1876 Hardcover; by Bret Baier, Catherine Whitney; Custom House; 400 pages; list price: $28.99
from amazon.com: The #1 bestselling author and Fox News Channel’s Chief Political Anchor illuminates the heroic life of Ulysses S. Grant
"To Rescue the Republic is narrative history at its absolute finest. A fast-paced, thrilling and enormously important book." —Douglas Brinkley
An epic history spanning the battlegrounds of the Civil War and the violent turmoil of Reconstruction to the forgotten electoral crisis that nearly fractured a reunited nation, Bret Baier’s To Rescue the Republic dramatically reveals Ulysses S. Grant’s essential yet underappreciated role in preserving the United States during an unprecedented period of division.
Born a tanner’s son in rugged Ohio in 1822 and battle-tested by the Mexican American War, Grant met his destiny on the bloody fields of the Civil War. His daring and resolve as a general gained the attention of President Lincoln, then desperate for bold leadership. Lincoln appointed Grant as Lieutenant General of the Union Army in March 1864. Within a year, Grant’s forces had seized Richmond and forced Robert E. Lee to surrender.
Four years later, the reunified nation faced another leadership void after Lincoln’s assassination and an unworthy successor completed his term. Again, Grant answered the call. At stake once more was the future of the Union, for though the Southern states had been defeated, it remained to be seen if the former Confederacy could be reintegrated into the country—and if the Union could ensure the rights and welfare of African Americans in the South. Grant met the challenge by boldly advancing an agenda of Reconstruction and aggressively countering the Ku Klux Klan.
In his final weeks in the White House, however, Grant faced a crisis that threatened to undo his life’s work. The contested presidential election of 1876 produced no clear victory for either Republican Rutherford B. Hayes or Democrat Samuel Tilden, who carried most of the former Confederacy. Soon Southern states vowed to revolt if Tilden was not declared the victor. Grant was determined to use his influence to preserve the Union, establishing an electoral commission to peaceably settle the issue. Grant brokered a grand bargain: the installation of Republican Hayes to the presidency, with concessions to the Democrats that effectively ended Reconstruction. This painful compromise saved the nation, but tragically condemned the South to another century of civil-rights oppression.
Deep with contemporary resonance and brimming with fresh detail that takes readers from the battlefields of the Civil War to the corridors of power where men decided the fate of the nation in back rooms, To Rescue the Republic reveals Grant, for all his complexity, to be among the first rank of American heroes.

Don't Know Much About® History [30th Anniversary Edition]: Everything You Need to Know About American History but Never Learned; by Kenneth C Davis; Harper Paperbacks; 752 pages; list price: $18.99
from amazon.com: A New York Times bestseller · More than 1.7 Million Copies Sold!
“Reading Davis is like returning to the classroom of the best teacher you ever had!” —People magazine
From the arrival of Columbus through the historic election of Barack Obama and beyond, Kenneth C. Davis carries readers on a rollicking ride through more than five hundred years of American history. In this 30th anniversary edition of the classic anti-textbook—which includes a new preface by Davis—he debunks, recounts, and serves up the real story behind the myths and fallacies of American history.

American Marxism; by Mark R. Levin; Threshold Editions; 320 pages; list price: $28.00
from amazon.com: In 2009, Mark R. Levin galvanized conservatives with his unforgettable manifesto Liberty and Tyranny, by providing a philosophical, historical, and practical framework for halting the liberal assault on Constitution-based values. That book was about standing at the precipice of progressivism’s threat to our freedom and now, over a decade later, we’re fully over that precipice and paying the price.
In American Marxism, Levin explains how the core elements of Marxist ideology are now pervasive in American society and culture—from our schools, the press, and corporations, to Hollywood, the Democratic Party, and the Biden presidency—and how it is often cloaked in deceptive labels like “progressivism,” “democratic socialism,” “social activism,” and more. With his characteristic trenchant analysis, Levin digs into the psychology and tactics of these movements, the widespread brainwashing of students, the anti-American purposes of Critical Race Theory and the Green New Deal, and the escalation of repression and censorship to silence opposing voices and enforce conformity. Levin exposes many of the institutions, intellectuals, scholars, and activists who are leading this revolution, and provides us with some answers and ideas on how to confront them.
As Levin writes: “The counter-revolution to the American Revolution is in full force. And it can no longer be dismissed or ignored for it is devouring our society and culture, swirling around our everyday lives, and ubiquitous in our politics, schools, media, and entertainment.” And, like before, Levin seeks to rally the American people to defend their liberty.

Gertrude Jekyll’s Lost Garden: The Restoration of an Edwardian Masterpiece; by Rosamund Wallinger; Garden Art Press; 204 pages; list price: $49.50
From Library Journal: In 1983, when Wallinger and her husband purchased Upton Grey, a turn-of-the-century manor house in Hampshire, she had no idea that she was about to embark on a new passion that would consume her life. While researching the history of the house, built by Charles Holme, a leading Arts and Crafts figure of his day, she made the exciting discovery that the overgrown garden was designed by Gertrude Jekyll. Wallinger had very little interest in gardening before she moved to Upton Grey, but she had the sense to recognize Jekyll's importance, and she was determined to restore the garden to its original design. Tracking down Jekyll's original plans, which were housed at the University of California at Berkeley, she began the long and arduous task of deciphering the plans, locating plants (many of which were extremely hard to find), and tackling the physical demands of restoring the garden. She documented her progress with photographs (the before and after shots are remarkable) and a journal. Her account of the mistakes she made along the way as well as exciting discoveries and her increasing appreciation of Jekyll's legacy make fascinating reading. Sixteen years later, Upton Grey stands as the only fully restored Jekyll garden. This beautiful book will inspire any gardener and is essential for all gardening collections. --D Phillip Oliver, Univ. of North Alabama Lib., Florence

Liberalism is a Mental Disorder: Savage Solutions; by Michael Savage; Thomas Nelson; 272 pages; list price: $25.99
Book description: "Dr. Savage, sage prophet of the airwaves, has been diagnosing liberal mental illness for more than a decade. Now, in his third and most insightful book, he strikes at the root of today's most desperate issues, providing a hefty dose of his unique conservative medicine, including:

• Homeland security: "We need more Patton and less patent leather. . .Real homeland security begins when we arrest, interrogate, jail, or deport known operatives within our own borders. . .One dirty bomb can ruin your whole day."
• The ACLU, National Lawyers Guild, and MoveOn.org: "I believe it's time for the heads of . . . left-wing agitation groups who are using the courts to impose their will on the sheeple to be prosecuted under the federal RICO statutes."
• Illegal immigration: "I envision an Oil for Illegals program. . .The president should demand one barrel of oil from Mexico for every illegal alien that sneaks into our country."

They Just Don't Get It: How Washington Is Still Compromising Your Safety--and What You Can Do About It; by Colonel David Hunt; Crown Forum; 272 pages; list price: $25.95
from Publishers Weekly: "Hang onto your ball caps and hairpieces, this is going to be monkey-butt ugly." Indeed. Delivering an account of the U.S.'s failures in combatting terror, Hunt, a Fox TV News military analyst and retired army colonel, depicts a world of gutless politicians, bungling bureaucrats, deceitful allies and bleeding-heart liberals. His solution is to expand the armed forces and vastly contract bureaucracy, especially the many intelligence agencies, which he proposes be combined into one central bureau with a single, long-term director who is exempt from testifying before congressional committees. Hunt hates congressional committees and admires elite military teams like the SEALs and Delta Force; he wants them turned loose. Merged into the "TKA" (Terrorist Killing Agency), they would receive intelligence from the now competent intelligence bureau, proceed to wherever terrorists operate and (with or without the host country's permission) kill them. The author considers Israel an ideal model; its forces, he says, respond viciously to every attack. Legal niceties and public relations take a back seat. Assassination teams travel the world to murder Israel's enemies. (Thoughtful readers may wonder why, after decades of slugging it out, Israel remains wracked with terrorism.) No group escapes the author's venom—or his praise.

Men In Black: How the Supreme Court Is Destroying America; by Mark R. Levin; Regnery Publishing, Inc.; 256 pages; list price: $27.95
From the Inside Flap: The Supreme Court Endorses Terrorists’ Rights, Flag Burning, and Importing Foreign Law.
Is that in the Constitution?
You’re right: It’s not. But these days the Constitution is no restraint on our out-of-control Supreme Court. The Court imperiously strikes down laws and imposes new ones purely on its own arbitrary whims. Even though liberals like John Kerry are repeatedly defeated at the polls, the majority on the allegedly "conservative" Supreme Court reflects their views and wields absolute power. There’s a word for this: tyranny. In Men in Black, radio talk show host and legal scholar Mark R. Levin dissects the judicial tyranny that is robbing us of our freedoms and stuffing the ballot box in favor of liberal policies. If you’ve ever wondered why — no matter who holds political power — American society always seems to drift to the left, Mark Levin has the answer: the black-robed justices of the Supreme Court, subverting democracy in favor of their own liberal agenda. In Men in Black, you’ll learn:

• How judicial activism upheld slavery and segregation
• Why Roe v. Wade not only mandated abortion-on-demand but gutted the Constitution
• How the Court imports laws from other countries to help win the culture war for extremists
• Why the justices are granting illegal immigrants rights equal with citizens
• How helping terrorists file suit against the United States is another innovation of our Supreme Court
• Surprise: the liberal Supreme Court Justice who erected the "separation of church and state" was a member of the Ku Klux Klan

At Risk; by Stella Rimington; Knopf; 384 pages; list price: $24.00
from amazon.com: The woman who formerly headed Britain's intelligence service (and what would Ian Fleming have made of that?) comes in from the cold with a smart, clever, and brilliantly paced thriller that seems ripped from the headlines--if not today's, then probably tomorrow's. Liz Carlyle is an agent-runner in MI-5's Joint Counter-Terrorist Group, which is facing the ultimate intelligence nightmare; an "invisible," a terrorist who's an ethnic native of the target country and thus able to cross its borders unchecked and move around its environs unquestioned. All Liz and her team have to go on is the suspicion that a local fisherman who was shot with an unusual armor- piercing gun known to be favored by foreign agents and whose body was found in the restroom of a transport café near a smuggler's beach may have been involved in helping an undercover operative known as "Vengeance Before God" enter England without benefit of passport or visa--a man whose mission, if not his identity, has been the subject of recent intelligence "chatter" from militant Muslim sources. And while Liz thinks she knows who the operative is--an Afghani with forged papers last seen in a German port city--she doesn't have a clue about the "invisible" who's helping him, or the target in their crosshairs.

This is a tightly drawn, expertly told tale that wastes few words in describing the shadowy world of the intelligence services, the turf battles and infighting, and even the romantic entanglements that attend the lives of those involved. It marks a promising second career for its author, whose future success will doubtless be much more public than her earlier accomplishments. --Jane Adams

The Memory of Running: A Novel; by Ron McLarty; Viking Books; 358 pages; list price: $24.95
Meet Smithson "Smithy" Ide, an overweight, friendless, chain-smoking, forty-three- year-old drunk who works as a quality control inspector at a toy action-figure factory in Rhode Island. By all accounts, including Smithy’s own, he’s a loser. But when Smithy’s life of quiet desperation is brutally interrupted by tragedy, he stumbles across his old Raleigh bicycle and impulsively sets off on an epic journey that might give him one last chance to become the person he always wanted to be. As he pedals across America—with stops in New York City, St. Louis, Denver, and Phoenix, to name a few—he encounters humanity at its best and worst and adventures that are by turns hilarious, luminous, and extraordinary. Along the way, Smithy falls in love and back into life.

State of Fear; by Michael Crichton; Harper Collins; 624 pages; list price: $27.95
Once again Michael Crichton gives us his trademark combination of page-turning suspense, cutting-edge technology, and extraordinary research. State of Fear is a superb blend of edge-of-your-seat suspense and thought provoking commentary on how information is manipulated in the modern world. From the streets of Paris, to the glaciers of Antarctica to the exotic and dangerous Solomon Islands, State of Fear takes the reader on a rollercoaster thrill ride, all the while keeping the brain in high gear.

Attracting Birds to Your Backyard: 536 Ways to Create a Haven for Your Favorite Birds ; by Sally Roth; Rodale Books; 320 pages; list price: $18.95
Transform your backyard into birdland with this A-to-Z compendium of useful information and tips.  Best-selling author Sally Roth covers everything you need to know, from migration patterns and feeding to territorial fights and water gardens.  Kids and adults will find fascinating lore throughout and be inspired to try one of the many projects right away.  -Learn how to identify more than 50 varieties of birds and understand their behavior and songs  -Learn what to do when you find a baby bird that's fallen from its nest  -Tips and plans for building all sorts of feeders, nesting boxes, and birdbaths. Create your own bird cafe  -Recipes for custom blends of birdseed plus special treats like Chickadee Doughnut Delights and Christmas trees for birds  -Discover why birds love yards with moss  -Find out what you need to plant a birdseed garden and discover the 25 best plants for birds  -Plans for bird-friendly water gardens, flower gardens, and hummingbird gardens.

The American Woodland Garden: Capturing the Spirit of the Deciduous Forest [ILLUSTRATED] (Hardcover); by Rick Darke; Timber Press; 378 pages; list price: $49.95
An accomplished work of epic proportions.  ... Wherever you garden and no matter how extensive or small the woodland you tend — even if it is just a single birch tree — The American Woodland Garden offers the most comprehensive, inspiring, and thought-provoking advice you are ever likely to find within the confines of a single volume.  As the text on the inside jacket correctly claims, this book is destined to become a classic. --Bob Purnell, Gardens Illustrated, December 2003

Greenhouse Gardener's Companion: Growing Food and Flowers in Your Greenhouse or Sunspace; by Shane Smith; Fulcrum Publishing; 544 pages; list price: $22.95
Through lively writing that balances wit with commonsense advice, Smith draws on his more than 20 years' experience to cover everything you need to know to establish a charming and productive greenhouse. This revised edition includes more detailed information on greenhouse construction, heating options, and interior design. An expanded section on pest and disease control features updated information on integrated pest management (IPM) for those who prefer to control bad bugs with good bugs rather than with toxic pesticides. Smith introduces you to the latest greenhouse gadgets, from glazing materials, to fans and vents, to misters and watering devices. A new section on orchids introduces the basic orchid families and provides practical advice for growing the species successfully. This edition includes more than 250 new and exquisite illustrations, plus copious instructive photos and charts, detailed appendixes listing garden associations; suppliers (with website addresses); climate information; helpful references, and more.

Smith & Hawken: 100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden (Turtleback); by Carolyn J. Male; Workman Publishing Company; 246 pages; list price: $18.95
Preserved by families, collected by seed savers, passed around among farmers, heirloom tomatoes are now being sought out by more and more home gardeners as an alternative to the bland sameness of commercial hybrids. And happily, these growers are discovering that heirlooms are not only vastly more flavorful, but are just as hardy and easy to cultivate as the hybrids.

Dr. Carolyn J. Male, who has raised more than a thousand heirloom tomatoes, here presents 100 consistently top-performing varieties for North American gardeners. There are red tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, green, orange, purple, and even black tomatoes--like Black from Tula, with green shoulders and a dusky rose-black coloring. There are cherry tomatoes, too--try Martino's Roma, a paste with spectacular yield and built-in tolerance of blossom end rot. For every gardener, no matter how experienced, here's everything you need to know to grow and harvest tomatoes with real taste.

Your Backyard Herb Garden: A Gardener's Guide to Growing Over 50 Herbs Plus How to Use Them in Cooking, Crafts, Companion Planting and More; by Miranda Smith; Rodale Books; 160 pages; list price: $18.95
Everything you need to know about growing your favorite herbs using safe, natural, all-organic methods!  Practical tips and advice on all aspects of successful herb growing.  A wealth of great ideas and helpful how-to on using herbs in cooking, crafts, cosmetics, health care, insect repellents, and more.  Illustrated herb directory featuring all the most popular herbs -- from aloe to yarrow -- each with complete information on growing, care, harvesting, and uses.

Last revised October 14, 2021