Browsing: 19th Century

From the New York Times bestselling author of Band of Brothers and D-Day, the definitive book on Lewis and Clark’s…

In 1913, a devastating tempest resulted in tornadoes, freezing rains, and flooding across America, leading to an overhaul of the country’s disaster response system. This in-depth read “weaves tragic and heroic stories… into an almost hour-by-hour account of the deadly storm” (Booklist).

A #1 New York Times bestseller! A Pulitzer Prize–winning author explores Jefferson’s political acumen in this critically acclaimed biography. “A big, grand, absorbing exploration of not just Jefferson and his role in history but also Jefferson the man, humanized as never before” (Entertainment Weekly).

“Extraordinary” (Publishers Weekly starred review): This National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize winner explores the history of slave Sally Hemings and her family, whose intimate ties to president Thomas Jefferson were long concealed. A “commanding and important book” (The New Yorker).

In this New York Times bestseller, the author of The Professor and the Madman reveals how explorers and innovators of all kinds forged a united American nation. “Vivid, valuable… An extraordinary, propulsive tale” (The Wall Street Journal).

This vivid work of nonfiction explores 20th-century New York through the culinary traditions of five immigrant families. “Compelling… Ziegelman cleverly takes this opportunity to show us that in learning about food, we’re actually learning about history” (Booklist).

A New York Times bestseller: As partners, rivals, and relentless innovators, Andrew Carnegie and Henry Clay Frick played pivotal roles in the Second Industrial Revolution in the US — but their impressive achievements came at a terrible human cost. “Intriguing” (Booklist).

A New York Times bestseller and National Book Award winner: The whaleship Essex encounters a monstrous sperm whale in this thrilling true account of the historical disaster that inspired Moby Dick. “Fascinating… One of our country’s great adventure stories” (The Wall Street Journal).

The gripping story of “one of the most sensational trial cases of the nineteenth century” (Booklist): One morning in New Orleans, Madame Carl noticed an unmistakable face. Could this poor slave on the street really be Sally Miller, a German woman who disappeared 25 years before? “Engrossing” (Publishers Weekly).

This “spectacular and vivid” New York Times bestseller (The Washington Post) is perfect for fans of The Devil in the White City: Over the course of 12 days in 1919, Chicago faced a blimp crash, riots, a transit strike, and a child’s harrowing murder. A “vibrant slice of urban history” (Publishers Weekly).