Thursday, December 10, 2015

New Nonfiction










Agnes Warner and the Nursing Sisters of the Great War by Shawna M. Quinn
"In Agnes Warner and the Nursing Sisters of the Great War, Shawna M. Quinn explores the world of these brave women--the grueling, dangerous conditions of work and the brutal realities they faced. Drawing upon the letters of Saint John native Agnes Wagner, Quinn paints a picture of the dedicated women who witnessed firsthand the atrocities of war." –WorldCat

Japan Its History and Culture by W. Scott Morton and J. Kenneth Olenik
“This work covers from the nation's earliest known civilization (about 30009 BCE) onwards. It traces various aspects of Japanese art, religion, the imperial court, militarism, race, geography, and agriculture, and analyzes the social, political, and economic life of Asia's wealthiest nation.” –WorldCat

The Kojiki: An Account of Ancient Matters by O no Yasumaro
 “Japan's oldest surviving narrative, the eighth-century Kojiki, chronicles the mythical origins of its islands and their ruling dynasty through a diverse array of genealogies, tales, and songs that have helped to shape the modern nation's views of its ancient past.” –Amazon

Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War by Steve Sheinkin
“This is the story of Daniel Ellsberg and his decision to steal and publish secret documents about America's involvement in the Vietnam War.” –WorldCat

Symphony For The City Of The Dead by M. T. Anderson

“In September 1941, Adolf Hitler’s Wehrmacht surrounded Leningrad in what was to become one of the longest and most destructive sieges in Western history—almost three years of bombardment and starvation that culminated in the harsh winter of 1943–1944. More than a million citizens perished. Survivors recall corpses littering the frozen streets, their relatives having neither the means nor the strength to bury them. Residents burned books, furniture, and floorboards to keep warm; they ate family pets and—eventually—one another to stay alive. Trapped between the Nazi invading force and the Soviet government itself was composer Dmitri Shostakovich, who would write a symphony that roused, rallied, eulogized, and commemorated his fellow citizens—the Leningrad Symphony, which came to occupy a surprising place of prominence in the eventual Allied victory.” –Amazon