Big People's Books,
Authors A-K:
Hugh
Ambrose – history
o
The Pacific – official companion to the HBO series. Follows the war in the Pacific through eyes
of five individuals (from their writings, news reports, family stories, and
official documents). Hugh is not NEARLY the author Steogen, his
famous father, is.
Stephen
Ambrose – history
o
Undaunted Courage:
Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West
–
Ambrose
tells the story of Lewis & Clark’s explorations and the relationship
between Lewis and Thomas Jefferson. Ambrose is an excellent writer. [Spur Award,
1996]
Mark
Arax and Rick Wartzman -
(biography and history)
o
The King Of California: J.G. Boswell and the Making of A
Secret American Empire - story of water, cotton, and one of the world's
biggest cattle ranchers and cotton growers
Astaire,
Fred (autobiography)
o
Steps in Time: an
Autobiography
– very
interesting. Honest, informative—made me
decide to try to find some of his lesser-known movies. Written much the way he must have
spoken—frank, forthright. (written in
1959, so there is no coverage for the remainder of his long life)
Jean
M. Auel - The Clan of the Cave Bear series (fiction - fabrications of
pre-history) -
[NOT the movie, which trashed the book] Auel is a very
thorough researcher, so ones learns about how to do many things.
o
The Clan of the Cave Bear, 1980
o
The Valley of Horses, 1982
o
The Mammoth Hunters, 1985
o
The Plains of Passage, 1990
o
The Shelters of Stone, 2002 - huge disappointment
o
The Land of Painted Caves, 2011 - The story is better
than “Shelters”, but it WAY too repetitive, I skipped half those parts. A lot of interesting cave painting
details. Conclusion of Ayla’s story.
Elizabeth
Wayland Barber - (history made interesting)
o
Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years Women, Cloth, and
Society in Early Times – covers fibers, spinning, weaving, and
history.
John
M. Barry (history)
o
The Great Influenza: The story of the deadliest pandemic
in history -
Everyone
should read this one, if only to convince them to STAY IN BED longer when they
have the flu!
o
Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How
It Changed America - Amazing story of a flood I'd never heard of (which is
weird, as my Dad was living in Iowa at the time and Tennessee was very much affected,
too); the whole country was affected in so many ways beyond the fact that half
our topsoil ended up dumped into the Mississippi and spread over the delta,
etc. Very informative, and a whole different look at a pre-presidential
Herbert Hoover. This event was the
catalyst that drove many black people from the party of their hero, Abraham
Lincoln.
Jefferson Bass [Jon Jefferson and Dr. Bill Bass] (mystery)
Great series of mysteries involving forensic anthropology. Good writing. Good plots. Great forensic anthropology details. Can't put them down. Jon Jefferson is a well-known journalist, writer, and documentary film maker. Dr. Bass is a world-renowned forensic anthropologist at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he established what came to be known as "The Body Farm" -- a research facility into injury and decomposition of the human body.
[Body Farm Series]
Cut to the Bone - [Prequel - 2013]
Carved in Bone - [2009]
Flesh and Bone - [2009]
The Devil's Bones - [2009]
Bones of Betrayal - [2009]
The Bone Thief - [2010]
The Bone Yard - [2011]
Madonna and the Corpse - novella [2012]
The Inquisitor's Key - [2012]
Jordan's Stormy Banks - novella [2013]
The Breaking Point - [Sep 2014]
Jefferson Bass [Jon Jefferson and Dr. Bill Bass] (mystery)
Great series of mysteries involving forensic anthropology. Good writing. Good plots. Great forensic anthropology details. Can't put them down. Jon Jefferson is a well-known journalist, writer, and documentary film maker. Dr. Bass is a world-renowned forensic anthropologist at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he established what came to be known as "The Body Farm" -- a research facility into injury and decomposition of the human body.
[Body Farm Series]
Cut to the Bone - [Prequel - 2013]
Carved in Bone - [2009]
Flesh and Bone - [2009]
The Devil's Bones - [2009]
Bones of Betrayal - [2009]
The Bone Thief - [2010]
The Bone Yard - [2011]
Madonna and the Corpse - novella [2012]
The Inquisitor's Key - [2012]
Jordan's Stormy Banks - novella [2013]
The Breaking Point - [Sep 2014]
Todd
Burpo, Sonja Burpo, Colton Burpo, and Lynn Vincent (Contributor)
– (non-fiction)
o
Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of
His Trip to Heaven and Back - true story of a 4-yr old's experience during
surgery
George
W. Bush – (autobiography)
o
Decision Points – interesting, well written story of his major
decision points in life as well as the Presidency of the United States. Regardless of whether one likes his
decisions, it was a very interesting time in the life of our country.
Laura
Bush – (autobiography)
o
Spoken From the Heart - a very gracious lady
tells her own story, beautifully written.
John
Campbell – (biography)
o
The Iron Lady - Extremely
well-researched book (this vs. is an official abridgement of the original
2-vol. 1200 pp. text). This one is still
nearly 600 pp. and is actually more information than I really needed to know,
but I found it quite interesting nonetheless.
I learned a lot about British government and British politics. She really is an important lady, and the
author tried to keep his biases out, but was not entirely successful at
times. (I doubt many people are going to
want to plow their way through this one—there is probably a somewhat simpler
‘biography’ of this interesting and influential lady. Having read this one, I feel somewhat more
equipped to pick fact from fiction in other versions.) [The movie of the same name may have gotten a few things from this
book, but very little. By comparison,
the movie is a travesty, concentrating almost exclusively on her Alzheimer’s in
her declining years. It was a well-made,
well-acted movie, but I was very disappointed when I saw it.]
Bruce
Catton - many books on the Civil War - (history)
Lee
Child (pen name of Jim Grant) - Jack Reacher books... (thriller) –
The
author says he believes one will appreciate the prequels better if one has
already read the books in the order written. (I tend to disagree, but
then I did not read the first several in any particular order, which I found
frustrating.)
The Jack Reacher novels:
o
#1 Killing
Floor (1997)
o #2 Die
Trying (1998)
o
#3 Tripwire
(1999)
o #4 Running
Blind: US title/The
Visitor: UK title (2000)
o #5 Echo
Burning (2001)
o #6 Without
Fail (2002)
o #7 Persuader
(2003)
o #8 The
Enemy (2004) - Prequel--set eight
years before Killing Floor.
o #9 One
Shot (2005)
o #10 The
Hard Way (2006)
o #11 Bad Luck and Trouble (2007)
o #12 Nothing to Lose (2008)
o #13 Gone Tomorrow (2009)
o #14 61 Hours (2010)
o #15 Worth Dying For (2010)
o #16 The Affair (2011) Another prequel.
o #17 A Wanted Man (Sept 2012)
#18 High Heat: A Jack Reacher Novella (Aug 2013)
#19 Never Go Back (Aug 2013)
#18 High Heat: A Jack Reacher Novella (Aug 2013)
#19 Never Go Back (Aug 2013)
James
Clavell - (sagas of historical fiction)
o
Shogun -17th century Japan
o
Taipan - 1841 Hong Kong
o
Gai Jin - 1600 feudal Japan
o
King Rat - semi fictional autobiography of his
imprisonment by the Japanese at Changi 1945
o
Noble House - 1963 Hong Kong
, etc.
Thomas
B. Costain – (history)
o
The Three Edwards – good understanding of England’s Edward I, II,
and III. It was written in 1958. In some cases, more information has come to
light in the years since.
Roger
Crowley - (history,
extremely well researched and encapsulated)
o
1453: The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash
of Islam and the West - fall of Constantinople
o
Empires of the Sea: The Siege of Malta, the Battle of
Lepanto, and the Contest for the Center of the World (1521-1580) - (history which reads
like a page turner - you will learn the source of "Chariots of Fire")
- still my favorite one of his so far.
o
City of Fortune:
How Venice Ruled the Seas – 500 years of Venetian “empire”. Influenced my decisions about what to see in
Venice when I went.
Peter
D. A'damo, N.D. - (health books) achieving your optimum healthy state by
honoring your genetic, and epigenetic heritage.
o
Eat Right 4 Your Type
o
Live Right 4 Your Type
o
Change Your Genetic Destiny - The GenoType Diet - not the same thing as
DNA testing which costs $$$--he uses structural measurements and for more
advanced analysis you add in blood type. Easy to follow. For
greater understanding of many aspects, read the 4 Your Type books, but it is
not necessary for "doing the program". GenoType: genes,
pre-natal environment, and epigentic influences). See the link for brief synopsis: http://www.dadamo.com/whatsnew_genotypediet.htm
R.
F. Delderfield - trilogy of the Swann family (historical fiction)
Follows
the Swann family through beginning a cart-based haulage business in England
through modern transportation.
o
God is an Englishman
o
Theirs Was the Kingdom
o
Give Us This Day
Janice
Dickin – (biography)
o
Suitable for the Wilds: Letters from Northern Alberta
1929-1931
(Legacies Shared) great picture of the place and time - produced from Dr.
Mary Percy Jackson's letters to her family in England]
Timothy
Egan – (history)
o
The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who
Survived the Great American Dust Bowl - [National Book Award] - unlike previous ones
I've read, these are the people who STAYED. The author does a great job
using several families to portray the horrific experience and its influence on
today's world.
Peter
Eisner – (history)
o
The Freedom Line: The
Brave Men and Women Who Rescued Allied Airmen from the Nazis During World War
II
- stories from interviews and research
of surviving Resistance people from Holland to Spain
John
Eldredge – (self-help, exactly what it says)
o
Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man's
Soul
Sid
Fleishman (see his Middle People's books in that post)
o
The Abracadabra Kid: A Writer's Life -
(autobiography) - reads
as well as his novels. He started as a magician, not a story teller.
Dick
Francis - (many mystery stories, all involving horses one way or
another) - [Jockey
to the Queen Mother before his writing career] Complete listing at: http://books-order-to-read.blogspot.com/search/label/Dick%20Francis
Anne
Frank – (history, Holocaust)
o
Anne Frank - The Diary of a Young Girl
Thomas
L. Friedman –
o
The World is Flat: A Brief History of the
Twenty-First Century - (commentary on American education system; out-sourcing,
effect of internet, etc.)
Lots
of good stuff in here, but just let me say: being in Afghanistan (as a
JOURNALIST) is no excuse for his self-confessed lack of awareness of what was
happening in the rest of the world as it was VERY CLEAR as it was happening to anyone
who had their eyes open.
Morris
Gibson - (autobiographical)
Stories
of a Scottish doctor who practiced with his wife in England, then moved to Western
Canada – sometimes called the "people version" of James
Herriot). Contemporary and friend of
James Herriot; educated in England; served in WWII. Publication dates are included as some are
out of print and dual U.S./Canadian publication data is very confusing.
o
One Man's Medicine
[1984]
o
A View of the Mountains [1985] - (published
in Canada as Doctor in the West [1985])
o
Doctor at Large [1986] - (published in Canada as A Doctor's Calling [1986])
Janice
Holt Giles - The Kentuckians, etc... (historical fiction)
For
incomplete listing, see:
GOD:
through The Holy Bible
Franklin
Graham – (autobiography)
o
Rebel With A Cause:
Finally Comfortable Being Graham - much background on some of my favorite
charities (Billy Graham’s son, head of
Samaritan’s Purse which does the Christmas Shoeboxes and charitable and disaster
relief around the world)
o
Bob
Green – (history)
One Upon a Town: The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen - an amazing event most of us have never heard of. In WWII the people in the towns and counties surrounding North Platte, Nebraska) for over 100 miles (from both Nebraska and Colorado) met and fed (in their 10 minute stops) over 6 million troops—out of their own pockets (plus some donations for sugar and such, if needed) in a time of severe rationing. They organized themselves into groups and scheduled who would cook and bring food, magazines, books, etc. They shared with every troop train day and night from Christmas 1941 to early 1946. The soldier’s memories of this kindness are heartwarming. What a testament to the “salt of the earth” people of the Midwest. Bob Green did a great job collecting and telling a wonderful story before it was too late—adding perspectives of life today in North Platte.
One Upon a Town: The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen - an amazing event most of us have never heard of. In WWII the people in the towns and counties surrounding North Platte, Nebraska) for over 100 miles (from both Nebraska and Colorado) met and fed (in their 10 minute stops) over 6 million troops—out of their own pockets (plus some donations for sugar and such, if needed) in a time of severe rationing. They organized themselves into groups and scheduled who would cook and bring food, magazines, books, etc. They shared with every troop train day and night from Christmas 1941 to early 1946. The soldier’s memories of this kindness are heartwarming. What a testament to the “salt of the earth” people of the Midwest. Bob Green did a great job collecting and telling a wonderful story before it was too late—adding perspectives of life today in North Platte.
Amy
Butler Greenfield – (history)
o
A Perfect Red: Empire, Espionage, and the Quest for
the Color of Desire - history of the search for the perfect red dye, it's
influence and power through the years. Much world history included.
Philippa
Gregory – (historical fiction/fantasy)
British
royalty novels (sometimes indulges in "flights of fancy" with history
and often superimposes fantasy where no facts exist, but can be interesting
stories--just don't get your facts confused with her stories)
S.
C. Gwynne – (history)
o
Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the
Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American
History
- with a particular emphasis on how the various
parts of these United States came to be one nation.
Helene
Hanff - (autobiography)
o
84 Charing Cross Road – delightful letters of
the author’s correspondence with an antique bookstore in London.
o
The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street - (sequel)
James
Herriot - (autobiography)
Great
stories of an Scottish country vet living in Yorkshire, England; training
before WWII, wartime, postwar – published during the 1970’s.There are more
books, but most of the stories are included in the 4-volume set
o
All Creatures Great & Small
o
All Things Bright and Beautiful
o
All Things Wise and Wonderful
o
The Lord God Made Them All
o
Every Living Thing
o
James Herriot's Yorkshire - (1979) -
photos of Yorkshire, etc.
Francine
Thomas Howard (fiction)
o
Page from a Tennessee Journal – really well written,
based on a true family story. A really
good book set in 1913. Painful truths.
John
Huddy – (non-fiction)
Storming
Las Vegas: How a Cuban Born,
Soviet-Trained Commando Took Down the Strip to the Tune of Five World-Class
Hotels, Three Armored Cars, and Millions of Dollars - This is a case of
truth being stranger than fiction. Mr.
Huddy tells it like a riveting mystery tale.
Very good read.
Khaled
Huseinni - (fiction)
o
The Kite Runner - A story of Afghanistan, set in the period
from the fall of the monarchy through the rise of the Taliban.
o
A Thousand Splendid Suns - A wonderful (and terrible) story,
highlighting women’s lives in Afghanistan.
Follows two women’s lives (1959-2002, King Zahir Shaw of Afghanistan ― post 9/11). Amazing, powerful story teller.
The Mountains Echoed - Two families growing up in Afghanistan and ending up in Greece, France, and California. Still a good story, but I did not find it quite as compelling as the first two books.
The Mountains Echoed - Two families growing up in Afghanistan and ending up in Greece, France, and California. Still a good story, but I did not find it quite as compelling as the first two books.
John
Jakes - (trilogy)- (historical fiction - Civil War)
o
North & South
o
Love & War
o
Heaven & Hell
Phoebe
Goodell Judson – (autobiography, as she wrote it for friends)
o
A Pioneer's Search for the Ideal Home - story of her journey
West (1853) from Ohio through several relocations, finally settling near Puget
Sound - includes a lot of interesting
interaction with Indians, etc.
Mildred
Armstrong Kalish – (history)
o
Little Heathens: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa
Farm During the Great Depression - of particular interest to those whose parents
or grandparents grew up in time period.
[Not a "story" per se; tells details of how they farmed, went
to school, had family gatherings, recipes they used, etc.]
William
Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer –
(autobiography)
o
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope – a really well told
story of how a boy helped his family, his country, and Africa. In his words, “Seeing … [old England], it
gave me confidence that we Africans can develop our continent if we just put
our minds and abundant resources together and stop waiting on others to do it
for us.”
Jan
Karon - (fiction)
§ The Mitford Series – revolves around the lives of people living
in a fictional North Carolina town with the central character being Father Tim,
the local Episcopalian priest. [13 yrs – adult] Not for pre-teens, despite the largely
wholesome life of Christians in a small town; throughout the series there
"life events" (such as fires, child abuse, alcoholism, minor unwanted
advances by a parishioner, etc.). These are handled in a very
matter-of-fact manner, not as a sensation, but they do occur.
o
At Home in Mitford
o
A Light in the Window
o
These High, Green Hills
o
Out to Canaan
o
A New Song
o
A Common Life
o
In This Mountain
o
Shepherds Abiding
o
Light from Heaven
Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good, to be published Sept. 2014
Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good, to be published Sept. 2014
· Father Tim Series: The author chose to begin a new series
revolving around the life of Father Tim after he retires. She calls it
the "Father Tim" series. Perhaps she changed the name of the
series as she chose to depart from some of the basic tenants of the earlier
stories; also she is not limited to his profession. She takes him into
what may be termed more unsettling areas in the first Father Tim novel. [13 yrs – adult]
o
Home to Holly Springs – wherein he makes a
startling discovery
o
In the Company of Others
-
mysterious
events when they are in Ireland on vacation
Frederick
Kempe (forward by Gen. Brent Scowcroft)
o
Berlin 1961:
Kennedy, Khruschev, and the Most Dangerous Place on Earth - one of the most significant events in the
Cold War. The Berlin Wall goes up and tanks
are pointed in both directions.
Barbara
Kingsolver – (biography)
o
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life - story of their
family's year of eating only local food, much of which they grew themselves.
She's a great writer and manages to make even the deplorable facts about
our food supply sometimes amusing.
Kostin,
Sergie & Eric Raynaud, translated by Catherine Cauvin-Higgins
Farewell
– The Greatest Spy Story of the Twentieth Century - In 1981 a disgruntled KGB worker decides to
destroy the KGB (which ultimately he achieved) by giving massive amounts of
data on the KGB’s operations in stealing scientific and technical data to the
French. They had been using their
development ‘savings’ to fund their massive spy and military achievements. The timing of his decision coincided with
Ronald Reagan’s election to the White House, the two of them may be the most
significant individual contributors to the fall of the Soviet Union. There is not sufficient data declassified to
clarify some of the questions these authors accurately pose. Very interesting. Literally translated from the original—it
could use some help from a native English speaking author of griping stories,
but all the same, worth reading.
Richard
Kurin – (history)
o
Hope Diamond: The Legendary History of a Cursed Gem - (2006) - (wide variety of
history herein--really readable, so much more than just the story of the gem)
Mark
Kurzem – (bio-, autobiography)
o
The Mascot: Unraveling the Mystery of My Jewish Father's
Nazi Boyhood
-
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