Patrick Wohl’s page-turning political history "Down Ballot" covers a suburban Chicago election that drew wide attention because of the candidates’ stances on abortion. In 1990, Illinois House of Representatives incumbent Penny Pullen... Read More

Memorializing the unsung space travelers whom the US first launched into orbit, Dawn Cusick’s charming history book "The Astrochimps" zooms in on peculiar and enlightening moments in the race to put a person on the moon. In the wake of... Read More

Researcher William Viney’s dazzling, illustration-rich book compiles scientific knowledge about, and cultural representations of, twins throughout history. Assisted reproductive technologies like in vitro fertilization increased the... Read More

The Exile’s Cookbook, Daniel L. Newman’s translation of Ibn Razīn al-Tujībī’s medieval gastronomic tome, is part history text, part cookbook. Featuring a lengthy introduction, it includes the contextual history behind its... Read More

Islam Issa’s "Alexandria" is an outstanding biography of a unique city, describing how the Egyptian locale changed from its founding by Alexander the Great into the modern day. “Despite its classical renown and enduring impact,... Read More

Diverse women throughout history are celebrated in the intimate profiles collected in "The Unique Women of the Venetian Republic". Connie Spenuzza’s "The Unique Women of the Venetian Republic" is a sumptuous historical review that... Read More

"Running Up the Mountain" is a fascinating insiders’ account of a collegiate cross-country team’s improbable rise. Matt Baxter and Ron Mann’s inspirational sports history book "Running Up the Mountain" covers the growth of Northern... Read More

Vaunda Micheaux Nelson’s excellent book "Small Shoes, Great Strides" covers how, in November of 1960, Leona Tate, Gail Etienne, and Tessie Prevost made history by going to first grade—as the first Black students at a public school in... Read More