What Karl's reading

After three years preparing The Triumph of William McKinley by reading very little but books, letters, articles and newspapers from the Gilded Age, I’m trying to get back into my regular routine, which I’ll chronicle here with an occasional review of what I’ve read.

Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleans: The Battle That Shaped America's Destiny

By Brian Kilmeade

A massive British invasion fleet nears the coast, its target a key port on the far edge of the United States.

The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu: And Their Race to Save the World's Most Precious Manuscripts

By Joshua Hammer

Not only does this volume have the best title of any book I’ve read in the past year, but it will keep you on the edge of your chair until you finish this tale.

The Jersey Brothers: A Missing Naval Officer in the Pacific and His Family's Quest to Bring Him Home

By Sally Mott Freeman

This is a riveting tale of brotherly love, tested in a time of global war. The characters are vividly drawn, the action riveting and the suspense almost overwhelming.

Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief's Tribute to America's Warriors

By George W. Bush

My copy of PORTRAITS OF COURAGE arrived and I thumbed through it, expecting to take a quick look before adding it to my reading stack and getting to it in a few days.