About This BlogThe library would like to highlight prominent books in the collection that offer something new or relevant to the ongoing discussion of history in our community. With this in mind, Book Spotlight will provide a monthly summary of a new or undiscovered book that might be of interest to readers. All the books featured in JNEM Library Book Spotlight are available in the park library, located in the Old Courthouse at 11 N. Fourth Street. Please note that the library is a research facility and therefore books do not circulate. Many of the books highlighted will also be available at local public libraries. Harriet Tubman: Leading the Way to Freedom
September 17, 2020
“If you are tired, keep going; if you are scared, keep going; if you are hungry, keep going; if you want to taste freedom, keep going.” Harriet Tubman uttered these words many times throughout her long and courageous life. Those words also appear in Harriet Tubman: Leading the Way to Freedom, a wonderful juvenile biography by Laurie Calkhoven. The Slaves’ War: The Civil War in the Words of Former Slaves
September 17, 2020
Historian Andrew Ward presents a rich and sweeping vision of the nation’s bloodiest conflict in The Slaves’ War: The Civil War in the Words of Former Slaves. The author has brought together hundreds of interviews, diaries, letters, and memoirs of former slaves in the Unites States to create a truly groundbreaking book. St. Louis from Village to Metropolis: Essays from the Missouri Historical Review, 1906-2006
January 23, 2020
St. Louis from Village to Metropolis is a wonderful book that allows readers to explore the history of the city as it transitioned from the Mound City to the Gateway City. This interesting and varied anthology explores the city and its people in fourteen lengthy essays. Indian Peace Medals in American History
December 11, 2019
The history of the nation’s Indian policy is revealed through Indian peace medals, which are equally important to the story of American art. In Indian Peace Medals in American History, author Francis Prucha provides an interesting story of the peace medals and traces the designing and producing of these pieces. Downtown St. Louis
September 16, 2019
In Downtown St. Louis, author NiNi Harris follows the evolution of downtown St. Louis from early colonial days to contemporary times, describing a vast and rich history of the city. Food in Missouri: A Cultural Stew
August 21, 2019
Missouri’s foods include a bountiful variety of ingredients. In Food in Missouri: a Cultural Stew, Madeline Matson takes readers on a journey through the history of the state’s food, from the hunting and farming methods of the area’s earliest inhabitants, through the contributions of various European immigrants and the state’s African American population. Paris, Tightwad, and Peculiar: Missouri Place Names
July 18, 2019
Paris, Tightwad, Peculiar, Neosho, Gasconade, Hannibal, Diamond, Quarantine, Zif, and Zig. These are just a few of the names Margot Ford McMillen covers in her lively book on the history of place names in Missouri. The origins behind the names range from humorous to descriptive. Many places are named for people or wildlife found nearby, while others are backed up by legend or simply picked from thin air. Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony
June 10, 2019
Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony were two heroic women who vastly bettered the lives of a majority of American citizens. The book, Not for Ourselves Alone, describes how the two women worked for more than fifty years as they led a public battle to secure many basic civil rights for women. Their work helped establish a movement that would revolutionize American society. This Used to Be St. Louis
May 10, 2019
Historian and author NiNi Harris has written several books about St. Louis. Her latest, This Used to be St. Louis, is a collection of brief historical entries that reveal the stories behind particular buildings and neighborhoods that have changed over the years. Each entry describes a St. Louis building or neighborhood’s current status, and then explores its origins. Women in Missouri History: In Search of Power and Influence
April 01, 2019
Women in Missouri History is an exceptional collection of essays about the history of women in Missouri from the period of colonial settlement through the mid-twentieth century. The women featured in these essays come from various ethnic, economic, and racial groups, from both urban and rural areas, and from all over the state. The Harvey Girls: Women Who Opened the West
March 07, 2019
For several decades, beginning in the 1880s, Harvey Girl waitresses went west to work in Fred Harvey’s restaurants along the Santa Fe railway. They went west as waitresses, but many stayed and helped settle struggling cattle and mining towns that dotted the Southwest region. Lesley Poling-Kempes brings this entire era to life with her research and interviews of former employees. Dining at Monticello
February 08, 2019
Was Thomas Jefferson a vegetarian? Perhaps he wasn’t, but he did not consume much red meat and ate a notable quantity and variety of vegetables. These and other facts are included in the intriguing book, Dining at Monticello, by Damon Lee Fowler. Fire, Pestilence and Death: St.Louis 1849
November 23, 2018
In 1849, the city of St. Louis was little more than a frontier town. The city was undergoing rapid growth and creaking under the strain of poor infrastructure. The cholera epidemic and the great Fire of 1849 were two events that had immediate and long-lasting effects on the rapidly growing city. Free Some Day: The African American Families at Monticello
September 28, 2018
Although Thomas Jefferson did not favor the institution of slavery, he held about six hundred slaves in his legal possessions over the course of his long life. In Free Some Day: The African American Families of Monticello, author Lucia Stanton has created a fascinating book that highlights the stories of six enslaved families who lived and worked at Monticello. The book provides general information on events and issues that affected the entire African American community. St. Louis: An Illustrated History
August 21, 2018
Author and historian Carol Shepley covers a lot of historical ground in St. Louis: An Illustrated Timeline. The author captures some of the city’s most pivotal moments in a book that features dozens of capsule histories, arranged in chronological order. The Campbell Quest: A Saga of Family and Fortune
July 20, 2018
The name Robert Campbell has long been associated with the city of St. Louis. His name is mostly known to current residents because of the Campbell House Museum in downtown St. Louis. But many people do not know his story and how he got to St. Louis in the first place. Patrick MacCulloch’s The Campbell Quest illuminates a long and rich history of the man and his family. German Settlement in Missouri: New Land, Old Ways
May 21, 2018
In German Settlement in Missouri, authors Robyn Burnett and Ken Luebbering demonstrate the crucial role that German immigrants and their descendants played in the settlement and development of Missouri’s political, religious, economic and social landscape. The book uses unpublished memoirs, letters, diaries and official records, providing new narratives and firsthand commentary from the immigrants. An American Idea: The Making of the National Parks
April 18, 2018
The National Park System ranks as one of our best achievements, and the story of its creation offers insights into how the American landscape shaped our history and character and continues to do so today. Kim Heacox’s book, An American Idea: The Making of the National Parks, delves deep into the story of how it all began. The Life and Legacy of Annie Oakley
March 26, 2018
People who know of legendary female sharpshooter Annie Oakley through film and television portrayals will likely find a more nuanced and complete biography of the woman in Glenda Riley’s The Life and Legacy of Annie Oakley. Riley provides not only a biography of Oakley but also an evaluation of her legend and influence. Abandoned in the Heartland: Work, Family, and Living in East St. Louis
March 20, 2018
Jennifer Hamer’s book, Abandoned in the Heartland: Work, Family, and Living in East St. Louis, takes readers into the lives of East St. Louis’s predominantly African American residents to find out what happened since industry abandoned the city. The book details the loss of jobs, quality schools, and the disappearance of city services. Once a thriving manufacturing and transportation center, East St. Louis is now known for its unemployment, crime, and collapsing infrastructur The Reshaping of Everyday Life, 1790-1984
January 25, 2018
Jack Larkin’s The Reshaping of Everyday Life, 1790-1840, describes the daily life of Americans in the first decades of the new nation and how their lives were transformed during a period of massive change in the nation’s politics, society and economy. Many Americans experienced new standards of abundance, comfort and refinement in their daily lives, while others had a much smaller share of these changes. Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters
December 13, 2017
Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters shows life on a Virginia plantation in 1859. Authors Patricia and Frederick McKissack begin their narrative by describing the preparations for the Christmas season and the celebrations that follow. The differences in resources, lifestyles, and traditions between the plantation owner’s family and the slaves provide a stark contrast. Cathy Williams: From Slave to Buffalo Soldier
October 20, 2017
From her beginnings as a slave in Independence, Missouri, to her enlistment with Company A, 38th U.S. Infantry, in 1866, Cathy Williams’s story deserves to be told and celebrated. Cathy Williams: From Slave to Buffalo Soldier tells how Williams, disguised as a man, assumed the name William Cathay and became a Buffalo Soldier, serving in one of the six black units formed following the Civil War. She is the only known woman to accomplish this feat. Lee
September 06, 2017
If you want a single-volume biography on Robert E. Lee, Richard Harwell's abridgment of William Southall Freeman's four-volume Pulitzer-prize-winning biography is a good place to start. It is an extremely readable and solid history that covers the significant events in Lee's life, and more importantly delves into some of the thinking of the reserved General as he made critical decisions as a commander. Birchbark Brigade: A Fur Trade History
July 12, 2017
The American fur trade began only a few decades after Christopher Columbus first sailed west from Europe, and it continued for over three centuries. Author Cris Peterson draws on episodes from the diaries of explorers and traders and a lifetime of experience living in the heart of what once was fur country. Birchbark Brigade is a juvenile title, but is an excellent introduction to the fur trade for any history buff or general reader. Feast or Famine: Food and Drink in American Westward Expansion
May 30, 2017
Feast or Famine is a comprehensive account of food and drink during the main period of American westward expansion. Reginald Horsman utilizes settlers’ and travelers’ journals and a lifetime of research on the American West for his study. He examines more than one hundred years of history, from the first advance of explorers into the Mississippi valley to the movement of ranchers and farmers onto the Great Plains, recording not only the diets but food preparation as well. “Indescribably Grand:” Diaries and Letters from the 1904 World’s Fair
April 25, 2017
Twenty years ago Martha Clevenger compiled a book that gave readers an opportunity to read first person accounts of the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair (officially called The Louisiana Purchase Exposition.) “Indescribably Grand:” Diaries and Letters from the 1904 World’s Fair remains a unique and important collection of memories and reflections on an amazing event in the history of St. Louis. In Her Place: A Guide to St. Louis Women’s History
March 14, 2017
In Her Place: A Guide to St. Louis Women’s History is a book that illuminates the way women transcended traditional expectations to create places for themselves in the emerging St. Louis community. Author Katharine Corbett’s book is a series of brief essays on St. Louis institutions, historical events and individuals that reveals the importance of women in St. Louis history. Mrs. Dred Scott: A Life on Slavery’s Frontier
February 13, 2017
At the center of the most infamous U.S. Supreme Court decision, Dred Scott v. Sanford, was a family fighting to free itself from slavery. Despite the case’s importance as both a turning point in America’s history and a precursor of the Civil War, the lives of the slave litigants are virtually unknown. In recounting the life of Harriet, Dred's wife and co-litigant in the case, Mrs. Dred Scott illuminates how slaves used the courts to establish their freedom. Sacagawea’s Child: the Life and Times of Jean-Baptiste (Pomp) Charbonneau
February 13, 2017
Jean-Baptiste Charbonneau was with the Lewis and Clark expedition from the moment of his birth. He journeyed from North Dakota to the Pacific and back in the arms of his mother, Sacagawea. Susan Colby’s book, Sacagawea’s Child, follows the life of the boy born at the forefront of westward expansion in the early nineteenth century. His Promised Land
November 25, 2016
John Parker's autobiography, His Promised Land, is an engrossing and often surprising account of the activities of the Underground Railroad. Parker was born and lived as a slave until buying his freedom and moving to Ripley, Ohio. There he joined forces with Rev. John Rankin in helping slaves cross the Ohio River and escape to Canada. After the Civil War, Parker told his dramatic story to Frank Gregg, a newspaper man he knew from Ripley, Ohio. Historic St. Louis: 250 Years Exploring New Frontiers
November 15, 2016
History professor and author Frederick Fausz has penned a very good book celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of St. Louis. Fausz presents a well-researched 155-page essay that offers many details on social forces, good and bad, that drove the story of St. Louis. His narrative is scholarly and comes from years of research and classroom lectures. Thomas Jefferson: A Day at Monticello
September 13, 2016
Thomas Jefferson: A Day at Monticello is a delightful and enlightening children’s book that invites readers to join Jefferson and his grandson as they visit his 5,000 acre plantation. Along the way, readers learn about the former president, the gadgets and items he invented or altered for his household; the surrounding farms and gardens; the workshops of the slaves on Mulberry Row, and of course, his famous house, Monticello. Carl Wimar: Chronicler of the Missouri River Frontier
July 14, 2016
Carl Wimar was a German-born American artist who devoted much of his career to painting images of the American frontier. Wimar’s life was tragically short, but his output was impressive. His scenes of Indian life and dramatic portrayals of the conflict between Native Americans and pioneers helped to establish many of the myths of the American West that prevail to this day. So Rugged and Mountainous; Blazing the Trails to Oregon and California, 1812-1848
June 15, 2016
So Rugged and Mountainous is a large-scale work that tells the story of the American westward expansion movement of the early to mid-1800s. Author & historian Will Bagley uses a wealth of primary sources to create a panorama of stories to inform readers of the myriad of viewpoints regarding this monumental event. He also tells why and how this massive emigration began. Downtown St. Louis
May 10, 2016
St. Louis author and historian NiNi Harris has written a book detailing another aspect of her favorite city. Downtown St. Louis tells the story of the origin and development of the river city and provides many details and facts that might surprise longtime residents of St. Louis. It also features a wonderful assortment of historical photos that bring Harris’ narrative to life. Oregon Trail Stories: True Accounts of Life in a Covered Wagon
April 12, 2016
In the mid-1800s, thousands of pioneers braved the long and arduous journey across the Great Plains for a chance to build a new life in the West. These emigrants traveled more than 2,000 treacherous miles to the Pacific Ocean over the Oregon Trail in what became the largest mass migration in American history. Along the way they wrote letters and kept diaries, and some published memoirs of their trip years after their journey. Pioneer Women: Voices from the Kansas Frontier
March 03, 2016
Joanna Stratton has created a remarkable book filled with stories of women on the frontier. Pioneer Women: Voices From the Kansas Frontier is a treasure trove of material for anyone interested in the pioneer west, especially from a woman’s perspective. My Folks Don't Want Me to Talk About Slavery
February 12, 2016
Belinda Hurmence has edited a compelling book about slavery titled My Folks Don’t Want Me to Talk About Slavery. The book is a collection of oral histories by former slaves and descendants of slaves and offers rare, original accounts of lives in bondage. The narratives in this collection are all from North Carolina. More Than Petticoats: Remarkable Missouri Women
January 07, 2016
More Than Petticoats: Remarkable Missouri Women profiles the lives of thirteen of the state’s most interesting and important historical figures. Author Elaine Warner introduces us to women from all across Missouri, from many different backgrounds, and from various walks of life. The women profiled here all showed strength and compassion as they broke through social, cultural or political barriers to make contributions to society. More Than Petticoats: Remarkable Missouri Women
January 07, 2016
More Than Petticoats: Remarkable Missouri Women profiles the lives of thirteen of the state’s most interesting and important historical figures. Author Elaine Warner introduces us to women from all across Missouri, from many different backgrounds, and from various walks of life. The women profiled here all showed strength and compassion as they broke through social, cultural or political barriers to make contributions to society. Historic Photos of the Gateway Arch, by NiNi Harris. Nashville: Turner Press, 2009.
November 24, 2015
Historic Photos of the Gateway Arch is much more than simply a photo book. In addition to the dozens of wonderful black and white photos, this wonderful volume also features six essays on the history of the famous monument in St. Louis. In the preface Harris says the completed Gateway Arch achieved what Saarinen (the architect) stated was a purpose of architecture, “To fulfill man’s belief in the nobility of his existence.” Historic Photos of the Gateway Arch, by NiNi Harris. Nashville: Turner Press, 2009.
November 24, 2015
Historic Photos of the Gateway Arch is much more than simply a photo book. In addition to the dozens of wonderful black and white photos, this wonderful volume also features six essays on the history of the famous monument in St. Louis. In the preface Harris says the completed Gateway Arch achieved what Saarinen (the architect) stated was a purpose of architecture, “To fulfill man’s belief in the nobility of his existence.” From the Palaces to the Pike
September 24, 2015
From the Palaces to the Pike: Visions of the 1904 World’s Fair recreates in words and pictures the visual and emotional impact of the St. Louis World’s Fair (officially the Louisiana Purchase Exposition.) It was an event that captured the imagination of thousands of people. The authors explain how a large urban park was transformed into a world-class fair and how all the drama that ensued was worth all the effort. Women of the West
August 10, 2015
Nearly forty years ago author Dorothy Gray wrote a book of informative biographical essays on women whose lives affected the American West. The book, simply called Women of the West, inspired many other writers to delve deeper into the subject. Henry’s Freedom Box; A True Story from the Underground Railroad
July 08, 2015
Henry’s Freedom Box is a beautifully crafted picture book that briefly relates the story of Henry "Box" Brown's daring escape from slavery. The book’s author, Ellen Levine, was fascinated by Brown, whose story appeared in the 1872 book, The Underground Railroad, by William Still. Welcome to Kirsten's World, 1854: Growing Up in Pioneer America by Susan Sinnott
May 20, 2015
Welcome to Kirsten’s World, 1854: Growing Up in Pioneer America tracks a young girl and her family’s journey from Sweden to the New World using documents such as photographs, newspaper articles, letters, and other assorted artifacts. Portraits of Conflict: A Photographic History of Missouri in the Civil War,
April 01, 2015
Portraits of Conflict, by William Piston and Thomas Sweeney, is a fascinating book that offers informative essays and hundreds of images of individuals associated with the Civil War and Missouri. The authors explain that Missouri was a deeply divided border state and politically important to both the Union and Confederacy. A Most Unsettled State; First Person Accounts of St. Louis During the Civil War
January 23, 2015
Many people don’t automatically think of St. Louis when the Civil War is mentioned, but the city has many interesting stories associated with the war. St. Louis was under martial law and divided to its core during the Civil War years and A Most Unsettled State conveys this dynamic through the pens of those who experienced it. Author NiNi Harris collects memoirs, letters, sermons, and accounts that reveal a critical time in a volatile place. The Making of An Icon: The Dreamers, the Schemers, and the Hard Hats Who Built the Gateway Arch
November 18, 2014
The Making of An Icon: The Dreamers, the Schemers, and the Hard Hats Who Built the Gateway Arch compiles stories from many viewpoints offering a fresh look at the history of the making of the country’s tallest man-made monument. The American West
October 27, 2014
Bestselling author Dee Brown (Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee) has compiled a book that chronicles the American West during the last half of the nineteenth century. The book, simply titled The American West, is a series of well-written essays on a myriad of topics including prominent Indian leaders, miners, cowboys, soldiers and settlers. Likeness and Landscape: Thomas M. Easterly and the Art of the Daguerreotype
June 16, 2014
Delores Kilgo’s book Likeness & Landscape: Thomas M. Easterly and the Art of the Daguerreotype sets a new standard for excellent daguerreotype reproduction and celebrates Thomas M. Easterly as a significant figure in early photography. The Old Courthouse
May 06, 2014
The Old Courthouse in downtown St. Louis is a building many people have seen time and time again. The Greek Revival style building frequently appears as a recognizable symbol of the city alongside the Gateway Arch. It is rightly famous for its association with Dred and Harriet Scott and their quest for freedom. Their legal battle was nationally and historically significant and began in the building in 1846. But the building’s history reveals much about the people of St. Louis and the times in which it was created and Moore’s The Old Courthouse tells that story with much authority and interest. The First Chouteaus: River Barons of Early St. Louis
March 26, 2014
Authors William Foley and C. David Rice wrote a very compelling book titled The First Chouteaus: River Barons of Early St., Louis in the early 1980s. The book explores the early history of St. Louis and the tremendous effect the Chouteau family had in its early development. The First Chouteaus: River Barons of Early St. Louis
March 26, 2014
Authors William Foley and C. David Rice wrote a very compelling book titled The First Chouteaus: River Barons of Early St., Louis in the early 1980s. The book explores the early history of St. Louis and the tremendous effect the Chouteau family had in its early development. Mrs. Lincoln and Mrs. Keckly; the Remarkable Story of the Friendship Between a First Lady and a Former Slave
February 13, 2014
Mrs. Lincoln and Mrs. Keckly is a fascinating look at the lives and friendship of two nineteenth century women. Historians have told us much about Mary Todd Lincoln, but Elizabeth Keckly has certainly not received her due. The Steamer Admiral and the Streckfus Steamers: A Personal View
November 26, 2013
Annie Blum’s book The Steamer Admiral is an entertaining and informative book that tells the story of the boat and the family behind it. The author begins her story with a memoir of her years working on the steamer Admiral and gives great detail to the features of the amazing boat. Seeking St. Louis: Voices From a River City, 1670-2000
September 05, 2013
Seeking St. Louis: Voices From a River City is a compelling look at voices from the past and what they have to say about the river city of St. Louis. The book is a wonderful collection of perspectives, both famous and not-so-famous. Route 66 St. Louis: From Bridges to the Diamonds
July 19, 2013
Author Norma Bolin covers a lot of ground in her lengthy book about Route 66 and its culture. Route 66: From Bridges to the Diamonds tells many stories about St. Louis and its cultural past, many through interviews with longtime residents and their offspring. The author covers all parts of the St. Louis metro area, including some areas not particularly identified with Route 66. The Gateway Arch: An Architectural Dream
June 17, 2013
The Gateway Arch: An Architectural Dream is an amazing book because it tells not only the story of how the famous St. Louis monument was built, but also reveals some of the people behind the story too. These people come to life in oral history segments that are interwoven in the pages of this fascinating and beautiful book. The Gateway Arch: An Architectural Dream
June 17, 2013
The Gateway Arch: An Architectural Dream is an amazing book because it tells not only the story of how the famous St. Louis monument was built, but also reveals some of the people behind the story too. These people come to life in oral history segments that are interwoven in the pages of this fascinating and beautiful book. A Long Hard Journey: The Story of the Pullman Porter
May 14, 2013
Local author Fredrick McKissack died recently at the age of 73. He wrote many award- winning books with his wife, Patricia McKissack in the past 33 years. Let’s celebrate that partnership and look back at a book they wrote in 1989. A Wicked War: Polk, Clay, Lincoln, and the 1846 U.S. Invasion of Mexico
April 30, 2013
Author Amy S. Greenberg’s skilled storytelling and solid scholarship bring this American war to life with memorable characters, plotlines, and legacies. Often overlooked, the U.S.-Mexican War featured lots of drama as it divided the nation, paved the way for the Civil War a generation later, and virtually launched the career of Abraham Lincoln. A Wicked War brings all these elements to life. Pretty-shield: Medicine Woman of the Crows.
March 22, 2013
As we celebrate Women’s History Month in March, let’s remember a woman who shared her life story several decades ago. Pretty-shield, the legendary medicine woman of the Crows, remembered what life was like on the Plains when the buffalo were still plentiful. Dred and Harriet Scott: Their Family Story. Hager, Ruth Ann. St. Louis County Library, 2010.
February 12, 2013
Author Ruth Ann Hager sheds new light on many aspects of the Dred Scott family in her recent book, Dred & Harriet Scott: Their Family Story. Hager, a certified genealogist and genealogical lecturer, works at the St. Louis County Library as a genealogical specialist and is clearly motivated by her subject material. Inside the White House; America's Most Famous Home
February 12, 2013
Inside the White House; America’s Most Famous Home. Caroli, Betty Boyd. Pleasantville, NY: Reader’s Digest, 1999. The White House has a long and interesting history that unfolds in the splendid book, Inside the White House; America’s Most Famous Home. Lincoln: An Illustrated Biography
December 01, 2012
Lincoln: An Illustrated Biography. Philip B. Kunhardt, Jr., Philip B. Kunhardt III, and Peter W. Kunhardt. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1992. Many people are crowding theaters to see Steven Spielberg’s film, Lincoln. To any reader who wants a closer look at the sixteenth president, I propose they get a copy of Lincoln: An Illustrated Biography. Days of Jubilee: The End of Slavery in the United States
November 01, 2012
Days of Jubilee: The End of Slavery in the United States. Patricia & Frederick McKissack. New York: Scholastic Press, 2003. Patricia and Frederick McKissack’s book, Days of Jubilee: The End of Slavery in the United States, explains early on that there was no single day when slavery ended in the United States. The day a slave was told of his or her freedom was their day of emancipation- their “day of jubilee.” Thomas Jefferson Architect: The Built Legacy of Our Third President
October 05, 2012
Thomas Jefferson Architect: The Built Legacy of Our Third President, is a tribute to Jefferson’s architectural legacy and an archive of his building legacy. Thomas Jefferson is considered by many as our first great American architect and the Jeffersonian classical style is one of the most recognized architectural styles in American history. Joe Jones: Radical Painter of the American Scene
September 19, 2012
Joe Jones: Radical Painter of the American Scene. Walker, Andrew. St. Louis: St. Louis Art Museum and University of Washington Press, 2010. Joe Jones (1909-1963) was an American painter and social realist from St. Louis. His artistic career is explored in Andrew Walker’s book, Joe Jones: Radical Painter of the American Scene. The book is a catalogue for a recent exhibition on Jones. Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass: The Story Behind an American Friendship
August 28, 2012
Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass: The Story Behind an American Friendship, by Russell Freedman. Boston: Clarion Books, 2012. Author Russell Freedman, a Newberry Medal winner for Lincoln: A Photobiography, once again sets his sights on Lincoln, but this time he writes a joint biography about the friendship of Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. 57 Years: A History of the Freedom Suits in the Missouri Courts
August 03, 2012
Sestric, Anthony J. 57 Years: A History of the Freedom Suits in the Missouri Courts. St. Louis, MO: Reedy Press, 2012. The new book, 57 Years: A History of the Freedom Suits in the Missouri Courts, is the collective story of the people who worked to legally undo the mandates of the slave laws through freedom suits. Book Spotlight: May 2012
June 15, 2012
Mark Twain: A Life. Ron Powers. New York: Free Press, 2005. Book Spotlight: April 2012
May 24, 2012
Saarinen’s Quest: A Memoir. Knight, Richard. San Francisco: William Stout Publishers, 2008. Book Spotlight: March 2012
February 29, 2012
Sisters: The Lives of America's Suffragists. Jean H. Baker. New York: Hill and Wang, 2005. Book Spotlight: February 2012
January 31, 2012
The St. Louis African American Community and the Exodusters. Jack, Bryan M. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 2007. Book Spotlight: January 2012
December 30, 2011
U. S. Grant: American Hero, American Myth. Waugh, Joan. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2009. Book Spotlight: December 2011
December 01, 2011
Fur, Fortune and Empire: The Epic History of the Fur Trade in America, by Eric Jay Dolin. New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 2010. Book Spotlight: November 2011
November 01, 2011
The People of the River's Mouth: In Search of the Missouria Indians, by Michael Dickey. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press, 2011 Book Spotlight: October 2011
September 30, 2011
From All Points: America's Immigrant West, 1870s-1952, by Elliot Robert Barkan. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2007. Book Spotlight: September 2011
September 01, 2011
The Civil War Remembered (Official National Park Service Handbook); Virginia Beach: Donning Co. Publishers, 2011. Book Spotlight: August 2011
August 01, 2011
Founding St. Louis: First City of the New West by J. Frederick Fausz, History Press, 2011. Welcome to Book Spotlight
August 01, 2011
The library would like to highlight prominent books in our collection that offer something new or relevant to the ongoing discussion of history in our community. With this in mind, we would like to inaugurate a new feature on our website that provides a summary of a new or undiscovered book that might be of interest to readers. |
Last updated: April 10, 2015