Recommendations based on Area 51: An Uncensored History of America's Top Secret Military Baseby Annie Jacobsen

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination

    by Neal Gabler
    A comprehensive biography of Walt Disney, exploring his life, career, and impact on American culture.

    From Neal Gabler, the definitive portrait of one of the most important figures in twentieth-century American entertainment and cultural history. Seven years in the making and meticulously researched ... (Goodreads)

  2. Zodiac

    by Robert Graysmith
    A true crime account of the Zodiac Killer, who terrorized Northern California in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

    Who was Zodiac? A serial killer who claimed 37 dead. A sexual sadist who taunted police with anonymous notes. A madman who was never apprehended. This is the first, complete account of Zodiac's reign ... (Goodreads)

  3. Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania

    by Erik Larson
    Exploration of Lusitania's fateful voyage and its lasting impact on World War I.

    #1 New York Times Bestseller,From the bestselling author and master of narrative nonfiction comes the enthralling story of the sinking of the, Lusitania, On May 1, 1915, with WWI entering its tenth ... (Barnes & Noble)

  4. Undaunted Courage: The Pioneering First Mission to Explore America's Wild Frontier

    by Stephen E. Ambrose
    Epic tale of exploration and adventure as Lewis and Clark traverse the American wilderness.

    'This was much more than a bunch of guys out on an exploring and collecting expedition. This was a military expedition into hostile territory'. In 1803 President Thomas Jefferson selected his ... (Goodreads)

  5. The Lost City of the Monkey God

    by Douglas Preston
    An exploration into a lost civilization in the jungles of Honduras.

    A five-hundred-year-old legend. An ancient curse. A stunning medical mystery. And a pioneering journey into the unknown heart of the world's densest jungle. Since the days of conquistador Hernán ... (Goodreads)

  6. Helmet for My Pillow: From Parris Island to the Pacific

    by Robert Leckie
    A WWII Marine's first-hand account of his harrowing experiences in the Pacific Theater.

    Now the inspiration behind the HBO series THE PACIFIC Here is one of the most riveting first-person accounts to ever come out of the Second World War. Robert Leckie was 21 when he enlisted in the US ... (Goodreads)

  7. The Longest Day

    by Cornelius Ryan
    A riveting account of the Allied forces' D-Day invasion of Normandy during WWII.

    First published in 1959,, The Longest Day, is one of the bestselling military history books of all time, and the inspiration for the legendary 1962 film. Cornelius Ryan pioneered a new style of ... (Barnes & Noble)

  8. All Creatures Great and Small / All Things Bright and Beautiful

    by James Herriot
    Humorous tales of a veterinarian in the Yorkshire Dales, caring for animals and their owners.

    Twenty-five years ago, a volume of memoirs by an unknown Scottish veterinarian was first published– All Creatures Great and Small. Within a year, the book had become recognized as a masterpiece. It ... (Goodreads)

  9. The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom

    by Slavomir Rawicz
    An incredible journey of survival, a man's trek of over 4000 miles to freedom.

    The harrowing true tale of seven escaped Soviet prisoners who desperately marched out of Siberia through China, the Gobi Desert, Tibet, and over the Himalayas to British India. ... (Goodreads)

  10. Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters

    by Dick Winters
    An account of World War II by a decorated officer who led the legendary Easy Company.

    They were called Easy Company—but their mission was never easy., Immortalized as the Band of Brothers , they suffered 150% casualties while liberating Europe—an unparalleled record of bravery under ... (Goodreads)

  11. Zen in the Art of Writing

    by Ray Bradbury
    A passionate collection of essays on creativity, forging a path to artistic enlightenment.

    "Every morning I jump out of bed and step on a land mine. The land mine is me. After the explosion, I spend the rest of the day putting the pieces back together. Now, it's your turn. Jump!" Zest. ... (Goodreads)

  12. White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America

    by Nancy Isenberg
    An in-depth analysis of the history of class in America, examining the lasting impact of the Establishment's grip on power.

    In her groundbreaking history of the class system in America, extending from colonial times to the present, Nancy Isenberg takes on our comforting myths about equality, uncovering the crucial legacy ... (Goodreads)

  13. Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

    by J.D. Vance
    An exploration of the struggles of working-class Americans, and the power of family and culture to shape one's life.

    Hillbilly Elegy is a passionate and personal analysis of a culture in crisis—that of white working-class Americans. The disintegration of this group, a process that has been slowly occurring now for ... (Goodreads)

  14. Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime

    by John Heilemann
    A behind-the-scenes look at the 2008 US Presidential Election and the people who ran it.

    “It’s one of the best books on politics of any kind I’ve read. For entertainment value, I put it up there with Catch 22 .” — The Financial Times “It transports you to a parallel universe in which ... (Goodreads)

  15. Cleopatra: A Life

    by Stacy Schiff
    Biography of Cleopatra VII, the last ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt.

    The Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer brings to life the most intriguing woman in the history of the world: Cleopatra, the last queen of Egypt. Her palace shimmered with onyx, garnets, and gold, but ... (Barnes & Noble)

  16. A Cook's Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines

    by Anthony Bourdain
    A globe-trotting exploration of exotic dishes and cultures, told with wit and humor.

    From the star of, No Reservations, Anthony Bourdain's, New York Times-,bestselling chronicle of travelling the world in search the globe's greatest cuilnary adventures The only thing "gonzo ... (Goodreads)

  17. You're Never Weird on the Internet

    by Felicia Day
    Memoir of an unconventional life in Hollywood, embracing individuality and creativity.

    The instant, New York Times, bestseller from “queen of the geeks” Felicia Day,, You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost), is a “relentlessly funny and surprisingly inspirational” (,Forbes,) memoir ... (Barnes & Noble)

  18. No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden

    by Mark Owen
    A first-hand account of the mission that killed Osama Bin Laden, detailing the training, planning, and execution of the operation.

    From the streets of Iraq to the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips in the Indian Ocean, and from the mountaintops of Afghanistan to the third floor of Osama Bin Laden's compound, operator Mark Owen ... (Goodreads)

  19. A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail

    by Bill Bryson
    A humorous account of a man's attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail, reflecting on the beauty and history of the American wilderness.

    The book starts with Bryson explaining his curiosity about the Appalachian Trail near his house. He and his old friend Stephen Katz start hiking the trail from Georgia in the South , and stumble in ... (Wikipedia)

  20. A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There

    by Aldo Leopold
    A reflection on nature, paying homage to the beauty of the Wisconsin countryside.

    First published in 1949, A Sand County Almanac combines some of the finest nature writing since Thoreau with an outspoken and highly ethical regard for America's relationship to the land. Written ... (Goodreads)

  21. Mortality

    by Christopher Hitchens
    Reflections on the inevitability of death, drawing on personal and philosophical insights.

    On June 8, 2010, while on a book tour for his bestselling memoir, Hitch-22 , Christopher Hitchens was stricken in his New York hotel room with excruciating pain in his chest and thorax. As he would ... (Barnes & Noble)

  22. The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon

    by David Grann
    Exploring the mysteries of a long-lost Amazonian civilization and an adventurer's obsessive quest to uncover its secrets.

    A grand mystery reaching back centuries. A sensational disappearance that made headlines around the world. A quest for truth that leads to death, madness or disappearance for those who seek to solve ... (Goodreads)

  23. The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus

    by Richard Preston
    An exploration of the discovery and containment of one of world's deadliest viruses.

    A highly infectious, deadly virus from the central African rain forest suddenly appears in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. There is no cure. In a few days 90 percent of its victims are dead. A secret ... (Goodreads)

  24. Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why

    by Bart D. Ehrman
    A historical analysis of the New Testament, exploring the discrepancies and alterations made by scribes and theologians throughout history.

    For almost 1,500 years, the New Testament manuscripts were copied by hand––and mistakes and intentional changes abound in the competing manuscript versions. Religious and biblical scholar Bart Ehrman ... (Goodreads)

  25. Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

    by Alfred Lansing
    True story of a remarkable Antarctic expedition, a testament to the power of courage and tenacity.

    The harrowing tale of British explorer Ernest Shackleton's 1914 attempt to reach the South Pole, one of the greatest adventure stories of the modern age. In August 1914, polar explorer Ernest ... (Goodreads)

  26. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?

    by Mindy Kaling
    Humorous memoir reflecting on Mindy Kaling's life and career.

    Mindy Kaling has lived many lives: the obedient child of immigrant professionals, a timid chubster afraid of her own bike, a Ben Affleck - impersonating Off-Broadway performer and playwright, and, ... (Goodreads)

  27. Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest

    by Stephen E. Ambrose
    An epic narrative of the American soldiers of Easy Company during World War II.

    As good a rifle company as any, Easy Company, 506th Airborne Division, US Army, kept getting tough assignments–responsible for everything from parachuting into France early DDay morning to the ... (Goodreads)

  28. When You Are Engulfed in Flames

    by David Sedaris
    Humorous reflections on everyday life, navigating the absurdities of the human condition.

    It's early autumn 1964. Two straight-A students head off to school, and when only one of them returns home Chesney Yelverton is coaxed from retirement and assigned to what proves to be the most ... (Goodreads)

  29. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

    by Stephen King
    A series of personal reflections on the art of writing, and the power of story-telling.

    "Long live the King" hailed Entertainment Weekly upon the publication of Stephen King's On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is ... (Goodreads)

  30. Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History

    by Erik Larson
    Story of the 1900 Galveston hurricane, and one man's desperate struggle to save his city.

    September 8, 1900, began innocently in the seaside town of Galveston, Texas. Even Isaac Cline, resident meteorologist for the U.S. Weather Bureau failed to grasp the true meaning of the strange ... (Goodreads)