Recommendations based on Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil Warby Karen Abbott

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

  1. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

    by Daniel James Brown
    An inspiring story of a rowing crew battling against the odds to win gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

    This novel is about the University of Washington eight-oared crew that represented the United States in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, and narrowly beat out Italy and Germany to win the gold medal. The ... (Wikipedia)

  2. Etched in Sand: A True Story of Five Siblings Who Survived an Unspeakable Childhood on Long Island

    by Regina Calcaterra
    True story of five siblings who survive abuse and neglect, finding strength to rise above their circumstances.

    #1 International Bestseller Regina’s Calcaterra memoir,, Etched in Sand, is an inspiring and triumphant coming-of-age story of tenacity and hope.,, Regina Calcaterra is a successful lawyer, former ... (Barnes & Noble)

  3. Truman

    by David McCullough
    A biographical account of Harry S. Truman's rise to the Presidency and his impact on American history.

    The book provides a biography of Harry Truman in chronological fashion from his birth to his rise to U.S. Senator , Vice President , and President . It follows his activities until death, exploring ... (Wikipedia)

  4. 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)

  5. Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President

    by Candice Millard
    The riveting story of the assassination of President Garfield, a tragedy of medical science and mistake.

    James A. Garfield was one of the most extraordinary men ever elected president. Born into abject poverty, he rose to become a wunderkind scholar, a Civil War hero, and a renowned and admired ... (Goodreads)

  6. Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates: The Forgotten War that Changed American History

    by Brian Kilmeade
    The untold story of America's first war on terror, fought against the Barbary pirates in the early 1800s.

    From the authors of the ,, New York Times, , bestseller ,, George Washington’s Secret Six, , the little-known story of Thomas Jefferson’s battle to defend America against Islamic pirates., Brian ... (Goodreads)

  7. George Washington's Secret Six: The Spy Ring That Saved the American Revolution

    by Brian Kilmeade
    The incredible story of the undercover espionage mission that helped secure the American Revolution.

    As a Long Islander endlessly fascinated by events that happened in a place I call home, I hope with this book to give the secret six the credit they did not get in life. The Culper spies represent ... (Goodreads)

  8. 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)

  9. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

    by Mary Roach
    An exploration of the strange and often unknown history of cadavers, and their uses in science and medicine.

    Okay, you're thinking: ,"This must be some kind of a joke. A humorous book about cadavers?", Yup — and it works. Mary Roach takes the age-old question, "What happens to us after we die?" quite ... (Goodreads)

  10. Yes Please

    by Amy Poehler
    Humorous memoir of a celebrated comedian, exploring her life, career, and relationships.

    In Amy Poehler’s highly anticipated first book, Yes Please , she offers up a big juicy stew of personal stories, funny bits on sex and love and friendship and parenthood and real life advice (some ... (Goodreads)

  11. In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin

    by Erik Larson
    A family's struggle to cope with the darkness of Nazi Germany, as seen through one man's courage.

    The time is 1933, the place, Berlin, when William E. Dodd becomes America's first ambassador to Hitler's Germany in a year that proved to be a turning point in history. A mild-mannered professor from ... (Goodreads)

  12. John Adams

    by David McCullough
    Biography of the second President of the United States and his contributions to the founding of the nation.

    The enthralling, often surprising story of John Adams, one of the most important and fascinating Americans who ever lived. In this powerful, epic biography, David McCullough unfolds the adventurous ... (Goodreads)

  13. Wishful Drinking

    by Carrie Fisher
    An autobiographical account of the author's life and struggles with fame, addiction, and mental illness.

    In Wishful Drinking , Carrie Fisher tells the true and intoxicating story of her life with inimitable wit. Born to celebrity parents, she was picked to play a princess in a little movie called Star ... (Goodreads)

  14. The Nazi Officer's Wife: How One Jewish Woman Survived the Holocaust

    by Edith Hahn Beer
    An incredible true story of a Jewish woman's courage and determination to survive the Holocaust.

    Edith Hahn was an outspoken young woman studying law in Vienna when the Gestapo forced Edith and her mother into a ghetto, issuing them papers branded with a "J." Soon, Edith was taken away to a ... (Goodreads)

  15. 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)

  16. The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge

    by David McCullough
    An in-depth account of the construction of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge.

    Published on the fortieth anniversary of its initial publication, this edition of the classic book contains a new Preface by David McCullough, “one of our most gifted living writers” (,The Washington ... (Goodreads)

  17. Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot

    by Bill O'Reilly
    A detailed account of the events leading up to the assassination of President Kennedy.

    Tthe anchor of The O'Reilly Factor recounts in gripping detail the brutal murder of John Fitzgerald Kennedy—and how a sequence of gunshots on a Dallas afternoon not only killed a beloved president ... (Goodreads)

  18. As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride

    by Cary Elwes
    Behind the scenes stories from the making of the cult classic film, The Princess Bride.

    From actor Cary Elwes, who played the iconic role of Westley in The Princess Bride , comes a first-person account and behind-the-scenes look at the making of the cult classic film filled with ... (Goodreads)

  19. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

    by Angela Duckworth
    Examining how passion and perseverance can unlock hidden potential, and the power of resilience in achieving success.

    In this must-read book for anyone striving to succeed, pioneering psychologist Angela Duckworth shows parents, educators, students, and business people both seasoned and new that the secret to ... (Goodreads)

  20. The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women

    by Kate Moore
    Uncovering the untold story of female factory workers poisoned by radium paint in 1920s America.

    A New York Times , USA Today , Wall Street Journal , and Amazon Charts Bestseller! For fans of Hidden Figures, comes the incredible true story of the women heroes who were exposed to radium in ... (Barnes & Noble)

  21. Benjamin Franklin: An American Life

    by Walter Isaacson
    Biography of the influential founding father, exploring his life and legacy.

    Benjamin Franklin is the Founding Father who winks at us. An ambitious urban entrepreneur who rose up the social ladder, from leather-aproned shopkeeper to dining with kings, he seems made of flesh ... (Goodreads)

  22. The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary

    by Simon Winchester
    True story of a murderer's contribution to the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary.

    The book tells the story of the making of the, Oxford English Dictionary, (OED) and one of its most prolific early contributors, William Chester Minor , a retired United States Army surgeon . Minor ... (Wikipedia)

  23. Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity

    by Katherine Boo
    Explores the lives of the people living in Mumbai's slums and the harsh realities they face.

    From Pulitzer Prize-winner Katherine Boo, a landmark work of narrative nonfiction that tells the dramatic and sometimes heartbreaking story of families striving toward a better life in one of the ... (Goodreads)

  24. In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex

    by Nathaniel Philbrick
    True account of a whaling ship's disastrous voyage and the survivors' struggle for survival.

    "With its huge, scarred head halfway out of the water and its tail beating the ocean into a white-water wake more than forty feet across, the whale approached the ship at twice its original speed - ... (Goodreads)

  25. Battle Cry of Freedom

    by James M. McPherson
    A comprehensive history of the American Civil War, focusing on the political and military aspects.

    Filled with fresh interpretations and information, puncturing old myths and challenging new ones, Battle Cry of Freedom will unquestionably become the standard one-volume history of the Civil War. ... (Goodreads)

  26. Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman

    by Alice Steinbach
    A middle-aged woman travels solo through Europe, seeking adventure and self-discovery.

    "In many ways, I was an independent woman," writes Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Alice Steinbach. “For years I’d made my own choices, paid my own bills, shoveled my own snow.” But somehow she had ... (Goodreads)

  27. How to Be a Bawse: A Guide to Conquering Life

    by Lilly Singh
    A motivational book that provides practical advice on how to achieve success and happiness in life.

    From actress, comedian, and YouTube sensation Lilly Singh (aka ||Superwoman||) comes the definitive guide to being a bawse—a person who exudes confidence, reaches goals, gets hurt efficiently, and ... (Goodreads)

  28. Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End

    by Atul Gawande
    An exploration of the human experience of mortality and the importance of end-of-life care.

    In, Being Mortal, author Atul Gawande tackles the hardest challenge of his profession: how medicine can not only improve life but also the process of its ending Medicine has triumphed in modern ... (Goodreads)

  29. Seabiscuit: An American Legend

    by Laura Hillenbrand
    An inspiring story of the rise of champion racehorse Seabiscuit and his unlikely jockey.

    There's an alternate cover edition, here, Seabiscuit was one of the most electrifying and popular attractions in sports history and the single biggest newsmaker in the world in 1938, receiving more ... (Goodreads)

  30. Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High

    by Melba Pattillo Beals
    An autobiographical account of a young African American student's struggle to attend an all-white high school in 1957.

    In this essential autobiographical account by one of the Civil Rights Movement’s most powerful figures, Melba Pattillo Beals of the Little Rock Nine explores not only the oppressive force of racism, ... (Goodreads)