The Peter White Public Library offers these new non-fiction history books.

“From the River to the Sea: The Untold Story of the Railroad War That Made the West.” By John Sedgwick.

An account of the no-holds-barred competition to lay the first railways from the Mississippi River to the Pacific, and to ultimately define the new American west. This is the story of the rivalry of two men and their companies. The first is William Barstow Strong of the Santa Fe Railway, who was from Virginia, and began his railroad career in Wisconsin. The other was William J. Palmer of the Rio Grande Railroad, a Pennsylvania railroad man whose career had been interrupted by his highly decorated service to the Union in the Civil War. When their businesses literally crossed paths in Colorado, an intense rivalry resulted.

New adult non-fiction 385.0978 SE

“The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream: The Hunt for a Victorian Era Serial Killer.” By Dean Jobb.

A compelling tale of narrative history that might keep you up at night. Dr. Thomas Neil Cream was born in Scotland, raised in Canada, and also inhabited the United States, and England, leaving a trail of bodies. His career should have been shorter, but the doctor repeatedly found his way out of trouble. It took a great deal of sleuthing to string together the evidence of an international killer, who also had other tricks up his sleeve.

New adult non-fiction 364.152 JO

“The Indispensables: The Diverse Soldier-Mariners Who Shaped the Country, Formed the Navy, and Rowed Washington Across the Delaware.” By Patrick K. O’Donnell.

Most Americans are familiar with the imagery of these men crossing of the Delaware. In this work, the nuances of the group and their role in the war are explored. Drawing upon a collection of primary and secondary sources, author O’Donnell has scoured the available fragments of history, and made numerous connections to pull together this account of the Marblehead Regiment. As the sparks of the American Revolution ignited, portions of this new military were defined by their regional identities and skills. The fishermen, merchants, and mariners of Marblehead, Massachusetts were accustomed to finding the best outcomes to difficult situations, and played a critical role in the new American military.

New adult non-fiction 973.3 OD

“The Burning Blue: The Untold Story of Christa McAuliffe and NASA’s Challenger Disaster.” By Kevin Cook.

If 1986 is within the sphere of your memory, you probably remember where you were on January 28th of that year. This was the 10th mission of Space Shuttle Challenger, and the 25th shuttle flight overall. The benefits of decades of space exploration were being reaped, and the shuttle program was a particular point of pride for the United States, and the west in general. This book explores the causes of the disaster under less than ideal launch conditions, and the story of charming teacher Christa McAuliffe. She was to play a starring role in the mission, with live broadcasts to schools. This was intended to inspire future scientists, and also to promote the role of space exploration to those in Congress who held the purse-strings of NASA.

New adult non-fiction 363.124 CO

“Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer.” By Steven Johnson.

Johnson is the bestselling author of thirteen books, often exploring the role of technology and science in the human experience. The premise is, including infant mortality, that the average human life expectancy has doubled in the past 150 years or so, giving us in effect, an “extra life”. He looks at the major advances that have resulted in the increase of human life expectancy, and the circumstances surrounding them. He also searches for the real meaning of living longer, and where the future might take us with further developments.

New adult non-fiction 362.1 JO

By Bruce MacDonald

Assistant Director & Head of Technology