Clair
Willcox
Power at Sea by Lisle A. Rose
Among the dozens of books from our list
that I claim as favorites, there is a special place for those that endure a
protracted, difficult birth but ultimately thrive. When Lisle Rose first
sent me a draft of more than 1,200 pages for what eventually became Power at
Sea, the author and I faced the problem of how to reshape such an ungainly
manuscript into separate volumes so that each would appeal to a particular
readership. That daunting task not only required substantial
restructuring, it also meant extending the narrative beyond the Cold War into
the last decade. Fortunately, the author was willing and capable,
and the result was worth all the trouble. Perhaps the most comprehensive
recounting of naval power during the twentieth century, Power at Sea won
the prestigious John Lyman Book Award of the North American Society for Oceanic
History and was a main selection of the History Book Club.
Greg
Haefner
Lucky That Way: Rediscovering My Father’s World by Pamela Gerhardt
Lucky That Way
offers a compelling and well-written account of one family’s experience dealing
with the illness and death of a loved one. Readers will find unparalleled
emotional transparency and power in Pamela Gerhardt’s writing, drawing them
into her story as if it were their own.
Tracy
Tritschler
Down Home Missouri: When Girls Were Scary and Basketball Was King by Joel M. Vance
I enjoyed reading about the childhood experiences of
someone that grew up in similar circumstances as my grandparents, in a small
town not too far away from where they lived. I gave a copy to my grandparents
who took turns reading it aloud to each other, reminiscing about their pasts
the whole while. It gave them great joy to share those remembrances with each
other while reading the book which is what a good book is all about. Not only
can you learn from a book but you can relate to the material in a personal way
as well.
Lyn
Smith
Sporting Lives: Metaphor and Myth in American Sports Autobiographies
by James W. Pipkin
Sporting
Lives is fascinating and well written. It gives an
interesting look at the autobiographies of some famous athletes and then
analyzes common themes and patterns in their lives and sporting experiences.
Gary
Kass
Abraham Epstein: The Forgotten Father of Social Security by Pierre Epstein
The author of this unclassifiable book--part
history, part memoir--tells how his immigrant Russian father became one of the
main architects of the Social Security program. Abe Epstein--journalist,
author, and organizer--worked tirelessly to see Social Security enacted and
then perfected, even as he himself was cast aside by FDR for political reasons.
At the same time, the author describes the joys and disappointments of growing
into adulthood with a work-obsessed father and eccentric mother, Henriette, who
in her nineties was still fighting for recognition of Abe’s accomplishment.
Jane
Lago
Gathering the Family by William Holtz
In the thirty-plus years I’ve worked at the Press,
there are many books that I consider favorites. But there is only one case in
which I purchased 20 copies upon publication in order to give a book to family
and friends: William Holtz’s Gathering
the Family, a wonderfully lyrical exploration of the meaning of family and
identity.
Kirk
Hinkelman
The Art of the Missouri Capitol: History in Canvas, Bronze, and Stone
by Bob Priddy and Jeffrey Ball
Firstly, I must echo Jane’s pick Gathering the Family. My second pick is The Art of the Missouri Capitol by Bob Priddy and Jeffrey
Ball. It is one of the first books that
I began to spend time with at the Press and it is truly magnificent in size and
content. Priddy and Ball give a very
thorough examination of the art and sculpture of our Capital building inside
and out. Nothing escapes their
inspection and study—even the sculpted flagpole bases.
Kristi
Henson
The Wild Mammals of Missouri by Charles W. Schwartz and
Elizabeth R. Schwartz
Groucho Marx once quipped, “Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s
too dark to read.” While I’m sure it would be too dark to read The Wild
Mammals of Missouri inside any of the animals featured in the book, this
fabulous volume features beautiful drawings of the outsides and, yes, insides
of the animals collected therein. Plus, it’s just really cool. If you’ve read
this recommendation and would like a copy of The Wild Mammals of Missouri
to call your very own, email me at HensonK@Missouri.edu with the name of your
favorite wild mammal in the subject line for your chance to win a copy.
Seriously.
Sara
Davis
Mississippi History
by Steve Yarbrough
An occupational hazard of editing is acquiring more
books than I will ever be able to shelve, stack, or store. And so I’ve
learned to reject, to donate, to lend, to—in the helpful words of a museum
curator—deaccession items from my collection. Steve Yarbrough’s Mississippi
History has traveled in a front-of-the-U-Haul “KEEP” box through four moves
and survived countless reorganizations. Yarbrough is funny, wise, and
generous to both his characters and his readers. If you’ve not read his
work, and you’re thinking of buying one of his books, I’ll warn you now,
you’re going to need to clear some shelf space in the KEEP section.
