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  Animals in Ancient Rome: The...

  Editors Charles River

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  Rome's complex relationship with animals goes right back to its foundation myth, and even today, the wolf remains a symbol of the Eternal City, forming part of the logo for the capital's football team, A. S. Roma. According to tradition, the city of Rome was founded by Romulus, who, with his brother Remus, was nursed and sheltered by a she-wolf. That tale, widely believed as a historical fact by ancient Romans, had a profound influence on Roman culture, and in part that shaped Roman attitudes toward their animals. The actual cave where Romulus and Remus were said to have been raised, the Lupercal, is thought to have been situated on the Palatine Hill in the very heart of Rome, and there was a claim by some archaeologists it had been found in 2007. True or not, the story of the wolf and its link to the beginnings of Rome continues to intrigue modern citizens, and the recent return of a family of wolves to the outskirts of Rome was greeted with wild enthusiasm. 
  	Other than the tale of the she-wolf with Romulus and Remus, the overriding images and stories of Roman animals that have come down through popular culture to modern times largely concern the vicious animal fights put on in the Colosseum, stories of Christians being thrown to the lions, and Hannibal's invasion of Italy with elephants. Indeed, the widely accepted view is that Romans were uncommonly brutal to their animals and had little empathy for them, and in terms of the Romans' scientific knowledge about animals, it appears much of it came to them from the Greeks.

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  Ramses II - The Great Pharaoh of...

  Omar Khalil

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  Ramses II, also known as Ramses the Great, ascended to the throne of Egypt at the age of around twenty-five, marking the beginning of one of the most illustrious reigns in ancient Egyptian history. Born to Seti I and Queen Tuya, Ramses was the second son in a royal family with a rich history of military conquest and religious devotion. His early life was marked by a deep connection to his father, who was a powerful Pharaoh and who taught him the ways of leadership, military strategy, and governance. 
  Ramses II’s rise to power was in part due to the untimely death of his older brother, Amunherkhepeshef. His subsequent coronation followed the traditional Egyptian custom, but Ramses’s reign would quickly set him apart from his predecessors. Under Seti I’s rule, Egypt had already gained considerable strength, and Ramses inherited an empire that was well-positioned for further military expansion. Yet, it was his own brilliance, both as a military leader and as a strategist, that allowed him to solidify his place as one of the greatest Pharaohs of Egypt. 
  One of the first significant moments of his reign was his involvement in the Battle of Kadesh. Although young at the time, Ramses’s leadership during this critical battle would define his reputation as a warrior king. Despite facing a large Hittite force, Ramses II's audacity and resilience ensured Egypt's power remained strong. Though the battle ended in a stalemate, Ramses managed to secure his status through subsequent peace negotiations, leaving a lasting legacy on Egypt’s military and political landscape.

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  Summary: The Wager - A Tale of...

  Brooks Bryant

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  Disclaimer: This is NOT the official book, but a summary & it does NOT accompany the official. 
  In "The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder" by David Grann, readers are thrust into a thrilling narrative based on true events surrounding the shipwreck of His Majesty's Ship the Wager in the 1740s. On a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain, the Wager pursued a treasure-laden Spanish galleon before meeting its tragic fate off the Patagonian coast. The wreckage and the ensuing survival tale provoke questions surrounding heroism, mutiny, and the human capacity for survival under the most extreme conditions. 
  The survivors' ordeal spans many months of starvation and anarchy, as they battled to endure in a harsh, desolate environment. The narrative takes a dramatic turn when two groups of survivors — one landing in Brazil and the other in Chile — narrate conflicting accounts of the events that transpired during their harrowing journey. This divergence sets the stage for a court-martial, where the truth hangs in a precarious balance with life-and-death stakes. 
  Grann excels in bringing this historic tale to life, paralleling the depth of narrative nonfiction greats and survival literature classics. The unraveling court-martial narrative holds the savvy of a courtroom thriller, beckoning readers into a vividly recreated world of 18th-century naval warfare and exploration.

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  Born Under a Lucky Star - A Red...

  Ivan Philippovich Makarov,...

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  As a Russian recruit in World War II, Ivan Makarov witnessed General Chuikov pull out his pistol and shoot their regimental commander as a traitor. That was on his first day at the front. Thrown into an open field to face German tanks and artillery fire, with only rifles and machine guns to defend themselves with, almost 2,000 men of his regiment were wiped out in only six days at the Eastern Front. At this rate, Ivan struggled to comprehend how he would survive the hundreds of battles that lay before him, with death seeming to be the only certainty. 
   
   
   
  In his raw and trenchant memoir, Ivan recounts the terror and despair faced by a Red Army soldier on the Eastern Front. He has no sympathy for Stalin and his incompetent commanders, who sought awards and recognition at the expense of their soldiers' lives. He simply wanted to serve his country. 
   
   
   
  It is rare to find first-hand accounts of the Great Patriotic War from Red Army soldiers, as many did not survive to tell the tale. For the first time, Ivan reveals his gripping recollections of battles, times, places, and people encountered throughout World War II, from when he was drafted in 1941 until their victory in 1945. These recollections he dared not put on paper until 1992.

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  The Ku Klux Klan in the Heartland

  James H. Madison

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  A detailed history of the Ku Klux Klan and an examination of its operations in the Midwest and its legacy in America today.“A sweeping portrayal of the ugly role of the Ku Klux Klan in the Heartland and its blot on American history. . . . This book burns.”―Dan Wakefield, author of New York in the Fifties and Going All the Way“Who is an American?” asked the Ku Klux Klan. It is a question that echoes as loudly today as it did in the early twentieth century. But who really joined the Klan? Were they “hillbillies, the Great Unteachables” as one journalist put it? It would be comforting to think so, but how then did they become one of the most powerful political forces in our nation’s history?In The Ku Klux Klan in the Heartland, renowned historian James H. Madison details the creation and reign of the infamous organization. Through the prism of their operations in Indiana and the Midwest, Madison explores the Klan's roots in respectable white protestant society. Convinced that America was heading in the wrong direction because of undesirable “un-American” elements, Klan members did not see themselves as bigoted racist extremists but as good Christian patriots joining proudly together in a righteous moral crusade.The Ku Klux Klan in the Heartland offers a detailed history of this powerful organization and examines how, through its use of intimidation, religious belief, and the ballot box, the ideals of Klan in the 1920s have on-going implications for America today.“By now, 100 years later, the story of the spell cast by the evil D.C. Stephenson over the good people of Indiana is familiar to anyone who knows the state's story. But that's not the whole story, says historian James H. Madison in his revelatory new book, The Ku Klux Klan in the Heartland. The whole story is even more uncomfortable.” —Nuvo“Hard to take in, but easy to read . . . The Ku Klux Klan in the Heartland, is a do-read. Madison's account of the Ku Klux Klan combines primary source material and original research with his clean, vivid and well researched writing. While lots of nonfiction by academics is, well, academic, Madison is monstrously absorbable.”―The Herald Times

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  Uprooted - Family Trauma Unknown...

  Peter J. Boni

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  Readers' Favorite Book Awards Honorable Mention in Nonfiction Social Issues
  2023 National Indie Excellence Awards Winner
  2023 IPPY Gold Medalist in Nonfiction Audiobooks
  2022 Best Book Awards Nonfiction Narrative WINNER
  
  How a journey of self-discovery unearthed the scandalous evolution of artificial insemination
  By his forties, Peter J. Boni was an accomplished CEO, with a specialty in navigating high-tech companies out of hot water. Just before his fiftieth birthday, Peter’s seventy-five-year-old mother unveiled a bombshell: His deceased father was not his biological father. Peter was conceived in 1945 via an anonymous sperm donor. The emotional upheaval upon learning that he was “misattributed” rekindled traumas long past and fueled his relentless research to find his genealogy. Over two decades, he gained an encyclopedic knowledge of the scientific, legal, and sociological history of reproductive technology as well as its practices, advances, and consequences. Through twenty-first century DNA analysis, Peter finally quenched his thirst for his origin.
  In Uprooted, Peter J. Boni intimately shares his personal odyssey and acquired expertise to spotlight the free market methods of gamete distribution that conceives dozens, sometimes hundreds, of unknowing half-siblings from a single donor. This thought-provoking book reveals the inner workings—and secrets—of the multibillion-dollar fertility industry, resulting in a richly detailed account of an ethical aspect of reproductive science that, until now, has not been so thoroughly explored.
  
  
  "Uprooted is a genetic whodunit, with all the twists and turns of a mystery novel, and the added bonus that it's all true. Boni's gripping story of his search for his roots and the identity of his biological father is poignant, bittersweet, and revelatory. Highly recommend."
  —Jacqueline Mroz, contributor, science/health section, The New York Times; author of Scattered Seeds: In Search of Family and Identity in the Sperm Donor Generation
  
  
  "Peter Boni has managed to create a compelling read, a journey that includes personal struggles weaved into the fascinating science of early infertility treatment. His search for his genetic origins generously educates readers and keeps them engaged right up to the magical ending."
  —Alice D. Domar, PhD, executive director, Domar Centers for Mind/Body Health; author of Conquering Infertility
  
  
  "Blending memoir and a deep dive into the shady history of the assisted reproduction industry, Uprooted exposes essential truths about the human condition, identity, and family. It is a worthwhile read for fertility practitioners, donors, recipient parents, and donor-conceived individuals alike. Now that we know better, we must do better."
  —Erin Jackson, founder, We Are Donor Conceived
  
  
  "An intriguing memoir that presents an unusual and necessary perspective on sperm donation."
  —Kirkus Review
  
  
  "An intimate and ambitious portrait of the search for self through understanding the past. Peter Boni deftly weaves history, culture, science, and law to reveal why it's hard to tell your life story without knowing how it started."
  —Dov Fox, author of Birth Rights and Wrongs: How Medicine and Technology are Remaking Reproduction and the Law; host of the podcast Donor 9623; professor of law and director of the Center of Health Law Policy and Bioethics at the University of San Diego
  
  
  "Uprooted is enjoyable and extremely well-written, with all the elements of suspense, education, emotion, and self-reflection. Boni's journey sheds light on the experience felt by many of the couples I care for as well as the issues that their donor-derived children grapple with."
  —Michael Alper, MD, medical director and president, Boston IVF; associate clinical professor OBGYN, Harvard Medical School
  
  
  "This is gripping, upsetting material, told with clarity . . . Readers interested in issues of genealogy will tear through the pages. What he eventually discovers is truly jolting, compelling evidenc

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