What is the best non-fiction book you have read recently?

Question

(mine is probably The End of Poverty by JD Sachs)

Answer 1

Sea of Glory - The United States Exploring Expedition - 1838 to 1842 - Story of America's first major scientific and exploring expedition to Anarctica, the South Pacific and the Pacific Northwest. Should be in our history books, but since there was a series of court martials after the success of the expedition; it has became a footnote. However, the scientific material returned from this expedition became the foundation of the Smithsonian Institute. Image 500 Men and Boys on 6 small ships heading into an Icy Unknown attempting to determine if there was land or a continent in the Southern Polar Regions; then imagine this same group of young men and boys exploring the south pacific islands that were full of antagonistic islanders with many that were cannibalistic; then exploring the Pacific Northwest and losing a ship to the treachorous waters of the mighty Columbia River. A fascinating read and the audiobook is just as well presented.

Answer 2

"Sword and Blossom: A British Officer's Enduring Love for a Japanese Woman" by Peter Pagnamenta, Momoko Williams

It tells the story of Arthur Hart-Synnot, a British army officer posted to Japan in 1904, and Masa Suzuki, a young Japanese woman working at the officer's club at the time. They fell in love as the Russo-Japanese War began, but their relationship lasted longer than the alliance between their two nations in the shifting tides of international politics in the first half of the 20th Century.

The authors pieced together the couple's tragic tale largely relying on Arthur's remaining letters to Masa. Masa's letters to him were unfortunately lost during World War II, so her voice is largely missing from this non-fiction narrative. It's a book that's begging to be made into a movie - or at least a novel, where her side of the story could be more examined more closely.

Answer 3

Princess A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia by Jean Sasson.

Answer 4

Dear Miss Breed by Joanne Oppenheim. A nonfiction book about a librarian who made a difference in the lives of Japanese-American children who lived in various internment camps during World War II.

Answer 5

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, by Annie Dillard. It was recommended to me as a book of observation. And truly, after reading it halfway through, I felt like I had walked around life missing everything – especially the small stuff. The book chronicles the author’s year-round stay in a little cabin at the edge of Tinker Creek. What she witnessed was amazing; how she records it is refreshing.

Answer 6

An unbelievable memoir of murder and survival...Left To Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza.

bn.com :
Immaculee Ilibagiza grew up in a country she loved, surrounded by a family she cherished. But in 1994 her idyllic world was ripped apart as Rwanda descended into a bloody genocide. Immaculee's family was brutally murdered during a killing spree that lasted three months and claimed the lives of nearly a million Rwandans. Incredibly, Immaculee survived the slaughter. For 91 days, she and seven other women huddled silently together in the cramped bathroom of a local pastor while hundreds of machete-wielding killers hunted for them. It was during those endless hours of unspeakable terror that Immaculee discovered the power of prayer, eventually shedding her fear of death and forging a profound and lasting relationship with God. She emerged from her bathroom hideout having discovered the meaning of truly unconditional love—a love so strong she was able seek out and forgive her family's killers. The triumphant story of this remarkable young woman's journey through the darkness of genocide will inspire anyone whose life has been touched by fear, suffering, and loss. This is Immaculee's first book.

Answer 7

Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond. It is about the rise of civilizations, why certain groups became more advanced than others; like Europeans conquering the Americas instead of the other way around, it also discusses the fates of human societies. Its a good read.

Answer 8

I have read 2. A Death In Belmont by Sebastian Junger and Manhunt/12 day Chase for Lincolns Killer by James Swanson. Both were very informative and good reads.

Answer 9

Water Sleeps From the Black Company series by Glen Cook

Answer 10

"In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote: This is a non-fiction novel.
Henry and June: From "A Journal of Love" - The Unexpurgated Diary of Anais Nin (1931-1932) by Anais Nin: This is a diary written in novel form.