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August 2014

August’s roundup of History titles includes IN THE KINGDOM OF ICE: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette by Hampton Sides, a white-knuckle tale of polar exploration and survival in the Gilded Age; THE INVISIBLE BRIDGE: The Fall of Nixon and the Rise of Reagan, Rick Perlstein’s examination of an America on the verge of a nervous breakdown in the tumultuous political and economic times of the 1970s; INFIDEL KINGS AND UNHOLY WARRIORS: Faith, Power, and Violence in the Age of Crusade and Jihad by Brian A. Catlos, an in-depth portrait of the Crusades-era Mediterranean world and a new understanding of the forces that shaped it; and PEPPER: A History of the World's Most Influential Spice, in which Marjorie Shaffer describes the essential role that pepper played in bringing both Americans and Europeans to Asia.

Hampton Sides, author of In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette

On July 8, 1879, the USS Jeannette set sail from San Francisco to cheering crowds in the grip of "Arctic Fever." The ship sailed into uncharted seas, but soon was trapped in pack ice. Two years into the harrowing voyage, the hull was breached. Amid the rush of water and the shrieks of breaking wooden boards, the crew abandoned the ship. Thus began their long march across the endless ice --- a frozen hell in the most lonesome corner of the world --- as they desperately strove for survival.

"Best Of" 2014 Lists

This is the time of year when “Best Of” lists are everywhere. These annual roundups always seem to spark lively discussions among readers as they reflect on their favorite books of the year. Although we at Bookreporter.com don’t have a “Best Of” list of our own, we’ve compiled a number of them for you here. See which of your top picks appear on these lists and which titles you feel should've been included but weren't. Perhaps you’ll even find some books to add to your reading list as we head into the new year!