11 new/newish books that'll make great gifts this December
Put a bit of murder and mayhem under the tree.
Not much narrative history hitting shelves this month that caught my eye, with the exception of a 1950s true crime yarn from the prosecutor turned author Marcia Clark. More on that below, along with ten picks featured in my PUB DAY roundups this past year—including books by six authors I also interviewed for SOURCE NOTES. Consider it an off-the-cuff and highly unscientific Best of 2024 list.
PW: “Clark, the former lead prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson case, brings new insights to a sensational killing from the 1950s in this standout true crime narrative.” (Thomas & Mercer, December 1) »BUY IT
Booklist: “Eden Undone tells the little-known story of a small group of European immigrants who settled on a bucolic deserted island in the Galapagos in the 1930s.” Click here for my interview with Abbot Kahler. (Crown, September 24) »BUY IT
NYT: “Elyse Graham … has set out to rescue some of the worker bees of intelligence from obscurity by exploring their contribution to victory in World War II.” Click here for my interview with Elyse. (Ecco, September 24) »BUY IT
Kirkus: “Fox succeeds in rescuing a once-notorious public figure from historical obscurity. An engrossing portrait of an unlikely criminal mastermind.” Click here for my interview with Margalit Fox. (Random House, July 2) »BUY IT
PW: “A top-shelf work of true crime… Jobb tells [Arthur] Barry’s tale with both rigor and pathos, painting a tender portrait of a crook who was never fearsome. This is liable to steal readers’ hearts.” Click here for my interview with Dean Jobb. (Algonquin, June 25) »BUY IT
Kirkus: “Polchin’s investigation yields a compelling social history that makes clear the power of the press, wealth, political clout, and influence in determining legal outcomes and obfuscating the heart of scandalous affairs. A sensational crime provokes thought about class privilege and injustice in the American legal system.” (Counterpoint Press, June 11) »BUY IT
NYT: “Larson … trawls a variety of archives to explore the historically momentous months between Abraham Lincoln’s election and the Battle of Fort Sumter — the end of which, in 1861, began the Civil War.” (Crown, April 30) »BUY IT
PW: “In this excellent work of true crime … Hortis’s historical detail makes the episode come to life, and he successfully evokes contemporary tabloid scandals. … Fans of Daniel Stashower will love this.” Click here for my interview with Alex Hortis. (Pegasus Crime, March 5) »BUY IT
PW: “Kino paints a textured portrait of artists who came of age amid sea changes in magazine publishing and women’s cultural roles, and helped transform the way Americans consumed information and encountered fashion.” (Scribner, March 5) »BUY IT
NYT: “As recounted by the journalist and biographer Michael Wolraich, the murder of this Broadway butterfly,’ as she was known in the press, did not just provide salacious copy. It also launched a wave of investigations that exposed virulent corruption all the way to the top of the city’s and state’s leadership, and in the process dealt a death blow to Tammany Hall.” (Union Square, February 6) »BUY IT
Kirkus: “A beguiling tale of espionage and double-dealing in the years leading up to World War II. … [A] narrative that demands a suspension of disbelief—and richly rewards it.” Click here to read my interview with Ronald Drabkin. (William Morrow, February 13) »BUY IT