Nonfiction Round-Up (11/16/20)

An exploration of magic’s unique history + the 2014 Ebola outbreak + a counterhistory of postwar Germany + a fascinating look at the wives of officers in Hitler’s inner circle = this nonfiction round-up.

MAGIC: A History: From Alchemy to Witchcraft, from the Ice Age to the Present by Chris Gosden

“Gosden’s (PREHISTORY: A Very Short Introduction) enlightening history explores magical beliefs and practices in cultures around the world from the earliest ages of human history, drawing on evidence from archaeological and textual sources…A fascinating exploration of magic’s hold on the human imagination.”–Library Journal, starred review

FEVERS, FEUDS, AND DIAMONDS: Ebola and the Ravages of History by Paul Farmer

“A challenging, consequential, and tragically timely book about the forces that sculpt epidemics and the necessity of compassion and altruism in caring for their victims.”–Booklist, starred review

A DEMON-HAUNTED LAND: Witches, Wonder Doctors, and the Ghosts of the Past in Post-WWII Germany by Monica Black

“Both an excellent study of a weakened and fickle humanity, and an engrossing story from beginning to end.”–Booklist

NAZI WIVES: The Women at the Top of Hitler’s Germany by James Wyllie

“Historian Wyllie (coauthor, CODEBREAKERS) delivers a chilling and richly detailed group portrait of the women who married Third Reich leaders Martin Bormann, Joseph Goebbels, Hermann Goering, Rudolf Hess, Reinhard Heydrich, and Heinrich Himmler.”–Publishers Weekly

MAGIC: A History: From Alchemy to Witchcraft, from the Ice Age to the Present by Chris Gosden; 9780374200121; available now.
FEVERS, FEUDS, AND DIAMONDS: Ebola and the Ravages of History by Paul Farmer; 9780374234324; available now.
A DEMON-HAUNTED LAND: Witches, Wonder Doctors, and the Ghosts of the Past in Post-WWII Germany by Monica Black; 9781250225672; available now.
NAZI WIVES: The Women at the Top of Hitler’s Germany by James Wyllie; 9781250271563; available now.