As we celebrate our country’s freedom with fireworks and backyard barbecues, this month’s book recommendations turn us toward patriotism and some of the sacrifices countless regular people made on our behalf.  Spanning the American Revolution to the aftermath of 9/11, these books shed light on the complexities of what patriotism is and how it can be expressed.

 

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand tells the true story of American Louis Zamperini, a young Olympic track star and war bombardier whose plane crashed into the ocean.  He was eventually rescued and taken to a Japanese prisoner of war camp.  The 2010 book was made into a movie in 2014, directed by Angelina Jolie and written by the Coen brothers.

 

The Hunt for Red October is Tom Clancy’s debut novel and introduces Jack Ryan.  The story, published in 1984 and loosely based on true events, is about the captain of a state-of-the-art Russian submarine who wants to defect to the USA.  Ryan, a CIA analyst, must prove the Russians intend to defect and not attack, and provide protection from the Russian Navy intent on destroying the submarine instead of letting it fall into enemy hands.  The book was adapted into a movie in 1990, starring Sean Connery.  It received much acclaim from the White House and the United States government, eventually solidifying Clancy’s bestselling reputation.

 

She Came to Slay: The Life and Times of Harriet Tubman by Erica Armstrong Dunbar explores Tubman’s life beyond the Underground Railroad.  Dunbar fleshes out Tubman more completely than history books have, including episodes from her life including her work as a spy, scout and nurse during the Civil War, her advocacy for women’s suffrage and eldercare, and the first woman in United States history to plan and lead an armed expedition, freeing several hundred enslaved people.

 

The Secret Road by Bruce Lancaster is historical fiction about the forerunner to the Secret Service during the Revolutionary war.  Lancaster tells the story of the brave individuals who traveled the dangerous “secret road” to deliver vital information to General George Washington.

 

Common Sense, The Rights of Man, and Other Essential Writings by Thomas Paine.  Paine’s writings stirred the American colonies to action against the British in 1776 and paved the way to revolution and independence.

 

Divided By Terror: American Patriotism After 9/11 by John Bodnar looks at how Americans internalized patriotism immediately after 9/11 and how polarizing and intertwined different views of patriotism have become from the War on Terror into the current political landscape.

 

Soldier Hill by Phil Rossi tells the story of two high school boys who devise a plot to save a Vietnam War veteran’s memorial slated for demolition.  The plan will require illegal action; will the boys risk everything to save the memory of a local soldier’s ultimate sacrifice?

 

A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell is the true story of Virginia Hall, an American spy during World War II.  Hall was a cantankerous socialite with a wooden prosthetic leg who craved adventure and became one of the most successful spies of WWII.

 

By Celeste McNeil