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Public Enemies
by Bryan Burrough
America in the early 1930's—cops and robbers, hold-ups and shootouts, chases and captures—it's all here in this well researched and lucidly written history of crime in America.

His Excellency
by Joseph Ellis
This is the best one-volume biography of George Washington. Ellis knows the period and the man. A vivid and remarkable achievement.

Gulag
by Anne Applebaum
Over 27 million people were imprisoned in the Soviet labor camps, millions did not survive. Gulag is the most authoritative one-volume history in English--well-researched, detailed narrative. The definitive history of the Gulag system in the Soviet Union, and a vast wealth of information and scholarship. An important work!

1968
by Mark Kurlansky
This is a good summary of the key political events and leaders in 1968. Kurlansky's narrative is clear and concise, worth reading!

Under the Banner of Heaven
by Jon Krakauer
History, religion, crime, polygamy, all woven into a well written narrative. Hard to believe this could happen in America in the 20th century.

Stalin: The Court of the Red Tzar
by Simon Montefiore
This is an amazing account (based on many new sources) of Stalin and his inner circle--their plans, crimes, debaucheries. Montefiore's book should become the standard work on the rise and fall of Stalinism.

Jesse James
by T. J. Stiles
Outlaw? Terrorist? Rebel? This is a well written and researched account that is as much a biography of Jesse James as it is a history of Missouri before, during, and after the Civil War. Fascinating!

Fall of Berlin 1945
by Antony Beevor
A fast-paced, dramatic account of Russia's march to conquer Berlin. A much-needed history of a neglected part of World War II.

Wealth and Democracy
by Kevin Phillips
Phillip's research and conclusions on this timely subject are on the mark. A cutting critique of the major problem in American politics today.