The Bookshop

The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore by Evan Friss

This is the history of the boostore 'bookshop' mostly in north America. Starting the colonial times, with of course Ben Franklin and coming up through the present mega bookstores such as Barnes and Noble. Along the way small and specialty bookshops are explored. Many niche bookstores were important centers of communities in the civil rights era with black bookstores and LGBT bookstores providing vital info for their communties. Many stories of the personalities of people who were instrumental in creating the modern bookstore. Many of the pioneers were women at a time when there were not many options available, and there are nice little known stories such as the groundbreaking bookstore on the thrid floor of Mashal Fields in Chicago.

PARIS 1944

PARIS 1944: Occupation, Resistance, Liberation, by Patrick Bishop

From the title it would seem this book is about the liberation of Paris in WW2. Which it is but it is also much more going back to the 1930s and following major events of the war up until the liberation of Paris. The author concentrates on events but also major personalities during the War: Hemingway, De Gaulle, Robert Capa, Martha Gellhorn and many more not as well known but who played vital roles in the resistance and as soldiers on both sides of the conflict.

Many interesting facts come out, much is spent outlining the resistance and their role. Also traces the origins of many of the people in the Spanish civil war as a lead up to WW2.

A Machine to Move Ocean and Earth

A Machine to Move Ocean and Earth: The Making of the Port of Los Angeles and America by James Tejani.