The “dark winter of malaise” enveloping the United States is the subject of two selections in this week’s Newsmax Rising Bestsellers. The first describes how education ushered us into it, and another attempts to answer the question how the country can extricate itself from it. Two others, examine historical subjects, the life and times of our first American president (no, not the one you’re thinking of), and also a modern-day military-industrial complex. There is also a fiction selection from a No. 1 New York Times bestselling novelist.
“A Death in Cornwall,” by Daniel Silva (Harper)
This is the 24th in the series of Daniel Silva’s novels centered on the international doings of art restorer and legendary spy Gabriel Allon. In this one he’s asked to help in the investigation in the murder of a celebrated art history professor. What appears at first glance to be the work of a serial murderer, takes an unexpected turn that includes the search for a pilfered $100 million missing Picasso. “‘A Death in Cornwall’ excels in its intricate plot and well-drawn characters,” wrote Kenny Schaefer for Scattered Books. “Silva’s ability to weave a compelling story with unexpected twists is one of the book’s greatest strengths. The pacing is brisk, and the suspense is palpable, keeping readers engaged throughout.” [Fiction]
“Lies My Liberal Teacher Told Me: Debunking the False Narratives Defining America's School Curricula,” by Wilfred Reilly (Broadside Books)
This is a retort to the 1995 James W. Loewen left-leaning book, “Lies My Teacher Told Me,” and its claims that history books of the day tended to gloss over (if not omit entirely) the less savory American historical facts. Since then, Reilly – a professor of history at Kentucky State University – submits, history books have swung far to the left, teaching, for example:
- “The ‘Red Scare’ was a moral panic that caught no commies;”
- “Native Americans were peaceful people who spent all day dancing;”
- “European colonialism was — empirically — a no-good, terrible, very bad thing;”
- “The racist ‘Southern Strategy’ turned the South Republican;”
- “The Vietnam War was unpopular and pointless.”
In this book Reilly attempts to debunk these, and other liberal myths, using extensive research, before the realities of the past are lost forever. “History education is indispensable in training the next generation of thinkers and citizens,” said J. When for Amazon. “It is important to be impartial, fair and honest. That which has happened, will likely happen again, may be only a little different. That said, we owe it to ourselves to take an unbiased and critical look into the past. This book is an eye opener because it shows how deeply liberal myths and lies permeate American history. There are a lot of jaw dropping truths. It is a fair and worthy read.” [Nonfiction]
“Remembering John Hanson: A biography of the first president of the original United States government,” by Peter H. Michael (Underground Railroad Free Press)
Before the U.S. Constitution was ratified and established the United States as a constitutional republic, the country operated under the Articles of Confederation. Before Revolutionary War hero George Washington was elected president and became the “Father of our Country,” a fellow founding father and Marylander named John Hanson was elected U.S. president and served for one year. In the years that followed, his name retreated into history, and even his gravesite was lost until the author, with the assistance of the Smithsonian Institution forensics laboratory, uncovered it. This is his remarkable story. “Although John Hanson was ‘one of America’s greatest statesmen,’ (Peter) Michael declares, he subsequently faded from sight and became ‘the most forgotten major figure in American history,’” wrote Mike Ray in his Southwest Ledger review. “A prime cause of ‘the dimmed national memory’ of John Hanson is that many of his personal papers have vanished, and he served just one year as this nation’s chief executive officer.” [Nonfiction]
“Twilight's Last Gleaming: Can America Be Saved?,” by Todd Starnes (Post Hill Press)
Tyranny or freedom — Newsmax’s own Todd Starnes submits that is the choice we face in November. Do we continue down the path we’re on — crippling taxation, stifling regulation, government overreach — tyranny? Or do we return to what we once recently enjoyed under former President Trump — liberty? “Twilight's Last Gleaming” is Starnes’ call to America to reclaim those values that ushered America into greatness. We did it before; we can do it again, beginning on Nov. 5. “This is Todd Starnes at his best,” wrote Francis Szarejko for GoodReads. “This is an often-hilarious satire on current events that had me laughing almost uncontrollably. But, also a scary and sad commentary on the decline of America. Todd does a superb job of giving the reader medicine with a ‘spoonful of sugar’ per Mary Poppins. If you care about the future of our nation, this is a must read. A warning: be ready to laugh and cry throughout this great read.” [Nonfiction]
“Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley Are Transforming the Future of War,” by Raj M. Shah & Christopher Kirchhoff (Scribner)
Advancements from Silicon Valley are revolutionizing how wars can be fought, and the Defense Innovation Unit, also known as Unit X, was launched by the Pentagon to work with the private sector and take advantage of that cutting-edge technology. They include drones directed by artificial intelligence to map out building interiors, and micro-satellites that can monitor missile sites and the movements of terrorists. But it’s being done by working with small tech startups rather than the industrial giants Dwight D. Eisenhower warned us of. “Loved this book,” wrote Cam Dresie in his GoodReads review. “It has a wealth of insight into the ways that organizations can, through their own success, become entrenched in patterns that lead them to their downfall. Continuous innovation and freeing space to move quickly can help remedy those antiquated processes. Would highly recommend!” [Nonfiction]