James T. Patterson
James Patterson has just published Restless Giant, a history of America since Watergate and the second volume that he has contributed to The Oxford History of the United States.
The American Political Tradition and the Men Who Made It by Richard Hofstadter (Vintage, $15). These brilliantly crafted and iconoclastic biographical essays illuminate important American political figures, including FDR, Wilson, TR, Lincoln, and the Founders. A classic by a great historian.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Pearl Harbor: Warning and Decision by Roberta Wohlstetter (Stanford, $28). Anyone who believes that public officials can safely guard against surprise attacks—or terrorism—will do well to read this book, a highly informed account of the formidable obstacles to the gathering and analysis of intelligence about Japanese intentions prior to Pearl Harbor.
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (Picador, $14). A moving recent novel that captures the emotions and concerns of an Iowa man in the 1950s; from there it transports us imaginatively to the rural worlds of his father and grandfather, who fought in the Civil War. Robinson is wonderful at evoking the time and place of her characters.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe (Bantam, $15). This is Wolfe at his best. The book, focusing on America’s early space program, is more broadly a shrewd, often hilariously funny commentary on American culture in the 1950s.
U.S.A. by John Dos Passos (Library of America, $40). A trilogy of innovative novels by one of America’s leading writers of the 1920s and ’30s. They offer a dazzling, often deeply critical view of American life—as well as impressionistic brief biographies of important early-20th-century figures.
From Jim Crow to Civil Rights: The Supreme Court and the Struggle for Racial Equality
-
Beatriz Williams' 6 timeless books about history and human relationships
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by Jane Austen, Zora Neale Hurston, and more
-
Aysegul Savas' 6 favorite books for readers who love immersive settings
Feature The Paris-based Turkish author recommends works by Hiromi Kawakami, Virginia Woolf, and more
-
Geoff Dyer's 6 favorite books about the realities of war
Feature The award-winning author recommends works by Ernie Pyle, Michael Herr, and more
-
Laura Lippman's 6 favorite books for those who crave a high-stakes adventure
Feature The Grand Master recommends works by E.L. Konigsburg, Charles Portis, and more
-
Thomas Mallon's 6 favorite books from the 80's and early 90's
Feature The author recommends works by James Merrill, Calvin Trillin, and more
-
Anne Hillerman's 6 favorite books with Native characters
Feature The author recommends works by Ramona Emerson, Craig Johnson, and more
-
John Kenney's 6 favorite books that will break your heart softly
Feature The novelist recommends works by John le Carré, John Kennedy Toole, and more
-
Andrea Long Chu's 6 favorite books for people who crave new ideas
Feature The book critic recommends works by Rachel Cusk, Sigmund Freud, and more