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.
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
-
October 13 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Monday's political cartoons include Donald Trump's consolation prize, government workers during shutdown, and more
-
Can Gaza momentum help end the war in Ukraine?
Today's Big Question Zelenskyy’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles hints at ‘warming relations’ between Ukraine and US
-
The Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners being released
The Explainer Triumphant Donald Trump addresses the Israeli parliament as families on both sides of the Gaza war reunite with their loved ones
-
Marisa Silver’s 6 favorite books that capture a lifetime
Feature The author recommends works by John Williams, Ian McEwan, and more
-
Lou Berney’s 6 favorite books with powerful storytelling
Feature The award-winning author recommends works by Dorothy B. Hughes, James McBride, and more
-
Elizabeth Gilbert’s favorite books about women overcoming difficulties
Feature The author recommends works by Tove Jansson, Lauren Groff, and more
-
Fannie Flagg’s 6 favorite books that sparked her imagination
Feature The author recommends works by Johanna Spyri, John Steinbeck, and more
-
Jessica Francis Kane's 6 favorite books that prove less is more
Feature The author recommends works by Penelope Fitzgerald, Marie-Helene Bertino, and more
-
Keith McNally's 6 favorite books that have ambitious characters
Feature The London-born restaurateur recommends works by Leo Tolstoy, John le Carré, and more
-
Garrett Graff's 6 favorite books that shine new light on World War II
Feature The author recommends works by James D. Hornfischer, Craig L. Symonds, and more
-
Helen Schulman's 6 favorite collections of short stories
Feature The award-winning author recommends works by Raymond Carver, James Baldwin, and more