TheBestseller
Observatory

Best Sellers

Hardcover Nonfiction

Week of April 22, 2001

FictionNonfiction
WeekMonth
Jump to
1
SEABISCUIT
Laura Hillenbrand

SEABISCUIT

by Laura Hillenbrand · Random House

6 wks at #1 · 5 on list
2
NEW
AMERICAN TERRORIST
Lou Michel and Dan Herbeck
Cover of AMERICAN TERRORIST

AMERICAN TERRORIST

by Lou Michel and Dan Herbeck · ReganBooks/ Harper Collins

1 wks on list

Five years in the making, this volume is the definitive story of the worst act of terror in American history, including McVeigh's chilling exclusive account. Includes previously unpublished personal photos and artifacts from the McVeigh family collection. A portion of the book's proceeds will be donated to the Oklahoma City National Memorial honoring bomb victims and survivors. 32-page photo insert.

3
1
ABSOLUTE POWER
David Limbaugh
Cover of ABSOLUTE POWER

ABSOLUTE POWER

by David Limbaugh · Regnery

4 wks on list

Examines the actions and policies of the Justice Department under the leadership of Janet Reno and Bill Clinton, and discusses the long-term political and legal implications of the Clinton administration.

6
3
ICE BOUND
Jerri Nielsen with Maryanne Vollers

ICE BOUND

by Jerri Nielsen with Maryanne Vollers · Talk Miramax/Hyperion

11 wks on list

The inhabitants of the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Research Station at Antarctica are known as Polies. They live in almost total darkness for nine months of the year, in temperatures as low as 100 degrees below zero, with no way in or out before the spring. This is Jerri Nielsen's account of her one year sabbatical there. She was the physician for 41 researchers, construction workers and support staff, and it was her job to keep the Polies mentally and physically fit in a hostile environment.

8
1
WALKING THE BIBLE
Bruce Feiler
Cover of WALKING THE BIBLE

WALKING THE BIBLE

by Bruce Feiler · Morrow

2 wks on list

"The process of gathering these images reminded me of the Bible's effortless ability to reinvent itself for each generation and each new way of searching." —Bruce Feiler Its stories may be the best known in the world, but its locations have long been a mystery. Where did Noah's ark land? Where did Moses receive the Ten Commandments? Where are the lost cities of Sodom and Gomorrah? Now, in Walking the Bible: A Photographic Journey, New York Times bestselling author Bruce Feiler offers an unprecedented heart-stirring adventure through the landscape of some of history's most storied events. Featuring Bruce Feiler's own photography as well as his selections from professional collections, Walking the Bible: A Photographic Journey brings together breathtaking vistas, intimate portraits, and fascinating panoramas, providing firsthand access to the inscrutable land where three of the world's great religions were born—and finally puts a face on the stories that have long inspired the human spirit. Over several years, Feiler traveled nearly ten thousand miles through the deserts of the Middle East, which led first to his runaway national bestseller Walking the Bible. This new illustrated book follows his route, offering a thrilling photographic voyage through the actual places of some of the Bible's most memorable events—from the heights of Mount Ararat, where Noah's ark landed, to the desert outpost in Turkey, where Abraham first heard the words of God, to the summit where Moses overlooked the Promised Land. Walking the Bible: A Photographic Journey chronicles a landscape that nurtured the relationship between humans and the divine, breathing new meaning into stories that have been a timeless source of inspiration.

11
NEW
IN HARM'S WAY
Doug Stanton
Cover of IN HARM'S WAY

IN HARM'S WAY

by Doug Stanton · Holt

1 wks on list

A harrowing, adrenaline-charged account of America's worst naval disaster -- and of the heroism of the men who, against all odds, survived. On July 30, 1945, the USS Indianapolis was torpedoed in the South Pacific by a Japanese submarine. An estimated 300 men were killed upon impact; close to 900 sailors were cast into the Pacific Ocean, where they remained undetected by the navy for nearly four days and nights. Battered by a savage sea, they struggled to stay alive, fighting off sharks, hypothermia, and dementia. By the time rescue arrived, all but 317 men had died. The captain's subsequent court-martial left many questions unanswered: How did the navy fail to realize the Indianapolis was missing? Why was the cruiser traveling unescorted in enemy waters? And perhaps most amazing of all, how did these 317 men manage to survive? Interweaving the stories of three survivors -- the captain, the ship's doctor, and a young marine -- journalist Doug Stanton has brought this astonishing human drama to life in a narrative that is at once immediate and timeless. The definitive account of a little-known chapter in World War II history, In Harm's Way is destined to become a classic tale of war, survival, and extraordinary courage.

12
2
THE DARWIN AWARDS
Wendy Northcutt
Cover of THE DARWIN AWARDS

THE DARWIN AWARDS

by Wendy Northcutt · Dutton

22 wks on list

The hilarious New York Times bestselling phenomenon and the perfect funny gift! Honoring those who improve our gene pool by inadvertently removing themselves fromit, The Darwin Awards III includes more than one hundred brand new, hilariously macabre mishaps and misadventures. From a sheriff who inadvertently shot himself twice, to the insurance defrauder who amputated his leg with a chainsaw; from a farmer who avoided bee stings by sealing his head in a plastic bag to the man crushed by the branch he just trimmed, The Darwin Awards III proves again that when it comes to stupidity, no species does it like we do. Featuring scientific and safety discussions and filled with illustrations depicting inspiring examples of evolution in action, The Darwin Awards III shows once more how uncommon common sense still is.

14
1
IN THE WAKE OF THE PLAGUE
Norman F. Cantor
Cover of IN THE WAKE OF THE PLAGUE

IN THE WAKE OF THE PLAGUE

by Norman F. Cantor · Free Press

3 wks on list

The Black Death was the fourteenth century's equivalent of a nuclear war. It wiped out one-third of Europe's population, taking millions of lives. The author draws together the most recent scientific discoveries and historical research to pierce the mist and tell the story of the Black Death as a gripping, intimate narrative.

15
1
FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS
James Bradley with Ron Powers
Cover of FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS

FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS

by James Bradley with Ron Powers · Bantam

45 wks on list

Chronicles one of the bloodiest battles of World War II, focusing on the men who raised the flag at Iwo Jima.

Historical bestseller data sourced from the New York Times Book Review, archived by Hawes Publications.