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Best Sellers

Hardcover Nonfiction

Week of October 15, 2017

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KILLING ENGLAND
Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
Cover of KILLING ENGLAND

KILLING ENGLAND

by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard · Holt

3 wks at #1 · 2 on list

The Revolutionary War as never told before. This breathtaking installment in Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard’s mega-bestselling Killing series transports readers to the most important era in our nation’s history: the Revolutionary War. Told through the eyes of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Great Britain’s King George III, Killing England chronicles the path to independence in gripping detail, taking the reader from the battlefields of America to the royal courts of Europe. What started as protest and unrest in the colonies soon escalated to a world war with devastating casualties. O’Reilly and Dugard recreate the war’s landmark battles, including Bunker Hill, Long Island, Saratoga, and Yorktown, revealing the savagery of hand-to-hand combat and the often brutal conditions under which these brave American soldiers lived and fought. Also here is the reckless treachery of Benedict Arnold and the daring guerrilla tactics of the “Swamp Fox” Frances Marion. A must read, Killing England reminds one and all how the course of history can be changed through the courage and determination of those intent on doing the impossible.

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WHAT HAPPENED
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Cover of WHAT HAPPENED

WHAT HAPPENED

by Hillary Rodham Clinton · Simon & Schuster

3 wks on list

THE SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER ‘A compelling read’ - Financial Times 'In the past, for reasons I try to explain, I’ve often felt I had to be careful in public, like I was up on a wire without a net. Now I’m letting my guard down.' - Hillary Rodham Clinton, from the introduction of What Happened For the first time, Hillary Rodham Clinton reveals what she was thinking and feeling during one of the most controversial and unpredictable presidential elections in history. Now free from the constraints of running, Hillary takes you inside the intense personal experience of becoming the first woman nominated for president by a major party in an election marked by rage, sexism, exhilarating highs and infuriating lows, stranger-than-fiction twists, Russian interference and an opponent who broke all the rules. This is her most personal memoir yet. In these pages, she describes what it was like to run against Donald Trump, the mistakes she made, how she has coped with a shocking and devastating loss, and how she found the strength to pick herself back up afterwards. With humour and candour, she tells readers what it took to get back on her feet - the rituals, relationships and reading that got her through, and what the experience has taught her about life. She speaks aboutthe challenges of being a strong woman in the public eye, the criticism over her voice, age and appearance, and the double standard confronting women in politics. She lays out howthe 2016 election was marked by an unprecedented assault on democracy by a foreign adversary. By analysing the evidence and connecting the dots, Hillary shows just how dangerous the forces are that shaped the outcome, and why Americans need to understand them to protect their values and democracy in the future. The election of 2016 was unprecedented and historic. What Happened is the story of that campaign and its aftermath - both a deeply intimate account and a cautionary tale. ‘A sporadically absorbing, pleasingly vengeful and often darkly funny account of one woman’s bid for presidential history.’ Sunday Times ‘Her new book is more gossipy, it is meaner, more entertaining and more wrong-headed than anything she or her speechwriters have written before.’ Observer ‘What Happened is highly entertaining. It is spirited, well-written and informative.’ Guardian

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UNBELIEVABLE
Katy Tur
Cover of UNBELIEVABLE

UNBELIEVABLE

by Katy Tur · Dey Street

3 wks on list

The New York Times bestseller. "This book couldn't be more timely, appearing as President Trump ratchets up his attacks on the news media." —Jill Abramson, The New York Times Book Review Katy Tur lived out of a suitcase for a year and a half, following Trump around the country, powered by packets of peanut butter and kept clean with dry shampoo. She visited forty states with the candidate, made more than three,800 live television reports, and tried to endure a gazillion loops of Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" —a Trump rally playlist staple. From day one to day 500, Tur documented Trump's inconsistencies, fact-checked his falsities, and called him out on his lies. In return, Trump repeatedly singled Tur out. He tried to charm her, intimidate her, and shame her. At one point, he got a crowd so riled up against Tur, Secret Service agents had to walk her to her car. None of it worked. Facts are stubborn. So was Tur. She was part of the first women-led politics team in the history of network news. The Boys on the Bus became the Girls on the Plane. But the circus remained. Through all the long nights, wild scoops, naked chauvinism, dodgy staffers, and fevered debates, no one had a better view than Tur. Unbelievable is her darkly comic, fascinatingly bizarre, and often scary story of how America sent a former reality show host to the White House. It's also the story of what it was like for Tur to be there as it happened, inside a no-rules world where reporters were spat on, demeaned, and discredited. Unbelievable is a must-read for anyone who still wakes up and wonders, Is this real life?

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ASTROPHYSICS FOR PEOPLE IN A HURRY
Neil deGrasse Tyson
Cover of ASTROPHYSICS FOR PEOPLE IN A HURRY

ASTROPHYSICS FOR PEOPLE IN A HURRY

by Neil deGrasse Tyson · Norton

22 wks on list

Over a year on the New York Times bestseller list and more than a million copies sold. The essential universe, from our most celebrated and beloved astrophysicist. What is the nature of space and time? How do we fit within the universe? How does the universe fit within us? There’s no better guide through these mind-expanding questions than acclaimed astrophysicist and best-selling author Neil deGrasse Tyson. But today, few of us have time to contemplate the cosmos. So Tyson brings the universe down to Earth succinctly and clearly, with sparkling wit, in tasty chapters consumable anytime and anywhere in your busy day. While you wait for your morning coffee to brew, for the bus, the train, or a plane to arrive, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry will reveal just what you need to be fluent and ready for the next cosmic headlines: from the Big Bang to black holes, from quarks to quantum mechanics, and from the search for planets to the search for life in the universe.

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HIT REFRESH
Satya Nadella with Greg Shaw and Jill Tracie Nichols
Cover of HIT REFRESH

HIT REFRESH

by Satya Nadella with Greg Shaw and Jill Tracie Nichols · Harper Business

1 wks on list

From the CEO of Microsoft, Satya Nadella, is an inspiring account of the transformation of an organisation and the coming transformation of humanity. As told by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Hit Refresh is the story of corporate change and reinvention as well as the story of Nadella's personal journey, one that is taking place today inside a storied technology company, and one that is coming in all of our lives as intelligent machines become more ambient and more ubiquitous. It's about how people, organisations and societies can and must hit refresh - transform - in their persistent quest for new energy, new ideas, relevance and renewal. At the core, it's about us humans and our unique qualities, like empathy, which will become ever more valuable in a world where the torrent of technology will disrupt like never before. As much a humanist as a technologist, Nadella defines his mission and that of the company he leads as empowering every person and every organisation on the planet to achieve more.

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THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF GUCCI MANE
Gucci Mane with Neil Martinez-Belkin
Cover of THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF GUCCI MANE

THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF GUCCI MANE

by Gucci Mane with Neil Martinez-Belkin · Simon & Schuster

2 wks on list

The New York Times bestselling memoir from legendary rapper Gucci Mane spares no detail in this “cautionary tale that ends in triumph” (GQ). For the first time, Gucci Mane tells his extraordinary life story in his own words. It’s “as wild, unpredictable, and fascinating as the man himself” (Complex). The platinum-selling trap pioneer began writing this remarkable autobiography while serving time in a federal maximum-security prison. When he was released in 2016, he emerged transformed—sober, focused, and creatively reinvigorated. A critically acclaimed classic in hip hop literature, The Autobiography of Gucci Mane offers raw insight into the volatile rise, fall, and rise again of one of the most influential artists in modern rap. It’s a compelling story of addiction, fame, incarceration, and redemption that “provides incredible insight into one of the most influential rappers of the last decade...By the end, every reader will have a greater understanding of Gucci Mane, the man and the musician” (Pitchfork).

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THE PARADIGM
Jonathan Cahn
Cover of THE PARADIGM

THE PARADIGM

by Jonathan Cahn · FrontLine

2 wks on list

NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER INSTANT NATIONAL BEST SELLER!! Debuted at No. 5 on the New York Times Best Seller list, as well as at No. 5 on Wall Street Journal and No. 6 on the Publisher's Weekly lists. ​ Over 300K copies sold Over 1,000 5***** Star Reviews FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLING AUTHOR OF THE HARBINGER, THE MYSTERY OF THE SHEMITAH, THE BOOK OF MYSTERIES, AND MANY MORE WITH OVER 3 MILLION COPIES SOLD This May Be the Most Explosive and Amazing Thing You've Ever Read Is it possible that there exists an ancient master blueprint that holds the secret behind the events of our times? Could this blueprint lie behind the rise and fall of leaders and governments? Could events that took place nearly 3,000 years ago now be determining the course of our world and with it the course of our lives? Could ancient figures from the Middle East hold the key to the leaders of our own day, what they do, when they rise, and when they fall? Is it possible that this ancient paradigm has determined not only the events of modern times but also their timing—even down to the exact dates? Could a mystery from the ancient Middle East have foretold the outcomes of current events more accurately than any poll or expert—even the outcomes of presidential elections? Has this mystery even touched the events of your life? Does the paradigm reveal what will take place in the future? And does it contain a warning critical for every person in this generation? Prepare to be stunned, shocked, illuminated, and amazed. The Paradigm will reveal secrets and mysteries taking place all around you and show you what you never could have imagined. Jonathan Cahn, who caused an international stir with his New York Times best-selling book The Harbinger, will take you from the ancient Middle East to the news of the modern world on a journey you will never forget. As you open up The Paradigm, his most explosive book yet, you may never see your world the same way again.

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HILLBILLY ELEGY
J.D. Vance
Cover of HILLBILLY ELEGY

HILLBILLY ELEGY

by J.D. Vance · HarperCollins

62 wks on list

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER / OVER A MILLION COPIES SOLD THE AMERICAN VICE PRESIDENT'S ORIGIN STORY ‘Essential reading for this moment in history’ New York Times 'You will not read a more important book about America this year' Economist

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THE VIETNAM WAR
Geoffrey C. Ward
Cover of THE VIETNAM WAR

THE VIETNAM WAR

by Geoffrey C. Ward · Knopf

9 wks on list

Enriched by maps and hundreds of photographs, the companion volume to the forthcoming PBS series, "The War" is the story of World War II captured in the hearts, minds, words, and deeds of those who made history at its most essential level: on the battlefields and on the homefront.

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AL FRANKEN, GIANT OF THE SENATE
Al Franken
Cover of AL FRANKEN, GIANT OF THE SENATE

AL FRANKEN, GIANT OF THE SENATE

by Al Franken · Twelve

18 wks on list

The Harvard-educated comedian, talk-show host, and U.S. Senator chronicles the story of his unlikely senatorial campaign, detailing the ensuing months-long recount and what his service has taught him about America's deeply polarized political culture.

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THE LAST CASTLE
Denise Kiernan
Cover of THE LAST CASTLE

THE LAST CASTLE

by Denise Kiernan · Touchstone

1 wks on list

A New York Times bestseller with an “engaging narrative and array of detail” (The Wall Street Journal), the “intimate and sweeping” (Raleigh News & Observer) untold true story of the Biltmore Estate—the largest private home in America—and the remarkable woman who helped ensure its survival. The story of Biltmore spans World Wars, the Jazz Age, the Depression, and generations of the famous Vanderbilt family, and features a captivating cast of real-life characters including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Thomas Wolfe, Teddy Roosevelt, John Singer Sargent, James Whistler, Henry James, and Edith Wharton. Orphaned at a young age, Edith Stuyvesant Dresser claimed lineage from one of New York’s best known families. She grew up in Newport and Paris, and her engagement and marriage to George Vanderbilt was one of the most watched events of Gilded Age society. But none of this prepared her to be mistress of Biltmore House. Before their marriage, the wealthy and bookish Vanderbilt had dedicated his life to creating a spectacular European-style estate on 125,000 acres of North Carolina wilderness. He summoned the famous landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted to tame the grounds, collaborated with celebrated architect Richard Morris Hunt to build a 175,000-square-foot chateau, filled it with priceless art and antiques, and erected a charming village beyond the gates. Newlywed Edith was now mistress of an estate nearly three times the size of Washington, DC and benefactress of the village and surrounding rural area. When fortunes shifted and changing times threatened her family, her home, and her community, it was up to Edith to save Biltmore—and secure the future of the region and her husband’s legacy. This is the fascinating, “soaring and gorgeous” (Karen Abbott) story of how the largest house in America flourished, faltered, and ultimately endured to this day.

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FANTASYLAND
Kurt Andersen
Cover of FANTASYLAND

FANTASYLAND

by Kurt Andersen · Random House

4 wks on list

You’re entitled to your own opinion but not your own facts Fantasy is the USA’s primary product. From the Pilgrim Fathers onward America has been a place where renegades and freaks came in search of freedom to create their own realities with little objectively regulated truth standing in their way. The freedom to invent and believe whatever the hell you like is, in some ways, an unwritten constitutional right. But, this do-your-own-thing freedom also is the driving credo of America's current transformation where the difference between opinion and fact is rapidly crumbling. So how did we get to this weird pseudo-reality, where science and objective facts are dismissed in favour of opinions and wild speculation, or indeed, fantasies? The post truth, fake news, free-for-all mentality isn’t exactly a new phenomenon. If you want to understand Trump's America, how the lines between reality and illusion have become dangerously blurred, you have to go back to the very beginning and take a dizzying road trip across five centuries of crackpot delusion and make-believe from Salem to Scientology. Fantasyland is a journey that connects the dots between crazed franchises of true believers – a rich freak show tapestry from Mormons to Flat-Earthers and satanic panic, new age quacks to anti-vaxxers, conspiracy theorists of every stripe, creationists to climate change deniers, UFO-obsessives to gun-toting libertarians, showmen hucksters from P T Barnum to Trump himself, all topped off with a dangerous dose of anti-government paranoia and pseudoscience. Along the way, New York Times bestselling author Kurt Andersen has created a unique and raucous history of America and a new paradigm for understanding our post-factual world.

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THE SMEAR
Sharyl Attkisson
Cover of THE SMEAR

THE SMEAR

by Sharyl Attkisson · Harper

1 wks on list

A New York Times –bestselling in-depth look at how propaganda is implemented in contemporary American politics. "I don't know any journalist like Sharyl Attkisson. She has no fear and she doesn't stop until she gets all of the facts, like an old-fashioned gumshoe detective." —Greta Van Susteren Behind most major political stories there is an agenda: to destroy an idea or the people advancing it. Maybe you read that Donald Trump is a racist misogynist, saw a Facebook post about Russian hackers, or heard that Hillary Clinton used a body double during her campaign. Regardless of the accuracy, the themes get repeated until they are accepted by many as truth. It's called "the smear." Sophisticated operatives work behind the scenes to establish narratives, manipulate journalists, and shape the images you see everyday. Nothing is by accident. Now investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson takes you behind the scenes of the modern smear machine, exploring how operatives from super PACs, corporations, and both sides of the political aisle have manipulated a complicit mainstream media to make disinformation, rumor, and dirty tricks defining traits of our democracy. And she doesn't just tell stories—she names names, sharing her deeply researched account of how smears take shape and who their perpetrators are—from Clinton confidant Sidney Blumenthal to liberal political operative David Brock. Dissecting the most divisive, partisan election in American history, she explores how both sides used every smear tactic as a political weapon, culminating in Donald Trump's victory, even as his detractors have continued their smears against him into the Oval Office. What emerges is a timely assault on the mainstream media's willingness to sacrifice ethics for clicks, and the cynical politicians and high-paid consultants who exploit this reality. Attkisson exposes the diabolical tactics of Smear artists, and their outrageous access to the biggest names in political media—operatives who are corrupting the political process, and discouraging widespread citizen involvement in our democracy.

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THANKS, OBAMA
David Litt
Cover of THANKS, OBAMA

THANKS, OBAMA

by David Litt · Ecco

1 wks on list

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER An Esquire Best Book of 2017 Remember when presidents spoke in complete sentences instead of in unhinged tweets? Former Obama speechwriter David Litt does. In his comic, coming-of-age memoir, he takes us back to the Obama years – and charts a path forward in the age of Trump. More than any other presidency, Barack Obama's eight years in the White House were defined by young people – twenty-somethings who didn't have much experience in politics (or anything else, for that matter), yet suddenly found themselves in the most high-stakes office building on earth. David Litt was one of those twenty-somethings. After graduating from college in 2008, he went straight to the Obama campaign. In 2011, he became one of the youngest White House speechwriters in history. Until leaving the White House in 2016, he wrote on topics from healthcare to climate change to criminal justice reform. As President Obama's go-to comedy writer, he also took the lead on the White House Correspondents' Dinner, the so-called "State of the Union of jokes." Now, in this refreshingly honest memoir, Litt brings us inside Obamaworld. With a humorists' eye for detail, he describes what it's like to accidentally trigger an international incident or nearly set a president's hair aflame. He answers questions you never knew you had: Which White House men's room is the classiest? What do you do when the commander in chief gets your name wrong? Where should you never, under any circumstances, change clothes on Air Force One? With nearly a decade of stories to tell, Litt makes clear that politics is completely, hopelessly absurd. But it's also important. For all the moments of chaos, frustration, and yes, disillusionment, Litt remains a believer in the words that first drew him to the Obama campaign: "People who love this country can change it." In telling his own story, Litt sheds fresh light on his former boss's legacy. And he argues that, despite the current political climate, the politics championed by Barack Obama will outlive the presidency of Donald Trump. Full of hilarious stories and told in a truly original voice, Thanks, Obama is an exciting debut about what it means – personally, professionally, and politically – to grow up.

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BUNNY MELLON
Meryl Gordon
Cover of BUNNY MELLON

BUNNY MELLON

by Meryl Gordon · Grand Central

1 wks on list

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * AN AMAZON BEST BOOK OF THE MONTH IN BIOGRAPHIES & MEMOIRS A new biography of Bunny Mellon, the style icon and American aristocrat who designed the White House Rose Garden for her friend JFK and served as a living witness to 20th Century American history, operating in the high-level arenas of politics, diplomacy, art and fashion. Bunny Mellon, who died in 2014 at age 103, was press-shy during her lifetime. With the co-operation of Bunny Mellon's family, author Meryl Gordon received access to thousands of pages of her letters, diaries and appointment calendars and has interviewed more than 175 people to capture the spirit of this talented American original.

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