My 2020 Non-Fiction Must Reads

Last year, I read several non-fiction books that were incredibly well-researched and well-written. I thought I would share a list of these must-read books here for anyone with interest in non-fiction. If you check any of them out, please let me know your thoughts. I fully intend to encourage my children to read these when they are of the appropriate age. Happy reading and learning!

Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster by Adam Higginbotham

I have a degree in chemical engineering and spent over 14 years of my career in the field, so I was immediately interested in reading this book as soon as I heard about it. Well-researched and well-written, it is an excellent chronology of the events and failures (managerial, engineering and political) that led to the most devastating nuclear disaster in the history of the world. The HBO mini-series based on the book is well-done too.

Hue 1968: A Turning Point of the American War in Vietnam by Mark Bowden

I picked up this book for two reasons. First and foremost, this book follows a group of young and heroic Marines who were in the midst of the 1968 Tet Offensive in Hue. My dad was a Marine in Vietnam not far from Hue at the same time, so I had a very personal interest in reading this story. Secondly, I love Mark Bowden. His talent and thorough research is unmatched, and he is perhaps one of the greatest journalists America has ever had. If you like this book, you should check out some of his others. I would recommend starting with Black Hawk Down.

Night by Elie Wiesel

I will always recommend books written by Holocaust survivors. It is so important for us to learn history lest we repeat. Night by Elie Wiesel is perhaps one of the most poignant autobiographical pieces written about that time. It is a harrowing tale of his life as a teenager and his survival during the Holocaust. Reader beware that the book has some graphic descriptions, but it is an absolute masterpiece.

999: The Extraordinary Young Women of the First Official Jewish Transport to Auschwitz by Heather Dune Macadam

This is the absolutely heart wrenching true story of nearly a thousand young and unmarried women who boarded a train in Slovakia thinking they were doing their patriotic duty by going to work in a factory for a few months. The truth is the train was destined for Auschwitz. This story is so sad, but, as I stated earlier, it is important to know our history lest we repeat it.

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

The Hiding Place was a reread for me. My grandmother loaned me a copy when I was a teenager and I read it quickly soaking it all in. But that was a long time ago, and I wanted to read it again. It is a story of Corrie Ten Boom's willingness to risk her life for the oppressed. It is a dramatic true story of her bravery, selflessness, faith in God and survival at the hands of the Nazis. It is a testament to the human spirit. This is an important read.

Suffrage: Women's Long Battle for the Vote by Ellen Carol Dubois

I am a woman, and I freely vote. Yet it was not that long ago that I would not have been able to have my voice heard. In fact, it has been just over 100 years since the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote was passed. This well-researched book chronicles the people and events that got us to that point. It is full of heroic and bold people that I have grown to admire and am truly thankful for their bravery.

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson

Bryan Stevenson is a lawyer who founded the Equal Justice Initiative. His book, Just Mercy, is a straightforward, important, relevant read about the injustices that plague our country. It is excellent and should be required reading for all high school students in order to graduate. Very eye-opening book.

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold

This book is a thoroughly researched account of the lives of the five women who fell victim to Jack the Ripper. It may not be what you think. The stories do not necessarily fit the narrative you have been told. It is an absolutely fascinating read.

Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project by Jack Mayer

If you want to read about the hugely positive impact one life can make, this is the book to read. Irena Sendler is responsible for saving the lives of not hundreds but thousands of children from the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II. Her life story is absolutely inspiring.