Mailbox Monday — May 28

Welcome to Mailbox Monday, the weekly meme created by Marcia, formerly from The Printed Page, where book lovers share the titles they received for review, purchased, or otherwise obtained over the past week. Mailbox Monday currently is on tour, and this month’s host is Martha’s Bookshelf.

Here’s what I received:

My Mother’s Day gifts finally arrived!  My husband and daughter know me too well:

Hitlerland: American Eyewitnesses to the Nazi Rise to Power by Andrew Nagorski (Amazon/IndieBound)

Some of the Americans in Weimar and then Hitler’s Germany were merely casual observers, others deliberately blind; a few were Nazi apologists.  But most slowly began to understand the horror of what was unfolding, even when they found it difficult to grasp the breadth of the catastrophe.

Among the journalists, William Shirer, Edgar Mowrer, and Dorothy Thompson were increasingly alarmed.  Consul General George Messersmith stood out among the American diplomats because of his passion and courage.  Truman Smith, the first American official to meet Hitler, was an astute political observer and a remarkably resourceful military attaché.  Historian William Dodd, whom FDR tapped as ambassador in Hitler’s Berlin, left disillusioned; his daughter Martha scandalized the embassy with her procession of lovers from her initial infatuation with Nazis she took up with.  She ended as a Soviet spy.

On the scene were George Kennan, who would become famous as the architect of containment; Richard Helms, who rose to the top of the CIA; Howard K. Smith, who would coanchor the ABC Evening News.  The list of prominent visitors included writers Sinclair Lewis and Thomas Wolfe, famed aviator Charles Lindbergh, the great athlete Jesse Owens, newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst, and black sociologist and historian W.E.B. Dubois.

Observing Hitler and his movement up close, the most perceptive of these Americans helped their reluctant countrymen begin to understand the nature of Nazi Germany as it ruthlessly eliminated political opponents, instilled hatred of Jews and anyone deemed a member of an inferior race, and readied its military and its people for a war for global domination.  They helped prepare Americans for the years of struggle ahead.  (publisher’s summary)

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein (Amazon/IndieBound)

When “Verity” is arrested by the Gestapo, she’s sure she doesn’t stand a chance.  As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she’s living a spy’s worst nightmare.  Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution.

They’ll get the truth out of her.  But it won’t be what they expect.

As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane.  On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage, failure, and her desperate hope to make it home.  But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from a merciless and ruthless enemy?

Harrowing and beautifully written, Code Name Verity is the story of an unforgettable friendship forged in the face of the ultimate evil.  (publisher’s summary)

For review:

Pride & Pyramids by Amanda Grange & Jacqueline Webb, from Sourcebooks (Amazon/IndieBound)

Pulled into the craze of Egyptology, the Darcys and their lively children embark on an expedition to find a hidden tomb and uncover its treasure.  Not only are immeasurable riches awaiting them in the exotic land of the Sphinx, but also danger and betrayal and the chance to lay an ancient grudge to rest…

Amanda Grange, bestselling author of Mr. Darcy’s Diary and Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, teams up with Egyptologist Jacqueline Webb to create a breathtaking historical tale.  The Darcys’ adventures at the hands of these talented storytellers open up whole new realms of exploration for lovers of Jane Austen and the Regency world.  (publisher’s summary)

Unsolicited:

Gold Medal Summer by Donna Freitas, from Scholastic (Amazon/IndieBound)

Joey Jordan loves gymnastics: the thrill of performing a backflip on the beam, the cheers of the audience when she sticks a landing.  but even with all her talent and style, she’s never quite made it to that gold medal stand.

Now big changes shake up Joey’s life in and out of the gym.  Joey wants to break out some daring new beam and floor routines–but she’ll have to defy her strict coach to do it.  Her best friend, Alex, is thinking about quitting gymnastics for good.  And an old friend named Tanner just moved back to town, and he’s suddenly gotten very, very cute.  Can Joey handle all the challenges coming her way, and make her gold medal summer happen at last?

Drawing on her real-life experience as a competitive gymnast, acclaimed novelist Donna Freitas delivers both a terrific gymnastics story and a classic novel about stretching some limits, bending the rules, and finding your balance.  (publisher’s summary)

What books did you add to your shelves recently?

Disclosure: I am an IndieBound affiliate and an Amazon associate.

© 2012 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.