Hmm. What about a collection of Sarah Voewll essays? Combine history and leftie politics? And she's a fun writer to read/

Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America is very good.

I second dcp's recommendation. I only read about half of it (someone had left a copy in a dorm common room, and I started reading it, but then the next time I was in that lounge, it was gone), but it was very good.

I am generally pimping John Hope Franklin's Autobiography: [link]

My stepfather (age 75, likes history, lefty) seems to have liked it.

That sounds like a great recommendation, dcp, though he might already have it. Which is the problem with my father.

Thanks for all of the recs. I'll check them out when I make it to the bookstore.

I'll second the Sarah Vowell recommendation and specifically the book Assassination Vacation.

Has he already read Devil in the White City? My dad's into history books, as well, and I loaned him my copy a few years ago, and he loved it.

I don't know, but it looks cool.

Anybody read Vellum ? I think I'm almost halfway in, and there does not appear to be a plot. Or a story. Barely any characters. And it's too clever by half.

I need to start using different criteria to choose books - the last few I've picked have been oh-so-clever and erudite and so completely lacking in any story to hold my attention that they get put down.

Plus, the DH and I aren't speaking because he hated Inkheart and really liked Thirsty.

According to reports security is so tight for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that German workers at the GGP print factory in the small town of Poessneck are being forced to work in pitch black conditions so that they cannot read any of the books.

(Found through Wizard News which also reports that there is a world wide project to knit socks that are HP related. . . (?) Perhaps they are trying to free house elves. )