Sponsored by Rowman & Littlefield.
Muhammad Ali was, without doubt, the world’s most-loved sportsman. At the height of his celebrity he was the most famous person in the world. And yet, until now, the one voice missing belonged to the man who knew him best—his only sibling, and best friend, Rahaman Ali. In this extraordinary, poignant memoir, Rahaman tells a much bigger and more personal story than in any other book on Muhammad Ali—that of two brothers, almost inseparable from birth to death. It is the final and most important perspective on an iconic figure. Learn more here.
With history, you usually want to drill down a bit, subject-wise, since, let’s admit it, it’s a pretty vast subject. But it’s Friday! There are no rules! Let’s look at some history from across the vast sweep of time and space. Exciting.
From Slave Cabins to the White House: Homemade Citizenship in African American Culture by Koritha Mitchell. I follow Prof. Mitchell on Twitter and this book just came out. Love an academic press book. “Instead of the respectability and safety granted white homemakers, black women endure pejorative labels, racist governmental policies, attacks on their citizenship, and aggression meant to keep them in ‘their place.’ This looks at “the links between African American women’s homemaking and citizenship in history and across literature.” Yesss. More! academic! books! about! Black! history! not! by! white people!
Class War, USA: Dispatches from Workers’ Struggles in American History by Brandon Weber. Want to know about Black Wall Street in Tulsa? The Ludlow miners’ strike? How we got the eight-hour work day? This is a series of essays focusing on ordinary people making a difference in labor history, and how those changes still impact us today. It’s under 200 pages, so if you’re looking to dip your toe into some workers’ rights knowledge, this is a good option.
Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919 by Stephen Puleo. In 1919, as if the world hadn’t been dealing with enough (lots of 2020 vibes about 1914-1919), a 50-foot-tall steel tank filled with 2.3 million gallons of molasses broke open and flooded the streets of Boston, killing more than twenty people. It’s a really weird chapter of history, and this is the only adult nonfiction book to cover it.
Bolivar: American Liberator by Marie Arana. Who DOESN’T want to learn more about Simón Bolívar? He freed SIX countries from Spanish colonial rule and he died before age fifty. He was a “fearless general, brilliant strategist, consummate diplomat, dedicated abolitionist, gifted writer, and flawed politician.” This biography is kind of giant, so I’m thinking perfect 2021 reading project? You’ve got to strategize that TBR now so you can start with a bang in January.
That’s it for this week! You can find me on social media @itsalicetime and co-hosting the nonfiction For Real podcast with Kim here at Book Riot. Until next time, enjoy those facts, fellow nerds.