Books

Smithsonian Scholars Pick Their Favorite Books of 2018

Here are eleven titles that intrigued and thrilled Smithsonian's knowledge seekers this year

Confederate Troops on the Las Moras, Texas

Texas Will Finally Teach That Slavery Was Main Cause of the Civil War

Slavery has been upgraded to the primary cause in the curriculum, however states' rights and sectionalism will still be taught as "contributing factors"

The Ten Best Books About Food of 2018

These ten titles should satisfy readers hungry to learn more about the history and science of food

“First ladies still tend to be more mysterious than the presidents,” says Smithsonian curator Lisa Kathleen Graddy. “We’re always hoping once the First Lady is out of office (above: Michelle Obama and President Barack Obama, January 20, 2009) she’s going to let us in a little more.”

The History of First Ladies’ Memoirs

Freed from the political constraints of living in the White House, these famous women have over the decades shared their personal opinions with the public

At Fort Sill, Oklahoma, you can see "Atomic Annie," the first and only cannon to ever fire a nuclear shell.

This Veterans Day, Visit America’s Top Military Sites

A new book offers a guide to the museums, bases and once-secret locations that reveal America’s complex military history

Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus.

Lessons in the Decline of Democracy From the Ruined Roman Republic

A new book argues that violent rhetoric and disregard for political norms was the beginning of Rome's end

A Human Chain Helped a U.K. Bookshop Move to Its New Location

Some 250 volunteers transported more than 2,000 books

Louis Cha aka Jin Yong

Louis Cha, "Master" of Kung-Fu Novels, Has Died at 94

Under the pen-name Jin Yong, the writer published 14 seminal books that defined the entire wuxia genre and sold more than 300 million copies

Madeline Pollard as she appeared during the five-week trial in the spring of 1894. Her entanglement with Col. Breckenridge made national headlines.

The Court Case That Inspired the Gilded Age’s #MeToo Moment

A turn-of-the-century trial, the focus of a new book, took aim at the Victorian double standard

Five of the top 10 contenders were actually by British writers, including Jane Austen, J.K. Rowling and J.R.R. Tolkein

The Results Are In...These Are America’s "Most-Beloved" Novels, Says PBS

More than 4 million people voted, securing top honors for Harper Lee's 'To Kill a Mockingbird' in the Great American Read initiative

Laima Vince in Lithuania in July 2018

The Translator Who Brought a Lost Jewish Poet’s Words to the English-Speaking World

Raised in the U.S. but a lifelong speaker of Lithuanian, Laima Vince became enamored of Matilda Olkin’s writing

The ponies of eastern Maryland and Virginia, seen here in 2002, were made famous in the book "Misty of Chincoteague."

The True Story of Misty of Chincoteague, the Pony Who Stared Down a Devastating Nor'Easter

The Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962 was a horse of another color

The Cleaver family of "Leave It to Beaver"

The Dawn of Television Promised Diversity. Here’s Why We Got “Leave It to Beaver” Instead

Using original archival research and FBI blacklist documents, a new book pieces together the intersectional narratives that never made it on air

Stanford Ovshinsky, 2008

Stanford Ovshinsky Might Be the Most Prolific Inventor You’ve Never Heard Of

A new book calls attention to the 20th-century genius with more than 400 patents to his name

This girl is off to a good start

Growing Up Surrounded by Books Could Have Powerful, Lasting Effect on the Mind

A new study suggests that exposure to large home libraries may have a long-term impact on proficiency in three key areas

A blue whale, the largest known creature in Earth's history, dives into the St. Lawrence river in Quebec, Canada.

Today's Whales Are Huge, But Why Aren't They Huger?

Most giant cetaceans only got giant in the past 4.5 million years, suggesting they could have room to grow

The first volume of the delightful children's series by author Michael Bond appeared on October 13, 1958.

The Much-Loved Paddington Bear Turns Sixty

Celebrating the October 1958 publication of <em>A Bear Called Paddington,</em> Smithsonian Libraries takes a look at several pop-up books

William Dudley Pelley, Silver Shirt leader, pictured as he appeared before Congress.

The Screenwriting Mystic Who Wanted to Be the American Führer

William Dudley Pelley and his Silver Shirts were just one of many Nazi-sympathizers operating in the United States in the 1930s

"Slab City: Dispatches from the Last Free Place" is a new book that explores a one-square-mile patch of desert in Imperial County, California, that once served as a military base. Seen here is a sentry box that once guarded Camp Dunlap’s southwest perimeter.

Inside Slab City, a Squatters’ Paradise in Southern California

Architect and author Charlie Hailey and photographer Donovan Wylie capture one of America’s last free places

Interior view of the House of Culture.

Photos Document What Remains of a Soviet Atomic City

A new book explores the architectural history of Metsamor, Armenia, once a planned utopia for nuclear power plant workers

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