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Get the Summary of Ian Mortimer's Medieval Horizons in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book.'Medieval Horizons'by Ian Mortimer challenges the notion that the Middle Ages were a stagnant period devoid of significant change. Contrary to the belief that technological advancements are the sole drivers of societal transformation, the book argues that the medieval era saw profound shifts in social structures, cultural practices, and worldviews. Mortimer examines ten instances where the expansion of literal and metaphorical horizons indicates substantial social and cultural change, often overlooked due to the era's underestimation...

Get the Summary of Philip Freeman's Alexander the Great in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book.'Alexander the Great'by Philip Freeman is a comprehensive biography that chronicles the life and legacy of one of history's most iconic figures. Born in 356 B.C. during the 106th Olympic games, Alexander was the son of King Philip II of Macedonia and his wife Olympias. Despite Macedonia's cultural and geographical separation from southern Greece, Philip II aspired to align with Greek culture, leveraging his military innovations and diplomatic skills to expand Macedonian power...

Get the Summary of Jennet Conant's 109 East Palace in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book.'109 East Palace'by Jennet Conant chronicles the life of Dorothy McKibbin, a key figure in the Manhattan Project, and the development of the atomic bomb during World War II. Dorothy, a widow with a young son, takes a secretarial job in Santa Fe, unknowingly becoming part of the project led by physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer. The book details the clandestine operations at Los Alamos, New Mexico, where scientists worked to create the world's first nuclear weapons...

Get the Summary of Rebecca Boggs Roberts's Untold Power in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book.'Untold Power'by Rebecca Boggs Roberts chronicles the life of Edith Bolling, who was born into a family with a proud lineage but diminished wealth post-Civil War. Raised with Confederate ideologies, Edith's early life in Virginia was marked by a strong family influence and a desire for more than her provincial upbringing could offer. Moving to Washington, D.C., she married Norman Galt and became a prominent figure in society, facing personal losses including the death of her son and husband...

Get the Summary of Laurel Thatcher Ulrich's A Midwife's Tale in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book.'A Midwife's Tale'by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich delves into the life of Martha Ballard, a midwife in Hallowell, Maine, during the late 18th century. Through her diary, Martha provides a detailed account of her daily activities, which include delivering babies, treating illnesses, and managing her household. She navigated a scarlet fever epidemic, treated a range of patients with herbal remedies, and faced personal and community crises...

Get the Summary of Israel Finkelstein & Neil Asher Silberman's The Bible Unearthed in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book.'The Bible Unearthed'by Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman explores the historical and archaeological context of the biblical narratives, particularly those of the patriarchs, the Exodus, and the monarchies of David and Solomon. The book scrutinizes the traditional chronology and historicity of biblical events, suggesting that many stories were composed during the monarchy or post-exile periods, reflecting the concerns of those times rather than actual historical events...

Get the Summary of Bea Koch's Mad and Bad in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book.''Mad and Bad: Real Heroines of the Regency'by Bea Koch explores the lives of women in the Regency era, challenging the romanticized narratives often found in historical novels. The book delves into the complex realities of marriage as a commercial transaction among the upper classes, with social gatherings serving as marketplaces for strategic alliances...

Get the Summary of Hampton Sides's In the Kingdom of Ice in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book.'In the Kingdom of Ice'by Hampton Sides recounts the harrowing tale of the USS Jeannette's Arctic expedition, financed by newspaper magnate James Gordon Bennett Jr. and led by Captain George De Long. The late 19th-century voyage aimed to discover an Open Polar Sea, a theory supported by the era's scientific beliefs. Despite initial optimism and technological advancements, the Jeannette became trapped in ice, leading to a grueling survival ordeal for the crew...

Get the Summary of Alfred Lansing's Endurance in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book.'Endurance'by Alfred Lansing is a gripping account of Sir Ernest Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, which aimed to traverse the Antarctic continent. The expedition's ship, the Endurance, becomes trapped and eventually crushed by pack ice, leaving the crew stranded. The men establish a camp on the ice, salvaging supplies and preparing for a grueling journey of self-rescue...

Get the Summary of Bob Drury and Tom Clavin's The Heart of Everything That Is in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book.'The Heart of Everything That Is'recounts the historic assembly of over 10,000 Native Americans at Fort Laramie in 1851, aiming to broker peace among tribes and with white settlers. As westward migration increased, conflicts arose, leading to a council to negotiate safe passage through Sioux lands. Notable figures like Red Cloud, Sitting Bull, and Crazy Horse attended, with Red Cloud observing U.S. military tactics. Despite peace pledges, tensions persisted, and the Horse Creek Treaty was signed, though its terms were not fully understood by the tribes...

Get the Summary of Dick North's Mad Trapper of Rat River in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book.'Mad Trapper of Rat River'by Dick North is a detailed account of the enigmatic figure Albert Johnson, known as the'Mad Trapper,'and the intense manhunt that unfolded in the Canadian Arctic during the winter of 1931-1932. The narrative begins with the Snowshoes brothers'encounter with Johnson and follows the subsequent events that led to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) being alerted to his presence. Johnson's standoff with the Mounties, his exceptional survival skills, and the eventual deadly confrontation that resulted in his death are meticulously chronicled...

Get the Summary of Stephen W. Sears's Gettysburg in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. On May 15, 1863, General Lee, despite his health issues, proposed an offensive into Pennsylvania to relieve pressure on the Confederacy, which President Davis and Secretary Seddon approved. Meanwhile, General Hooker faced internal dissent and leadership challenges within the Union Army. As Lee prepared for his northern campaign, Hooker struggled with poor intelligence and internal conflicts, eventually leading to his resignation and replacement by General Meade...

Get the Summary of Jim Sciutto's The Return of Great Powers in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book.'The Return of Great Powers'delves into the geopolitical tensions and military strategies of the early 21st century, focusing on the resurgence of Russia and China as formidable global actors challenging the post-Cold War international order. The book provides an in-depth analysis of Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, detailing the military buildup, political machinations, and the West's response to the crisis. It examines the strategic implications of the conflict, including the transformation of Ukraine's military, the impact on NATO's defense posture, and the broader lessons for modern warfare...

Get the Summary of Daniel Gordis's Saving Israel in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book.'Saving Israel'examines the evolving relationship between young Jews and the state of Israel, highlighting a generational shift in attitudes. While older Jews view Israel's potential destruction as a personal tragedy, younger Jews, who grew up with Israel as an established reality, often struggle with its portrayal as an occupier in conflict with Palestinian nationalism...

Get the Summary of Mary Beard's SPQR in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book.'SPQR'by Mary Beard offers a comprehensive exploration of Rome's history, from its mythical origins to the rise of the Roman Empire. The book delves into the political dynamics of the Republic, highlighting the clash between Cicero and Catiline as a reflection of the era's political struggles and the broader societal issues facing Rome. Beard examines the political machinations, conspiracies, and the role of oratory in shaping the Republic's destiny...

Get the Summary of Rory Carroll's There Will Be Fire in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: There Will Be Fire is the gripping story of how the IRA came astonishingly close to killing Thatcher, in the most spectacular attack ever linked to the Northern Ireland Troubles. Journalist Rory Carroll reveals the long road to Brighton, the hide-and-seek between the IRA and British security services, the planting of the bomb itself, and the painstaking search for clues and suspects afterward. In There Will Be Fire, Carroll draws on his own interviews and original reporting, reveals new information, and weaves together previously unconnected threads. There Will Be Fire is journalistic nonfiction that reads like a thriller, propelled by a countdown to detonation.

Get the Summary of Steve Jackson's Monster in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book.'Monster'by Steve Jackson recounts the chilling tale of Cher Elder, a 20-year-old whose life was cut short by a brutal murder. Detective Scott Richardson, a dedicated Lakewood police officer, takes on the case, uncovering a web of lies spun by Cher's boyfriend, Byron Eerebout. Richardson's investigation leads him to Tom Luther, a suspect with a violent past. Despite Luther's attempts to mislead the police, Richardson's interrogation skills help unravel the truth...

Get the Summary of Peter FitzSimons's Mutiny on the Bounty in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. In'Mutiny on the Bounty'by Peter FitzSimons, the narrative unfolds through the experiences of Fletcher Christian and Captain William Bligh. Fletcher, preparing to sail on the Bounty, is influenced by tales of mutiny and ambition. Bligh, appointed commander, oversees the ship's mission to transport breadfruit plants to the West Indies. Despite challenges, including crew tensions and harsh conditions, the Bounty sets sail...

Get the Summary of Donald L. Miller's Vicksburg in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book.'Vicksburg'by Donald L. Miller details the strategic significance of Cairo, Illinois, during the Civil War, transforming from a desolate area into a crucial military hub. The narrative follows Ulysses S. Grant's rise from an unremarkable figure to a Union hero, highlighting his early struggles, including financial difficulties and accusations of drinking. The book covers key battles, such as Belmont, Fort Henry, and Fort Donelson, showcasing Grant's persistence and innovative strategies...

Get the Summary of Edward Achorn's Every Drop of Blood in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. On the eve of Lincoln's second inauguration, Washington was bustling with visitors despite poor weather. The city was filled with music, laughter, and festivities, though fears of mischief led to increased security. Notable figures like Ulysses S. Grant and Frederick Douglass were present, symbolizing support for racial equality. Douglass criticized Lincoln's moral stance on slavery but acknowledged the war's noble cause. The Capitol was crowded with visitors, and Lincoln signed significant legislation, including the Freedmen's Bureau bill...

Get the Summary of Bill O'Reilly & Martin Dugard's Killing Jesus in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book.'Killing Jesus'by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard presents a historical account of the events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. The book intertwines Jesus's life story with the political and social dynamics of the era, including the reign of Herod the Great and the rule of Julius Caesar. It details Herod's fear of a prophesied new king of the Jews, leading to the massacre of male infants in Bethlehem, and the Magi's visit to the infant Jesus, avoiding Herod's deceitful request to reveal Jesus's location...

Get the Summary of Amitav Ghosh's Smoke and Ashes in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book.'Smoke and Ashes'by Amitav Ghosh explores the historical and cultural significance of the opium trade between India and China, and its global impact. Ghosh's interest in Chinese history was sparked while researching for his novel'Sea of Poppies,'leading him to investigate the deep-rooted connections between India and China, particularly through the bustling 19th-century port of Canton (Guangzhou)...

Get the Summary of Bernard Cornwell's The Last Kingdom in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell is a historical novel set during the Viking Age, primarily focusing on the life of Uhtred of Bebbanburg. The story begins with the Danes conquering Northumbria, where Uhtred's father is killed, and young Uhtred is captured and raised by the Danish Earl Ragnar. As he grows, Uhtred learns the ways of the Danes, becoming a skilled warrior while grappling with his Saxon heritage...

Get the Summary of T. Martin Bennett's Wounded Tiger in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book.'Wounded Tiger'by T. Martin Bennett is a historical narrative that intertwines the lives of several individuals before, during, and after World War II. Mitsuo Fuchida and Minoru Genda are Japanese cadets trained for leadership, with Fuchida becoming a pilot and leading the attack on Pearl Harbor. In contrast, American Jimmy Covell, a Baptist missionary in Japan, offers aid after the Great Kanto Earthquake and later faces the challenges of war, including the execution of missionaries by Japanese forces...

Get the Summary of Anderson Cooper and Katherine Howe's Astor in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: The family fortune, first made by a beaver trapping business that grew into an empire, was then amplified by holdings in Manhattan real estate. Over the ensuing generations, Astors ruled Gilded Age New York society and inserted themselves into political and cultural life, but also suffered the most famous loss on the Titanic, one of many shocking and unexpected twists in the family's story. In this unconventional, page-turning historical biography, featuring black-and-white and color photographs, #1 New York Times bestselling authors Anderson Cooper and Katherine Howe chronicle the lives of the Astors and explore what the Astor name has come to mean in America—offering a window onto the making of America itself.

Get the Summary of Jonathan Freedland's The Escape Artist in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: In April 1944, Rudolf Vrba became one of the very first Jews to escape from Auschwitz and make his way to freedom—among only a tiny handful who ever pulled off that near-impossible feat. He did it to reveal the truth of the death camp to the world—and to warn the last Jews of Europe what fate awaited them. Against all odds, Vrba and his fellow escapee, Fred Wetzler, climbed mountains, crossed rivers, and narrowly missed German bullets until they had smuggled out the first full account of Auschwitz the world had ever seen—a forensically detailed report that eventually reached Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and the Pope. And yet too few heeded the warning that Vrba had risked everything to deliver. Though Vrba helped save two hundred thousand Jewish lives, he never stopped believing it could have been so many more.

Get the Summary of Tom Bower's Revenge in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: After a childhood spent on Hollywood film sets, Meghan Markle fought hard for stardom. But even when she landed her breakthrough role on Suits, her dream of worldwide celebrity remained elusive until she met the man who would change her life—Prince Harry. Their whirlwind romance culminated with Meghan's ultimate fairy tale ending: their 2018 wedding at Windsor Castle. Finally, the world was her stage. It seemed that the dizzying success of the wedding between the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex marked the beginning of a fresh era for the British Royal Family. Yet, within one tumultuous year, the dream became a nightmare. In the aftermath of the infamous Megxit split and their Oprah Winfrey interview, the increasingly toxic relationship between the two Windsor sides seemed forever ruptured.

Get the Summary of David Corn's American Psychosis in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: A fast-paced, rollicking, behind-the-scenes account of how the GOP since the 1950s has encouraged and exploited extremism, bigotry, and paranoia to gain power, American Psychosis offers readers a brisk, can-you-believe-it journey through the netherworld of far-right irrationality and the Republican Party's interactions with the darkest forces in America. In a compelling and thoroughly-researched narrative, Corn reveals the hidden history of how the Party of Lincoln forged alliances with extremists, kooks, racists, and conspiracy-mongers and fostered fear, anger, and resentment to win elections—and how this led to Donald Trump's triumph and the transformation of the GOP into a Trump personality cult that foments and bolsters the crazy and dangerous excesses of the right.

Get the Summary of Matthew Desmond's Poverty, by America in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: The United States, the richest country on earth, has more poverty than any other advanced democracy. Why? Why does this land of plenty allow one in every eight of its children to go without basic necessities, permit scores of its citizens to live and die on the streets, and authorize its corporations to pay poverty wages? In this landmark book, acclaimed sociologist Matthew Desmond draws on history, research, and original reporting to show how affluent Americans knowingly and unknowingly keep poor people poor. Those of us who are financially secure exploit the poor, driving down their wages while forcing them to overpay for housing and access to cash and credit. We prioritize the subsidization of our wealth over the alleviation of poverty, designing a welfare state that gives the most to those who need the least. And we stockpile opportunity in exclusive communities, creating zones of concentrated riches alongside those of concentrated despair. Some lives are made small so that others may grow.

Get the Summary of Joan Druett's Island of the Lost in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: It is 1864, and Captain Thomas Musgrave's schooner, the Grafton, has just wrecked on Auckland Island, a forbidding piece of land 285 miles south of New Zealand. Battered by year-round freezing rain and constant winds, it is one of the most inhospitable places on earth. To be shipwrecked there means almost certain death. Incredibly, at the same time on the opposite end of the island, another ship runs aground during a storm. Separated by only twenty miles and the island's treacherous, impassable cliffs, the crews of the Grafton and the Invercauld face the same fate. And yet where the Invercauld's crew turns inward on itself, fighting, starving, and even turning to cannibalism, Musgrave's crew bands together to build a cabin and a forge—and eventually, to find a way to escape.

Get the Summary of Julian Sancton's Madhouse at the End of the Earth in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: In Madhouse at the End of the Earth, Julian Sancton unfolds an epic story of adventure and horror for the ages. As the Belgica's men teetered on the brink, de Gerlache relied increasingly on two young officers whose friendship had blossomed in captivity: the expedition's lone American, Dr. Frederick Cook—half genius, half con man—whose later infamy would overshadow his brilliance on the Belgica; and the ship's first mate, soon-to-be legendary Roald Amundsen, even in his youth the storybook picture of a sailor. Together, they would plan a last-ditch, nearly certain-to-fail escape from the ice—one that would either etch their names in history or doom them to a terrible fate at the ocean's bottom.

Get the Summary of Eddie Jaku's The Happiest Man on Earth in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: Born in Leipzig, Germany, into a Jewish family, Eddie Jaku was a teenager when his world was turned upside-down. On November 9, 1938, during the terrifying violence of Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, Eddie was beaten by SS thugs, arrested, and sent to a concentration camp with thousands of other Jews across Germany. Every day of the next seven years of his life, Eddie faced unimaginable horrors in Buchenwald, Auschwitz, and finally on a forced death march during the Third Reich's final days. The Nazis took everything from Eddie—his family, his friends, and his country. But they did not break his spirit. Against unbelievable odds, Eddie found the will to survive. Overwhelming grateful, he made a promise: he would smile every day in thanks for the precious gift he was given and to honor the six million Jews murdered by Hitler. Today, at 100 years of age, despite all he suffered, Eddie calls himself the'happiest man on earth.'In his remarkable memoir, this born storyteller shares his wisdom and reflects on how he has led his best possible life, talking warmly and openly about the power of gratitude, tolerance, and kindness. Life can be beautiful if you make it beautiful. With The Happiest Man on Earth, Eddie shows us how.

Get the Summary of Tracy Kidder's Rough Sleepers in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: Tracy Kidder has been described by The Baltimore Sun as a “master of the nonfiction narrative.” In Rough Sleepers, Kidder shows how one person can make a difference, as he tells the story of Dr. Jim O'Connell, a gifted man who invented ways to create a community of care for a city's unhoused population, including those who sleep on the streets—the “rough sleepers.” When Jim O'Connell graduated from Harvard Medical School and was nearing the end of his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital, the chief of medicine made a proposal: Would he defer a prestigious fellowship and spend a year helping to create an organization to bring health care to homeless citizens? Jim took the job because he felt he couldn't refuse. But that year turned into his life's calling. Tracy Kidder spent five years following Dr. O'Connell and his colleagues as they served their thousands of homeless patients. In this illuminating book we travel with O'Connell as he navigates the city, offering medical care, socks, soup, empathy, humor, and friendship to some of the city's most endangered citizens. He emphasizes a style of medicine in which patients come first, joined with their providers in what he calls “a system of friends.”

Get the Summary of Jonathan Rosen's The Best Minds in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: The Best Minds is Jonathan Rosen's brilliant and heartbreaking account of an American tragedy. It is a story about the bonds of family, friendship, and community; the promise of intellectual achievement; and the lure of utopian solutions. Tender, funny, and harrowing by turns, at times almost unbearably sad, The Best Minds is an extreme version of a story that is tragically familiar to all too many. In the hands of a writer of Jonathan Rosen's gifts and dedication, its significance will echo widely.

Get the Summary of Scott Galloway's Adrift in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: We are only just beginning to reckon with our post-pandemic future. As political extremism intensifies, the great resignation affects businesses everywhere, and supply chain issues crush bottom lines, we're faced with daunting questions – is our democracy under threat? How will Big Tech change our lives? What does job security look like for me? America is on the brink of massive change – change that will disrupt the workings of our economy and drastically impact the financial backbone of our nation: the middle class. In Adrift, Galloway looks to the past – from 1945 to present day – to explain just how America arrived at this precipice. Telling the story of our nation through 100 charts, Galloway demonstrates how crises such as Jim Crow, World War II, and the Stock Market Crash of 2008, as well as the escalating power of technology, an entrenched white patriarchy, and the socio-economic effects of the pandemic, created today's perfect storm. Adrift attempts to make sense of it all, and offers Galloway's unique take on where we're headed and who we'll become, touching on topics as wide-ranging as online dating to minimum wage to the American dream.

Get the Summary of Nouriel Roubini's Megathreats in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: Renowned economist Nouriel Roubini was nicknamed “Dr. Doom,” until his prediction of the 2008 housing crisis and Great Recession came true--when it was too late. Now he is back with a much scarier prediction, one that we ignore at our peril. There are no fewer than ten overlapping, interconnected threats that are so serious, he calls them Megathreats. From the worst debt crisis the world has ever seen, to governments pumping out too much money, to borders that are blocked to workers and to many shipments of goods, to the rise of a new superpower competition between China and the U.S., to climate change that strikes directly at our most populated cities, we are facing not one, not two, but ten causes of disaster. There is a slight chance we can avoid them, if we come to our senses—but we must act now.

Get the Summary of David de Jong's Nazi Billionaires in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: In 1946, Günther Quandt—patriarch of Germany's most iconic industrial empire, a dynasty that today controls BMW—was arrested for suspected Nazi collaboration. Quandt claimed that he had been forced to join the party by his archrival, propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, and the courts acquitted him. But Quandt lied. And his heirs, and those of other Nazi billionaires, have only grown wealthier in the generations since, while their reckoning with this dark past remains incomplete at best. Many of them continue to control swaths of the world economy, owning iconic brands whose products blanket the globe. The brutal legacy of the dynasties that dominated Daimler-Benz, cofounded Allianz, and still control Porsche, Volkswagen, and BMW has remained hidden in plain sight—until now.

Get the Summary of Andy Borowitz's Profiles in Ignorance in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: Andy Borowitz has been called a “Swiftian satirist” (The Wall Street Journal) and “one of the country's finest satirists” (The New York Times). Millions of fans and New Yorker readers enjoy his satirical news column “The Borowitz Report.” Now, in Profiles in Ignorance, he delivers “a wittily alarming polemic that tracks the evolution of American politics from grounds for gravitas to festival of idiocy” (The New York Times). Borowitz argues that over the past fifty years, American politicians have grown increasingly allergic to knowledge, and mass media have encouraged the election of ignoramuses by elevating candidates who are better at performing than thinking. Starting with Ronald Reagan's first campaign for governor of California in 1966 and culminating with the election of Donald J. Trump to the White House, Borowitz shows how, during the age of twenty-four-hour news and social media, the US has elected politicians to positions of great power whose lack of the most basic information is terrifying. In addition to Reagan, Quayle, Bush, Palin, and Trump, Borowitz covers a host of congresspersons, senators, and governors who have helped lower the bar over the past five decades.

Get the Summary of Admiral William H. McRaven's The Wisdom of the Bullfrog in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: During those four decades, Admiral McRaven dealt with every conceivable leadership challenge, from commanding combat operations—including the capture of Saddam Hussein, the rescue of Captain Phillips, and the raid for Osama bin Laden. THE WISDOM OF THE BULLFROG draws on these and countless other experiences from Admiral McRaven's incredible life, including crisis situations, management debates, organizational transitions, and ethical dilemmas, to provide readers with the most important leadership lessons he has learned over the course of his forty years of service.

Get the Summary of Benjamin Hall's Saved in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: When veteran war reporter Benjamin Hall woke up in Kyiv on the morning of March 14, 2022, he had no idea that, within hours, Russian bombs would nearly end his life. As a journalist for Fox News, Hall had worked in dangerous war zones like Syria and Afghanistan, but with three young daughters at home, life on the edge was supposed to be a thing of the past. Yet when Russia viciously attacked Ukraine in February 2022, Hall quickly volunteered to go. A few weeks later, while on assignment, Hall and his crew were blown up in a Russian strike. With Hall himself gravely injured and stuck in Kyiv, it was unclear if he would make it out alive. This is the story of how he survived—a story that continues to this day. For the first time, Hall shares his experience in full—from his ground-level view of the war to his dramatic rescue to his arduous, and ongoing, recovery. Going inside the events that have permanently transformed him, Hall recalls his time at the front lines of our world's conflicts, exploring how his struggle to step away from war reporting led him back one perilous last time. Featuring nail-biting accounts from the many people across multiple countries who banded together to get him to safety, Hall offers a stunning look at complex teamwork and heartfelt perseverance that turned his life into a mission.

Get the Summary of Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch's The Nazi Conspiracy in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: In 1943, as the war against Nazi Germany raged abroad, President Franklin Roosevelt had a critical goal: a face-to-face sit-down with his allies Joseph Stalin and Winston Churchill. This first-ever meeting of the Big Three in Tehran, Iran, would decide some of the most crucial strategic details of the war. Yet when the Nazis found out about the meeting, their own secret plan took shape―an assassination plot that would've changed history. A true story filled with daring rescues, body doubles, and political intrigue, The Nazi Conspiracy details FDR's pivotal meeting in Tehran and the deadly Nazi plot against the heads of state of the three major Allied powers who attended it.

Get the Summary of Mike Pompeo's Never Give an Inch in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: As the only four-year national security member of President Trump's Cabinet, he worked to impose crushing pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran, avert a nuclear crisis with North Korea, deliver unmatched support for Israel, and bring peace to the Middle East. Drawing on his commitment to America's founding principles and his Christian faith, his efforts to promote religious freedom around the world were unequaled in American diplomatic history. Most importantly, he led a much-needed generational transformation of America's relationship with China. Blending remarkable and often humorous stories of his interactions with world leaders and unmatched analysis of geopolitics, Never Give an Inch tells of how Pompeo helped the Trump Administration craft the America First approach that upended Washington's wisdom—and made him America's enemies'worst nightmare.

Get the Summary of J.B. West's Upstairs at the White House in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: J. B. West, chief usher of the White House, directed the operations and maintenance of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue—and coordinated its daily life—at the request of the president and his family. He directed state functions; planned parties, weddings and funerals, gardens and playgrounds, and extensive renovations; and, with a large staff, supervised every activity in the presidential home. For twenty-eight years, first as assistant to the chief usher, then as chief usher, he witnessed national crises and triumphs, and interacted daily with six consecutive presidents and first ladies, as well as their parents, children and grandchildren, and houseguests—including friends, relatives, and heads of state. J. B. West, whom Jackie Kennedy called “one of the most extraordinary men I have ever met,” provides an absorbing, one-of-a-kind history of life among the first ladies. Alive with anecdotes ranging from Eleanor Roosevelt's fascinating political strategies to Jackie Kennedy's tragic loss and the personal struggles of Pat Nixon, Upstairs at the White House is a rich account of a slice of American history that usually remains behind closed doors.

Get the Summary of Joel Kotkin's The Coming of Neo-Feudalism in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: Following a remarkable epoch of greater dispersion of wealth and opportunity, we are inexorably returning towards a more feudal era marked by greater concentration of wealth and property, reduced upward mobility, demographic stagnation, and increased dogmatism. If the last seventy years saw a massive expansion of the middle class, not only in America but in much of the developed world, today that class is declining and a new, more hierarchical society is emerging. The new class structure resembles that of Medieval times. At the apex of the new order are two classes―a reborn clerical elite, the clerisy, which dominates the upper part of the professional ranks, universities, media and culture, and a new aristocracy led by tech oligarchs with unprecedented wealth and growing control of information. These two classes correspond to the old French First and Second Estates.

Get the Summary of Hampton Sides's Blood and Thunder in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: Hampton Sides's extraordinary book brings the history of the American conquest of the West to ringing life. It is a tale with many heroes and villains, but as is found in the best history, the same person might be both. At the center of it all stands the remarkable figure of Kit Carson—the legendary trapper, scout, and soldier who embodies all the contradictions and ambiguities of the American experience in the West. Brave and clever, beloved by his contemporaries, Carson was an illiterate mountain man who twice married Indian women and understood and respected the tribes better than any other American alive. Yet he was also a cold-blooded killer who willingly followed orders tantamount to massacre. Carson's almost unimaginable exploits made him a household name when they were written up in pulp novels known as “blood-and-thunders,” but now that name is a bitter curse for contemporary Navajo, who cannot forget his role in the travails of their ancestors.

Get the Summary of Prince Harry's Spare in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: For Harry, this is that story at last. Before losing his mother, twelve-year-old Prince Harry was known as the carefree one, the happy-go-lucky Spare to the more serious Heir. Grief changed everything. He struggled at school, struggled with anger, with loneliness—and, because he blamed the press for his mother's death, he struggled to accept life in the spotlight. At twenty-one, he joined the British Army. The discipline gave him structure, and two combat tours made him a hero at home. But he soon felt more lost than ever, suffering from post-traumatic stress and prone to crippling panic attacks. Above all, he couldn't find true love. Then he met Meghan. The world was swept away by the couple's cinematic romance and rejoiced in their fairy-tale wedding. But from the beginning, Harry and Meghan were preyed upon by the press, subjected to waves of abuse, racism, and lies. Watching his wife suffer, their safety and mental health at risk, Harry saw no other way to prevent the tragedy of history repeating itself but to flee his mother country. Over the centuries, leaving the Royal Family was an act few had dared. The last to try, in fact, had been his mother....

Get the Summary of Ari Shapiro's The Best Strangers in the World in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: In his first book, broadcaster Ari Shapiro takes us around the globe to reveal the stories behind narratives that are sometimes heartwarming, sometimes heartbreaking, but always poignant. He details his time traveling on Air Force One with President Obama, or following the path of Syrian refugees fleeing war, or learning from those fighting for social justice both at home and abroad. As the self-reinforcing bubbles we live in become more impenetrable, Ari Shapiro keeps seeking ways to help people listen to one another; to find connection and commonality with those who may seem different; to remind us that, before religion, or nationality, or politics, we are all human. The Best Strangers in the World is a testament to one journalist's passion for Considering All Things—and sharing what he finds with the rest of us.

Get the Summary of Richard Haass's The Bill of Obligations in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: The Bill of Obligations is a bold call for change. In these pages, New York Times bestselling author Richard Haass argues that the very idea of citizenship must be revised and expanded. The Bill of Rights is at the center of our Constitution, yet our most intractable conflicts often emerge from contrasting views as to what our rights ought to be. As former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer pointed out, “Many of our cases, the most difficult ones, are not about right versus wrong. They are about right versus right.” The lesson is clear: rights alone cannot provide the basis for a functioning, much less flourishing, democracy.

Get the Summary of Jean M. Twenge's Generations in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: Professor of psychology and “reigning expert on generational change” (Lisa Wade, PhD, author of American Hookup), Jean Twenge does a deep dive into a treasure trove of long-running, government-funded surveys and databases to answer these questions. Are we truly defined by major historical events, such as the Great Depression for the Silents and September 11 for Millennials? Or, as Twenge argues, is it the rapid evolution of technology that differentiates the generations? With her clear-eyed and insightful voice, Twenge explores what the Silents and Boomers want out of the rest of their lives; how Gen X-ers are facing middle age; the ideals of Millennials as parents and in the workplace; and how Gen Z has been changed by COVID, among other fascinating topics.

Get the Summary of Timothy Egan's A Fever in the Heartland in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: The Roaring Twenties--the Jazz Age--has been characterized as a time of Gatsby frivolity. But it was also the height of the uniquely American hate group, the Ku Klux Klan. Their domain was not the old Confederacy, but the Heartland and the West. They hated Blacks, Jews, Catholics and immigrants in equal measure, and took radical steps to keep these people from the American promise. And the man who set in motion their takeover of great swaths of America was a charismatic charlatan named D.C. Stephenson. Stephenson was a magnetic presence whose life story changed with every telling. Within two years of his arrival in Indiana, he'd become the Grand Dragon of the state and the architect of the strategy that brought the group out of the shadows – their message endorsed from the pulpits of local churches, spread at family picnics and town celebrations. Judges, prosecutors, ministers, governors and senators across the country all proudly proclaimed their membership. But at the peak of his influence, it was a seemingly powerless woman – Madge Oberholtzer – who would reveal his secret cruelties, and whose deathbed testimony finally brought the Klan to their knees.