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10 great book suggestions for your coronavirus self-quarantine

March 18, 2020
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Nathan Nipper

With much of the nation spending a lot more time at home for the foreseeable future due to Covid-19, you and your family may have a little more reading time on your hands in the coming weeks. If you love little-known stories from U.S. history, you can't go wrong with Glenn's book Miracles and Massacres, and its follow-up Dreamers and Deceivers.

Since Glenn's audience is full of history buffs and nonfiction nerds like myself, I thought I'd share a list of ten of my favorite nonfiction books in case you're looking for a good read during this coronavirus hiatus.

For this list, I limited selections to subjects involving U.S. history and culture. I'm partial to U.S. presidential history, so my entire list could easily be dominated by presidents, but I tried to include somewhat of a historical mix in hopes you might find something that piques your interest. Feel free to tweet us (@glennbeck) your favorite nonfiction books too, using the hashtag #GBnonfiction.

Here are ten of my nonfiction favorites…

10. Wilson by A. Scott Berg

Amazon

If you've been listening to Glenn for almost any length of time, you're familiar with his marked loathing for America's 28th president. I'm no fan of Wilson either, but this well-researched book is worth your time as a primer on the roots of progressivism. It will help you understand Glenn's animosity toward Wilson in glorious detail.

9. Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination by Neal Gabler

Amazon

There are many biographies of the man behind the world's largest entertainment empire, but this one may be the most in-depth. Walt Disney liked to say, "it was all started by a mouse," but there was a ton of hard work and heartbreak before Mickey. Gabler leaves no stone unturned in his quest to paint a complete portrait of Walt – a complicated creative genius and visionary.

8.  The Preacher and the Presidents: Billy Graham in the White House by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy 

Amazon

One thing that every U.S. president from Dwight Eisenhower to George W. Bush had in common was friendship with evangelist Billy Graham. This book deftly explores the positives and the perils of Graham's half-century of proximity to such power. The presidents who were closest to Graham may surprise you.

7. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Amazon

There are also a lot of books about Steve Jobs, but Isaacson had the best access to Jobs at the end of Jobs' life. Jobs hand-picked Isaacson to write his biography. It was almost like Jobs was trying to assert the same control-freakiness over his own life story that he applied to Apple's iconic products, although he had no editorial control over the book and apparently never read any of it. Ultimately, despite the special access and potential temptation to go easy on his subject, Isaacson delivers the Steve Jobs story warts and all (and there are a lot of warts).

6. The Franchise: A History of Sports Illustrated Magazine by Michael MacCambridge

Amazon

This is kind of an outlier on this list because it involves a plethora of things – sports, journalism, advertising, ambition, ego and much more – told through the lens of the history of Sports Illustrated magazine. MacCambridge takes you on a journey through a bygone era of smoke-filled rooms and chattering typewriters when magazines were a big deal. Expertly told and relentlessly entertaining.

5. The Bully Pulpit by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Amazon

This one surprised me because its subtitle – Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism – made me skeptical that it was too much of a scattered premise. I was wrong. It totally works. It's an engrossing story about the close friendship between Roosevelt and Taft (who was so much more than the unfair stuck-in-a-bathtub-fat-president label he's been dealt) which politics nearly destroyed. Intertwined with the Roosevelt/Taft narrative are the stories of America's first celebrity journalists, including Ida Tarbell and Lincoln Steffens. Another apt subtitle could've been The Birth of Left-wing Media.

4. Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Amazon

This is a bone-chilling true story about a serial killer during the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. But it's also a riveting story about the men who designed and built the fairground (a sort of late-1800s EPCOT), which included amazing architectural feats that would still be wowing visitors today if fire hadn't destroyed them. Larson's intertwined narratives weave a compelling tale about a crucial turning point in U.S. history that marked the end of America's innocence.

3.  Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington

This is the only autobiography on the list (autobiographies probably deserve their own list sometime), but it merits inclusion because Washington's life story is one of the most phenomenal success stories in American history. It's criminal that this isn't required reading in every U.S. school, but the unfortunate reality is that Booker T. Washington's words and worldview clash hard with the modern Leftist agenda. In case you have a healthy skepticism of autobiographies as history, a good companion book is the Washington biography Up From History by Robert J. Norrell.

2.  Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James Swanson

You know you're reading a great book when you already know the ending, but it's a thrilling ride anyway. That's Manhunt. Swanson puts you in the saddle with the Union cavalry and detectives in their desperate, white-knuckle search through the Virginia countryside for fugitive John Wilkes Booth in the days after he murdered President Lincoln. If you think you already know the story of Lincoln's assassination, trust me, there's a whole lot more. Manhunt is awesome reading.

1. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

Amazon

If you were expecting something a bit more obscure for the number one slot, sorry. I know Unbroken was a gargantuan bestseller a few years ago. But it was a gargantuan bestseller for a reason: it's that good. Much of Unbroken reads like a novel – in the best sense. It's the harrowing, adventurous true story of Olympic runner Louis Zamperini and his brutal experience as an American POW at the hands of the Japanese during World War II. It's the kind of book that is so exquisitely written, it makes aspiring writers want to throw in the towel. It is heart-pounding, gut-wrenching, and meticulously researched. Don't even think about watching the movie instead – the movie barely even scratches the surface of this truly remarkable story of courage, perseverance, and redemption.


Happy self-quarantine reading! And don't forget, the only place to catch all of Glenn's Covid-19-related episodes anytime on demand is by subscribing at BlazeTV.com.

Nathan Nipper is a writer for Mercury Radio Arts. As a politically conservative soccer enthusiast, he is a member of one of the most oppressed minority groups in the United States. He lives in North Texas with his wife, daughter, and two sons.

BLOG

10 times Biden has acted like a DICTATOR

5 ways to protect your First Amendment rights. Number 4 will surprise you.

Buyenlarge / Contributor | Getty Images

Every day it seems Glenn covers another story revealing how people across the world at all levels of power DESPISE the fact that YOU have rights, and they are actively trying to curtail them. Recently, there has been a string of attacks against the rights outlined in the First Amendment: the freedom of religion, the freedom of speech, the freedom of press, the freedom of assembly, and the freedom to petition.

As a refresher, the First Amendment reads as follows:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

This is powerful stuff, there is a good reason the Founding Fathers made it the FIRST Amendment. It's also the reason why power-hungry elites are attacking it. These attacks are designed to control the way you think, speak, and believe, vote, what you read, and who holds your representatives responsible. The First Amendment is our strongest weapon against tyrants, and they know it.

So what can you do about it? Hope that some wig in Washinton will eventually do something? We know how well that works. The best thing to do is to stay active, engage in the issues you care about, and exercise your rights.

So where to start? Here are a few things YOU can do to protect your First Amendment rights:

Religion

The best way to flex your Freedom of Religion is to—you guessed it—practice your faith. Become an active member in your place of worship, go to scripture studies, invite your friends to that late afternoon event, and walk the life. This can impact the way you spend money as well. Shop the businesses and brands that share your values, and don't shop at the ones that scorn them. Keeping the community alive and healthy is the best way to ensure that generations to come will be able to experience the freedom you enjoy.

Speech

Much like religion, the best way to protect your freedom of speech is... to speak. Engage your friends and family in polite, civil conversation. Stand up for what you believe in, and make your case to your peers. Just remember to keep it friendly. No one ever won an argument by shouting down their opponent. The civil exchange of ideas is the cornerstone of our republic, and a dialogue where the participants are well-informed, considerate, compassionate, and open-minded can have permanent impacts on all involved.

Press

Freedom of the Press seems a little tricky at first. Unless you work for the media, what are you supposed to do? Quit your job and go work for the local newspaper? The good news is that exercising this right is not nearly that difficult. In fact, you are currently doing it. The best thing you can do is to read from outlets that produce informative content. Want to know what Glenn consumes to stay informed every day? Sign up for Glenn's Morning Brief newsletter to get all the stories Glenn gets sent to his desk every day sent straight to your inbox.

Assembly

Anna Moneymaker / Staff | Getty Images

Freedom of assembly is one of the more impactful yet underutilized freedoms in the First Amendment. Peaceably assembling and protesting with like-minded individuals can hugely influence politicians and policies while simultaneously creating community and fellowship between attendees. It's understandable why more people don't turn out. We're all busy people with busy schedules, and flying out to D.C. for the weekend seems like a daunting task to many. Thankfully, you don't have to go out all the way to D.C. to make a difference. Gather some like-minded people in your town and bring awareness to issues that impact your community. Big change starts locally, and exercising your freedom to assemble can be the catalyst to lasting impact.

Petition

If you've been a long-time listener of Glenn, then you will have heard a few of his calls to action where he asks his audience to contact their representatives about a particular piece of policy. There is a good reason Glenn keeps on doing those: they work. Whether it's your local mayor or your senator, a call and an email go a long way. If you really want to make a change, convince your friends and family to reach out as well.

5 SHOCKING crimes the border crisis is bringing to YOUR backyard

John Moore / Staff | Getty Images

The crisis on the southern border has reached a boiling point following the controversial Supreme Court ruling that allowed the federal government to remove large portions of border security, triggering a movement of conservative governors defending Texas' right to protect its border.

We commonly hear about the border crisis through mainstream media as if it's an abstract issue that has little to no effect on our daily lives. However, for millions of Americans, the border crisis is in their backyard... literally... bringing crime up to their front doorstep—and it's coming to your doorstep soon.

These five stories paint a glimpse of the type of crime and cartel activity that is being enabled by the Biden administration's border policies.

Assault and robbery in Massachusetts

On January 15th, Lucas Vilaca Moreira Fontenelle was arrested in Milford, Massachusetts for armed robbery of a bodega along with two other illegals a few days earlier. This comes just one month after ICE detained Fontenelle for assault, but the city of Milford cut him free as part of their status as a sanctuary city.

Murder in New Your City

On January 6th, Moises Coronado chased down, beat, and fatally stabbed Dafren Canizalez while in a NYC shelter. Coronado illegally crossed the Texas border in November where he was detained before being released and making his way to New York.

Cartel trafficking in El Paso

Late last month U.S. Border Patrol agents operating in the El Paso region arrested a cartel "foot guide" that was responsible for trafficking dozens of illegal immigrants across the border. The foot guide is a member of the La Linea Cartel, an operation based out of Juarez, Mexico whose gang warfare contributed to the city's 1,000+ homicides in 2023 alone.

Human smuggling in Arizona

Last November, two teenagers were pulled over with five illegal immigrants in their car. The teens are being charged with human trafficking, and there is evidence that this was not their first trip. Authorities believe that these teens are the latest in a dangerous new trend of cartels using social media to pay teens to smuggle migrants across the border.

Cartel trespassing in Arizona

Late last December, an Arizona rancher reported that he has seen a disturbing rise of cartel activity on his land. According to the rancher, he has seen evidence of cartels fighting for control of routes that pass through his property. He has even seen cartel scouts and human smugglers several times.

5 organizations that provide MAPS to help illegal immigrants cross our border

Michael M. Santiago / Staff, UCG / Contributor | Getty Images

On last week's Glenn TV special, Glenn dove into exactly how migrants from around the world are ending up on our southern border. The most shocking discovery, which was first published by investigators with Muckraker, was that multiple organizations have been providing maps showing immigrants exactly how to cross Central America and Mexico into the waiting hands of the cartel, who smuggle them across our border.

Just who is encouraging these people to make this perilous journey? You will likely recognize a few. Below are FIVE organizations that facilitate the crisis on our southern border.

Click HERE to get access to all of Glenn's research about what's happening at the southern border from this week's Glenn TV special.

Doctors Without Borders

These maps from the Swiss humanitarian giant, Doctors Without Borders, give detailed routes from Central America to our border. The map also highlights places to find aid, food and shelter along the way.

Red Cross

This map distributed by the Red Cross highlights freight train routes. The back of the map advises migrants how to illegally board and ride freight trains across Mexico.

UN’s International Organization of Migration  

This map of consulates and commissions across Mexico was created and distributed by the International Organization of Migration, a part of the UN, to aid migrants on their journey towards the U.S. border.

Amigos Del Tren ("Friends of the Train")

This map advises immigrants on how to board and ride the "Train of Death," a freight train that runs through Mexico into the U.S. The map also gives travel time estimates and lists places to stay along the route. As the name "Train of Death" suggests, the route is as dangerous as it is illegal.

R4V (Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela)

This map specifically shows migrants from Ecuador how to leave the country and connect to Central America where they then proceed to the U.S. border. The map shows just how far south the migrant train really starts.

RECAP: Top 6 most SHOCKING moments from Davos 2024

Bloomberg / Contributor, FABRICE COFFRINI / Contributor, Getty Images / Staff | Getty Images

Glenn's warnings about the World Economic Forum's globalist agenda continue to be validated with each Davos meeting that passes, and 2024 was no exception. While Davos 2023 introduced startling topics like digital IDs, complete "climate transformations," and more, Davos 2024 hinged on the theme of combatting "mis and disinformation," even if it means sacrificing individual rights and national sovereignty to do so. Here is a recap of the top 6 speakers who set the tone for Davos 2024.

Klaus Schwab, Chairman and Founder of the World Economic Forum

Getty Images / Staff | Getty Images

While attempting to appease fears that the World Economic Forum is not a "decision-making body," WEF founder Klaus Schwab admitted that participants are "trustees" of the world's future and make actionable commitments based on the topics discussed at Davos:

We must rediscover and embrace the narrative that has driven humanity since its inception: acting as trustees for a better future.
[...]
The Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum is not a collective decision-making body, but its impact stems from the new insights gained through dialogue and interaction, and more importantly, from the commitments made by each participant to contribute more significantly in their respective areas of responsibility to solving our most pressing global issues.

Bill Gates, Founder and Former CEO of Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Anadolu / Contributor | Getty Images

Bill Gates made his annual debut at the World Economic Forum, and he never fails to leave a trail of questionable statements, leaving one feeling on the precipice of a bad remake of an Orwellian novel. Since 2020, Gates has been one of the most outspoken proponents of pandemic-era restrictions and COVID-19 vaccine mandates — how convenient that he heads the largest vaccine manufacturer in the world.

Now that the pandemic is over, Gates is positioning himself as a leader for "global equity," and it's as cringy as it sounds. Last week at Davos, Gates posited that the developed world should be compelled to pay a portion of its GDP to the developing world. This is the same jargon the Left always espouses — "The 1% has to pay their fair share" — except on a global scale.

"Those who have the most — whether it's countries, companies, or individuals — should be pushed to be more generous."

A common theme at Davos 2024 is the belief that the developed "global North's" contribution to the global climate crises, has caused mass displacement and migration in the "global South." Surely political and economic corruption in the region have nothing to do with it...

To pay for these "climate crimes," Bill Gates says the developed "global North" is obligated to pay retributions to the global "developing South."

Emmanuel Macron, President of France

LUDOVIC MARIN / Contributor | Getty Images

President Macron echoed Bill Gates with similar globalist language. Macron made the bold claim that he, along with globalist leaders in the EU, have the authority to "circulate" the resources of the 27 member states towards projects and initiatives of their own determination:

Our continent has a lot of savings, but these savings are not circulating towards the right places, towards the right sectors. We can move forward, all 27 of us, we should.

Macron gives no credence to the national sovereignty of each of the 27 nations that comprise the EU. Rather, the EU globalist elites know how to distribute funds and resources better than the people in the nations themselves.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

Ranking at the top of the EU globalist elites is Germany's Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission. During her Davos 2024 address, Von der Leyen pivoted from her typical climate alarmism talking points towards an even more pressing threat: "mis and disinformation."

For the global business community, the top concern for the next two years is not conflict or climate, it is disinformation and misinformation, followed closely by polarization within our societies.
[...]
Of course, like in all democracies, our freedom comes with risks. There will always be those who try to exploit our openness, both from inside and out. There will always be attempts to put us off track. For example, with disinformation and misinformation.

Disinformation and misinformation tackling this has been our focus since the very beginning of my mandate. With our Digital Services Act, we defined the responsibility of large internet platforms on the content they promote and propagate.

Apparently, the climate isn't the greatest existential threat facing civilization anymore. You are now the greatest existential threat if you dare speak your mind that's contrary to the globalists' narrative and "approved speech."

John Kerry, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

John Kerry has become America's poster child for the World Economic Forum. His political wizardry has somehow landed him the title of "Climate Czar" while traveling on a private jet to lecture you and me about the climate.

During Davos 2023, Kerry set a high bar for cringe-worthy statements after calling himself and the other Davos attendees "extraterrestrial" for their endeavors to save the planet. However, at Davos 2024, Kerry crosses the line from cringy to tyrannical.

Kerry completely disregards the electoral system that holds the United States together by claiming that the 2024 election outcome won't reverse the U.S.'s climate goals:

The US won't reverse clean energy transition regardless of election outcome.

Climate policy is determined by an elected official whose power is derived from the consent of the governed. The climate, according to Kerry, is too important to be held up by trivial processes like U.S. Presidential elections.

Javier Milei, President of Argentina

FABRICE COFFRINI / Contributor | Getty Images

Argentina's new President Milei was a beacon of liberty and freedom amid the Davos sea of collectivist, global elites. He did not mince words in his pointed defense of liberty. Milei argued that the collectivism promoted by the World Economic Forum is the single greatest threat to the West and the prosperity we have enjoyed through it. The end of collectivism, Milei argues, is poverty, slavery, and tyranny.

Here are the opening words of his powerful speech:

Today I'm here to tell you that the Western world is in danger. And it is in danger because those who are supposed to have to defend the values of the West are co-opted by a vision of the world that inexorably leads to socialism and thereby to poverty.

Unfortunately, in recent decades, the main leaders of the Western world have abandoned the model of freedom for different versions of what we call collectivism. Some have been motivated by well-meaning individuals who are willing to help others, and others have been motivated by the wish to belong to a privileged caste.

We're here to tell you that collectivist experiments are never the solution to the problems that afflict the citizens of the world. Rather, they are the root cause. Do believe me: no one is in better place than us, Argentines, to testify to these two points.