10 great book suggestions for your coronavirus self-quarantine

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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.

Glenn has often said that his audience is the most generous in the world, and you have continued that legacy in 2023.

From Maui and Afghanistan to Israel and Armenia, this audience has helped countless men, women, and children all over the world. What YOU have done this year through your generosity is, as Glenn says, nothing short of miraculous. Here are ten extraordinary feats made possible by YOU.

Maui

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This August, horrific wildfires raged across Maui, destroying the historic town of Lahaina along with thousands of acres of forest and claiming more than 100 lives. In response to this tragedy, which is now confirmed to be the deadliest wildfire in U.S. history, Glenn and Mercury One rallied the troops to support the Maui wildfire victims as they begin to heal and rebuild their lives. Through your support, Glenn's audience raised over $1.2 MILLION!

PreBorn

Long-time listeners of Glenn's show are familiar with PreBorn, a paid sponsor of the program. PreBorn is a pro-life organization that helps mothers in crisis pregnancies choose life by introducing them to their babies through free sonograms. Preborn also helps support mothers throughout their pregnancy up to two years after their baby is born. This year alone, PreBorn has saved over 28,000 babies from abortion.

Following Glenn's 40-day series on Biblical covenants, Glenn was inspired to commemorate his series by funding PreBorn for an entire 40 days. Glenn pledged the first $100,000, funding PreBorn for 20 days, and challenged his audience to raise the additional $100,000 for the following 20 days. This audience more than DOUBLED the $200,000 goal, saving thousands of babies and giving mothers hope.

Digital Historical Library

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Glenn is a collector of all things historical, as his long-time listeners know, and over the years he has amassed an incredible collection of artifacts and documents. Mercury One has started the intensive process of taking high-quality 3D scans of these artifacts to make them available to everyone. This includes invaluable pieces of American history such as the third-largest library of American founding documents, and the largest collection of documents from Jamestown, and the Pilgrims in the world. This is not light work, and it is only made possible with the generosity of Glenn's audience.

Nigeria

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On April 30th of this year, Glenn and The Nazarene Fund launched a new mission in Nigeria known as Operation Lego. Operation Lego's primary objective is to collect irrefutable evidence and intelligence to target individuals and rings involved with the illicit trade of organ harvesting, human trafficking, child abduction and exploitation, baby factories, and ritual killings. This work has already led to the arrest of six human traffickers, the rescue and aftercare of 32 children, and the rescue of 15 pregnant women who were continually raped by their captors, who then killed their babies to sell their organs on the black market. This practice is referred to as "baby factories," and YOUR support is rescuing women and children from this evil industry.

Afghanistan

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Currently, The Nazarene Fund is supporting 125 widows, children, and Christians in hiding within Afghanistan. This monthly support includes food and other necessary supplies. They are also supporting evacuations out of Afghanistan into safehouses in Pakistan, and from there into countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Germany, and Turkey for permanent resettlement. YOUR support has enabled the rescue and resettlement of these Christian families who are under constant threat from the Taliban.

Israel

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After Hamas' October 7th terrorist attacks, The Nazarene Fund chartered a flight from Tel Aviv to Nashville to bring home US citizens trapped in the country while the Biden administration took weeks to bring American citizens home. The Nazarene Fund also provided funding for the relocation of six Israeli families to the U.S.

Iraq and Syria

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This ongoing outreach is where The Nazarene Fund got its roots. In Syria, the Yazidi people are captured and kept as slaves in a giant prison camp called Al-hol. The Nazarene Fund locates and liberates prisoners from Al-hol and relocates them to Australia and Canada. Just this year alone, 190 people have been rescued from these terrible conditions.

Armenia

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Since the conflict in Azerbaijani forces began targeting Armenians in the historically Christian and highly contested Nagorno-Karabakh region in September, Armenians have attempted to flee their historic homeland in droves, fearing for their lives. Over 100,000 people have fled the battlefield and areas of conflict, creating a desperate situation along the Armenian-Azerbaijan border. The Nazarene Fund is on the ground in Armenia assisting Christian families flee the carnage. So far they have successfully evacuated 127 individuals.

Asia

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In Asia, The Nazarene Fund has Operation Renaissance, which is dedicated to assisting Christian families and other minority groups with food, medicine, and legal assistance across Asia. Operation Renaissance assisted over 1,590 Christian families fight against persecution and discrimination with cases including but not limited to kidnapping, workplace abuse, and sexual assault.

Around the world

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With the generosity of this audience, The Nazarene Fund has been able to provide aid and support to people all over the world, including the evacuation of 180 Kurdish workers in June, $200,000 of emergency aid for the victims of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that rattled Turkey, safe houses for at-risk Yazidi women and their children fathered by ISIS fighters, and protection for former ISIS captives who are witnesses against ISIS for crimes against humanity proceedings.

Truth is under attack. The gospel is under attack. We must be aware and equipped if we are going to respond.

Voddie Baucham has a message for Christians in today’s culture—it’s time to take a stand for the truth. In The Ever-Loving Truth, this powerful preacher and teacher addresses the cost of being a twenty-first-century Christian and helps readers apply the unchanging truth of God’s Word to contemporary life issues. The book draws parallels between committed Christians in our society and the New Testament writers, Peter and John, as followers of Christ who proclaimed and stood for truth in their non-Christian environment. You will find this compelling study leads you to evaluate what it means to be a Christian today and how to apply God’s unchanging truth to a variety of circumstances.

This post is a part of an ongoing series called "Glenn's Bookshelf" Have you ever wondered what topics Glenn is reading about on his own time? Follow the "Glenn's Bookshelf" series to get access to all the books that Glenn is reading.

An inspiring survivor of Mao’s Cultural Revolution in China makes a passionate case that history is eerily repeating itself as the Woke Revolution spreads across America.

Xi Van Fleet lived through the horrors of the Chinese Cultural Revolution as a schoolgirl. Forced to the countryside with other young Chinese for re-education after high school, she later escaped communism and found freedom and new a life in America. But more than 30 years later, Xi disturbingly sees signs of the same Cultural Marxism that ravaged her birth country of China threatening to destroy the America she now calls home.
This is her dire warning to the United States.

Xi compellingly tells the story of two Cultural Revolutions: one driven by Mao during her childhood and the one unfolding in today’s America from the progressive left. With captivating personal stories and extensive historic research, Xi reveals the stunning similarities of these two revolutions. This fascinating book shows readers that both revolutions:

  • Use Marxist tactics of division, indoctrination, deception, coercion, cancelation, subversion and violence.
  • Aim to destroy the foundation of the traditional culture to replace it with Marxist ideologies.
  • Weaponize youth, using them as their means to an end.
  • Share the same goal of achieving absolute power at the expense of the people.
  • Lead to the same ending: loss of freedom and totalitarian rule.

Readers will be captivated by the riveting personal story of a Chinese immigrant to the United States who overcame fear and reluctance to get involved in the movement to save America. Her political activism begins with a school board speech in 2021 against Critical Race Theory in Loudoun County, Virginia that unexpectedly goes viral and ignites national media attention. Xi now devotes her life to educating the American public on the shocking parallels between these two revolutions.
Because only when Americans understand what is really happening will they rise up and resist the communist takeover of America.

This post is a part of an ongoing series called "Glenn's Bookshelf" Have you ever wondered what topics Glenn is reading about on his own time? Follow the "Glenn's Bookshelf" series to get access to all the books that Glenn is reading.

For over a decade, philosopher and energy expert Alex Epstein has predicted that any negative impacts of fossil fuel use on our climate will be outweighed by the unique benefits of fossil fuels to human flourishing--including their unrivaled ability to provide low-cost, reliable energy to billions of people around the world, especially the world’s poorest people.

What does the future hold? In Fossil Future, Epstein, applying his distinctive “human flourishing framework” to the latest evidence, comes to the shocking conclusion that the benefits of fossil fuels will continue to far outweigh their side effects—including climate impacts—for generations to come. The path to global human flourishing, Epstein argues, is a combination of using more fossil fuels, getting better at “climate mastery,” and establishing “energy freedom” policies that allow nuclear and other truly promising alternatives to reach their full long-term potential.

Today’s pervasive claims of imminent climate catastrophe and imminent renewable energy dominance, Epstein shows, are based on what he calls the “anti-impact framework”—a set of faulty methods, false assumptions, and anti-human values that have caused the media’s designated experts to make wildly wrong predictions about fossil fuels, climate, and renewables for the last fifty years. Deeply researched and wide-ranging, this book will cause you to rethink everything you thought you knew about the future of our energy use, our environment, and our climate.

This post is a part of an ongoing series called "Glenn's Bookshelf" Have you ever wondered what topics Glenn is reading about on his own time? Follow the "Glenn's Bookshelf" series to get access to all the books that Glenn is reading. View series here.