Books in Thorndike Nonfiction series

The intimate and startlingly candid memoir from one of America's most beloved and private first ladies.In a captivating and compelling voice that ranks with many of our greatest memoirists, Laura Bush tells the story of her unique journey from dusty Midland, Texas, to the world stage and the White House. Her compassion, her sense of humor, her grace, and her uncommon willingness to bare her heart make Laura Bush's story deeply revelatory, beautifully rendered, and unlike any other First Lady's memoir ever written.

Following 9/11, a small band of Special Forces soldiers secretly entered Afghanistan and rode to war on horseback against the Taliban. Outnumbered forty to one, they pursued the enemy across the mountainous terrain and captured the strategic city of Mazari-Sharif. The bone-weary Americans were welcomed as liberators, and overjoyed Afghans thronged the streets. Then the action took an unexpected turn: the Horse Soldiers were ambushed.

A New York Times Bestseller Sarah Vowell exposes the glorious conundrums of American history and culture with wit, probity, and an irreverent sense of humor. From Buffalo to Alaska, Washington to the Dry Tortugas, she visits locations immortalized and influenced by the spilling of politically important blood. The resulting narrative is the disturbing and fascinating story of how American death has been manipulated by popular culture.

A New York Times Bestselling Author Riding a bicycle across the United States is one of those bucket-list goals that many dream about but few fulfill. In 2011 at the age of fifty-seven, New York Times obituary writer Bruce Weber made the trip alone and wrote about it as it unfolded mile by mile. Now, expanding upon the articles and blog posts that quickly became a must-read adventure story, Weber gives us a witty, inspiring, and reflective diary of his journey.