National Archives Hosts Monthly Book Group Discussions In 2008
Press Release · Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Washington, DC

Washington, DC…The National Archives will hold six book group discussions in 2008. All programs are free and open to the public, and will be held at noon in the National Archives Building Research Center, Room G-24. Please check the Archives Shop (202-357-5271) for book availability and a special discount for book group participants.

Please note: the public should use the National Archives Building’s 700 Pennsylvania Avenue entrance, between 7th and 9th Streets, NW. The National Archives is fully accessible. To request a special accommodation (e.g., sign language interpreter) for a public program please e-mail public.program@nara.gov or call (202) 357-5000 at least two weeks prior to the event.

February 19, 2008
Lindbergh, by A. Scott Berg
From the moment he landed in Paris on May 21, 1927, Lindbergh found himself thrust into the limelight of the media. Berg casts a new light on Lindbergh's childhood; his astonishing flight; the kidnapping of his son; his fascination with Hitler's Germany; and his unsung work in his later years. Author A. Scott Berg is the first and only writer to have been given unrestricted access to the massive Lindbergh archives - more than two thousand boxes of personal papers, including reams of unpublished letters and diaries.

March 18, 2008
These Honored Dead: How the Story of Gettysburg Shaped American Memory, by Thomas A. Desjardin and Robert Pigeon (Editor).
Ever since the battle of Gettysburg ended and Lincoln delivered his famous two-minute speech remembering those who had given their lives, this three-day conflict in 1863 has become an American legend. Gettysburg is remembered as the biggest, bloodiest, and most important battle ever fought in the Civil War. How much truth is behind the legend? Desjardin, a prominent Civil War historian and a perceptive cultural observer, demonstrates how flawed our knowledge of this enormous event has become, and why.

April 15, 2008
All You Need Is Love: The Peace Corps and the Spirit of the 1960s, by Elizabeth Cobbs Hoffman
Everyone has heard of the Peace Corps, and that's no accident. When the agency was started in the early days of the Kennedy Administration, one of the top priorities was making it known virtually overnight, and some of the most talented advertising professionals in America donated their expertise to publicizing it. Elizabeth Cobbs Hoffman, a professor of American foreign relations at San Diego State University, details the first decade of the Peace Corps, focusing on the struggles to create the agency, the political skill that made it flourish, and the influence of the Vietnam War.

September 16, 2008
Revolution Remembered: Eyewitness Accounts of the War for Independence, by John C. Dann (Editor)
A fascinating selection of information based on the testimony of embattled farmers who tell us in their own words what they saw with their own eyes. The Revolution Remembered uses 79 first-hand accounts from veterans of the war to provide the reader with the feel of what it must have been like to fight and live through America's bloody battle for independence. The military pension records at the National Archives provided an important source for this book.

October 21, 2008
Spying on the Bomb: American Nuclear Intelligence from Nazi Germany to Iran and North Korea, by Jeffrey T. Richelson
Richelson traces the evolution of U.S. nuclear intelligence efforts--both successes and failures--from the early days of World War II to the twenty-first century. The author focuses on the early nuclear programs of 15 nations and the U.S. effort to determine if they were trying to acquire nuclear weapons, how far they had gotten, and their attempts to improve those capabilities. Richelson draws on recently declassified documents and interviews with scientists and spies involved in nuclear espionage. His analysis of the nation's nuclear espionage includes spy-satellite photographs from the National Archives.

November 18, 2008
The Lost Museum: The Nazi Conspiracy to Steal the World's Greatest Works of Art, by Hector Feliciano
During the occupation of Paris, the Nazis confiscated nearly 100,000 artworks from more than 200 collectors, transporting most of the spoils to Germany. After the war, many works that were found were returned to their owners. But a large number had disappeared, been destroyed, or spirited out of Europe into the underground art market. Drawing on recently declassified government archives and information provided by the heirs of the collections, Feliciano traces the fate of the artworks, including many that ended up in major art museums throughout Europe and the United States.

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For Press information, contact the National Archives Public Affairs staff at 202-357-5300.

To verify the date and times of the programs, the public should call 202-357-5333 or view the Calendar of Events online.

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