Looking to pick up a new book? This Valley VIP shares two favorite history-focused reads. (And check back next week for more reading recs!)
Dave Pratt, founder of Star Worldwide Networks
The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family and Defiance During the Blitz “First off, anything Erik Larson writes is phenomenal, especially in regards to England during the World War II era. This book covers the darkness of 1940 before America officially entered the war, when England was battling through night raids from Nazi and enemy aircraft. Randomly, sirens would blare and lights would go dark making targets were invisible to enemy pilots. Search lights circled to locate enemy planes for return fire. Just think about families and more living in London through that period. Can you imagine?”
The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West “David McCullough is my all-time favorite author. I can thank my high school history teacher who assigned us his books about the building of the Panama Canal and the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. My wife often says, ‘Dave, you should have been a history teacher or a history writer.’ I love it that much! For 44 years now, I have been hooked on David McCullough of which I have read roughly 40 books. I especially love the audio book versions for when I travel or am just relaxing. His current book, The Pioneers, details one of the toughest and most resilient generations of Americans.”
