Upton Bell Collection at UMass Lowell Libraries

The 100-foot promontory known as Pointe du Hoc -- where six big German guns were ensconced -- was the number one target of the heavy U.S. and British warships poised in the English Channel on D-Day morning. Facing arguably the toughest task to befall U.S. forces during the war, the brave men of the Army 2nd Ranger Battalion boldly took control of the fortified cliff and set in motion the liberation of Europe. Based upon recently released documents, here is the first in-depth, anecdotal remembrance of these fearless Army Rangers. Acclaimed author and historian Douglas Brinkley deftly moves between events four decades apart to tell two riveting stories: the making of Ronald Reagan's historic 1984 speeches about the storming of the Normandy coast and the actual heroic event that inspired them and helped to end the Second World War.

The blueprint for Nixon's downfall, based on tapes released from 2010 to 2013, most of which have never been published WhenThe Nixon Tapes: 1971-1972 was published in August of 2014, it jumped immediately onto theNew York Timesbestseller list and captivated media attention for its many revelations.  Douglas Brinkley and Luke Nichter's heroic efforts to transcribe and annotate the highlights of more than 3,700 hours of recorded conversations provided an unprecedented and fascinating window into the inner workings of a momentous presidency.  Now, with a concluding volume to cover the final year of the Nixon taping system, Brinkley and Nichter tell the rest of the story -- once again with revelations on every page, including:  how Nixon and Kissinger knew privately that the January 1973 Vietnam peace agreement would not hold, even as the ink was still drying how Nixon and Kissinger anticipated the Yom Kippur War in the Middle East Nixon's threat to send a "division" of tanks to kill Native Americans at the Wounded Knee standoff and more . . . With Nixon's dominating 1972 reelection receding into the background and the Watergate scandal looming,The Nixon Tapes: 1973 reveals the inside story of the tragedy that followed the triumph.

Published in commemoration of the centennial of President John F. Kennedy's birth, here is the definitive compendium of JFK's most important and brilliant speeches, accompanied by commentary and reflections by leading American and international figures--including Senator Elizabeth Warren, David McCullough, Kofi Annan, and the Dalai Lama--and edited by JFK's nephew Stephen Kennedy Smith and renowned historian Douglas Brinkley. Combined with over seven hundred documentary photos, it tells the story, in words and pictures, of JFK's life and presidency, and depicts his compelling vision for America. JFK brings together in one volume John F. Kennedy's greatest speeches alongside essays by America's top historians, analysis from leading political thinkers, and personal insights from preeminent writers and artists. Here is JFK at his best--thought-provoking, inspiring, eloquent, and wise--on a number of wide-ranging topics, including civil rights, the race to the moon, the environment, immigration, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and much more. JFK demonstrates the deep relevance of his words today and his lasting power and influence as an outstanding American leader and orator. Elegantly designed and enriched by more than 500 photographs and facsimiles of Kennedy's marginalia on drafts of speeches, his notes from important meetings, letters, and other fascinating documents, JFK is a major contribution to American history. The august list of contributors includes Secretary John Kerry, Ambassador Samantha Power, Congressman John Lewis, Senator John McCain, Senator Elizabeth Warren, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Robert Redford, Conan O'Brien, Dave Eggers, Gloria Steinem, Don DeLillo, David McCullough, George Packer, Colum McCann, Michael Beschloss, Robert Dallek, David Kennedy, Ted Widmer, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Drew Faust, Tariq Ramadan, Pastor Rick Warren, Jonathan Alter, E. J. Dionne, Ron Suskind, Paul Krugman, Kofi Annan, Governor Jerry Brown, Paul Theroux, Jorge Domínguez, and many others.