Erik Larson Knihy

Winston Churchill se stal premiérem v květnu 1940, v kritické době, kdy Hitlerova armáda vtrhla do Nizozemska, Belgie a Lucemburska, a kdy se blížila evakuace spojeneckých jednotek z Dunkerku. Čelil obrovskému úkolu sjednotit národ k odporu proti německé agresi a přesvědčit Ameriku, že Británie je cenným spojencem. Tato neobyčejná kniha nabízí nový pohled na Churchilla jako na lidskou bytost, zachycující jeho rozhodování a každodenní život. Čtenáři se stávají svědky napínavých válečných událostí a politických manévrů, zatímco pronikají do intimního prostředí jeho rodiny. Seznamují se s jeho manželkou Clementine, dcerou Mary, která touží po větší samostatnosti, problematickým synem Randolphem a jeho mladou manželkou Pamelou. Kniha také zachycuje klíčové členy válečného kabinetu a personál, přičemž nás zavádí do Downing Street, venkovského sídla Chequers a útočiště Ditchley během bombardování. Přibližuje život Britů v těžkých časech a představuje důležité postavy, které do Londýna vyslal Roosevelt, stejně jako nacistické vůdce. Autor vychází z deníkových záznamů a archivních zdrojů, což dodává příběhu autenticitu a napětí, jako by šlo o beletrii.

Ďábel v Bílém městě, kritiky oceňovaný bestseller, je beletrizovaná literatura faktu o skutečném příběhu masového vraha H. H. Holmese, amerického Jacka Rozparovače, který roku 1893 v Chicagu za Světové kolumbovské výstavy zavraždil desítky, možná až stovky žen ve svém speciálně navrženém a vystavěném, obrovském bludišti plném mučíren, propadlišť, piteven a slepých uliček. Vrah, který měl ve svém doupěti dokonce i plynovou komoru, byl nakonec usvědčen a poslán na šibenici.

Biografické dílo o americké rodině Doddových – věnuje se zejména otci rodiny Williamovi a dceři Martě. William Dodd byl historik a univerzitní profesor, kterého prezident Roosevelt v roce 1933 jmenoval novým americkým velvyslancem v Německu. Na následujících pět let se tak Doddovi stěhují do Berlína, kde jsou svědky rostoucí síly nacistické strany. V knize se prolínají dvě roviny, které se jen vzácně protnou: jsou to linie Williama a linie Marthy, první je spíš diplomatická, druhá společenská. V nezbytné míře je připomínán historický kontext vývoje německé společnosti i Hitlerův nástup k moci.

"On Winston Churchill's first day as prime minister, Hitler invaded Holland and Belgium. Over the next twelve months, the Nazis would wage a relentless bombing campaign - and it was up to Churchill to shore the country and teach the British what Erik Larson calls 'the art of being fearless.' Drawing on diaries, archival documents, and once-secret intelligence reports, Larson provides a new lens on London's darkest year through the day-to-day experience of Churchill and his family, and his closest advisers. The Splendid and the Vile takes readers back to a time of true leadership, when, in the face of unrelenting horror, Churchill's eloquence, courage, and perseverance bound a country, and a family, together."-- Back cover

On May 1, 1915, a luxury ocean liner as richly appointed as an English country house sailed out of New York, bound for Liverpool, carrying a record number of children and infants. The passengers were anxious. Germany had declared the seas around Britain to be a war zone, and for months, its U-boats had brought terror to the North Atlantic. But the Lusitania was one of the era's great transatlantic "Greyhounds" and her captain, William Thomas Turner, placed tremendous faith in the gentlemanly strictures of warfare that for a century had kept civilian ships safe from attack. He knew, moreover, that his ship -- the fastest then in service -- could outrun any threat. Germany, however, was determined to change the rules of the game, and Walther Schwieger, the captain of Unterseeboot-20, was happy to oblige. Meanwhile, an ultra-secret British intelligence unit tracked Schwieger's U-boat, but told no one. As U-20 and the Lusitania made their way toward Liverpool, an array of forces both grand and achingly small -- hubris, a chance fog, a closely guarded secret, and more -- all converged to produce one of the great disasters of history

Documents the efforts of the first American ambassador to Hitler's Germany, William E. Dodd, to acclimate to a residence in an increasingly violent city where he is forced to associate with the Nazis while his daughter pursues a relationship with Gestapo chief Rudolf Diels.

On May 1, 1915, a luxury ocean liner as richly appointed as an English country house sailed out of New York, bound for Liverpool, carrying a record number of children and infants. The passengers were anxious. Germany had declared the seas around Britain to be a war zone, and for months, its U-boats had brought terror to the North Atlantic. But the Lusitania was one of the era's great transatlantic "Greyhounds" and her captain, William Thomas Turner, placed tremendous faith in the gentlemanly strictures of warfare that for a century had kept civilian ships safe from attack. He knew, moreover, that his ship -- the fastest then in service -- could outrun any threat. Germany, however, was determined to change the rules of the game, and Walther Schwieger, the captain of Unterseeboot-20, was happy to oblige. Meanwhile, an ultra-secret British intelligence unit tracked Schwieger's U-boat, but told no one. As U-20 and the Lusitania made their way toward Liverpool, an array of forces both grand and achingly small -- hubris, a chance fog, a closely guarded secret, and more -- all converged to produce one of the great disasters of history

The narrative delves into the harrowing events surrounding the deadliest hurricane in history, blending gripping storytelling with historical detail. It explores the impact of the storm on communities, the human experiences during the disaster, and the aftermath that shaped future responses to such calamities. The author, known for meticulous research and engaging prose, brings to life the tragedy and resilience of those affected, making it a compelling read for history enthusiasts and those interested in natural disasters.

Set against the Chicago World Fair of 1893 two true tales are intertwined; Daniel Hudson Burnham, the architect behind the Fair -- and Henry H. Holmes, the serial killer using the Fair to kill his victims.

"Futurists are certain that humanlike AI is on the horizon, but in fact engineers have no idea how to program human reasoning. AI reasons from statistical correlations across data sets, while common sense is based heavily on conjecture. Erik Larson argues that hyping existing methods will only hold us back from developing truly humanlike AI"-- Provided by publisher