From blizzards to the Beatles, lunar missions to rock sensations, today’s TWIH is a big, blog adventure. Enjoy!

This Week in History

January 6th, 1811: Charles Sumner, an American Civil War statesman, was born.
In case you missed yesterday’s posting, this is a fine time to remind you to check out the newest addition to the University of Nebraska Press’ Great Campaigns of the Civil War series: Counter-Thrust: From the Peninsula to the Antietam by Benjamin Franklin Cooling.

January 7th, 1996: The Eastern United States was hit by a major blizzard, which claimed more than 100 lives.
The Great Plains were hit by a devastating blizzard more than a century prior, on January 12, 1888. Renowned poet Ted Kooser penned a collection of poems detailing and reflecting on the devastation, compiled in the undeniably chilling book, Blizzard Voices.

January 8th*, 1935: Elvis Presley was born.
We think Elvis Presley would have been a big fan of Monte Dutton’s True to the Roots, which takes an up-close-and-personal look at Americana music, not just as a music form, but as a state of mind.

January 9th, 1968: The last U.S. unmanned exploration of the moon’s surface, the Surveyor 7 space probe, landed on the moon.
Are you “over the moon” for tales of rollicking space rides? If so, you’ll certainly want to take a look at the offerings of the University of Nebraska Press’ Outward Odyssey Series. Click here for a full list.

January 10th, 1964: “Introducing the Beatles,” the first U.S. album by the Beatles, was released.
Fans of modern music will want to pick up a book about another music legend, Frank Zappa. The Words and Music of Frank Zappa by Kelly Fisher Lowe moves beyond the details of Frank Zappa’s life toward a focused treatment of the rock and pop songs of this great American composer.

January 11th, 1935: Amelia Earhart began her flight from Honolulu, Hawaii to Oakland, California. She would become the first woman to cross the Pacific Ocean solo.
Aviation aficionados will want to mark their calendars for the April 2008 release of W. Scott Olsen’s Hard Air: Adventures from the Edge of Flying.

*January 8th was also the birthday of John G. Neihardt (1881-1973). He was a much-loved UNP author who published dozens of wonderful works of poetry, fiction, and philosophy. Click here for a full listing of UNP Neihardt titles.

Visit us on Monday for some great reviews of UNP books. Happy weekend, everyone!