Happy Leap Day, bloggers! This day comes along but once every four years, so enjoy it! This week in the history books was as unique as an extra day in February. So let’s see what happened…

This Week in History

February 24, 1920: The Nazi party held its first meeting of importance in Munich.
Check out Opa Nobody by Sonya Huber for a captivating memoir reflecting on the life of her grandfather, Heina Buschman, an anti-Nazi activist.

February 25, 1964: Cassius Clay (later known as Muhammad Ali) became the world heavyweight boxing champion.
Calling all boxing fans! In January 2009, the University of Nebraska Press will release The Art and Aesthetics of Boxing by David Scott. Stay tuned for details!

February 26, 1846: Famed frontiersman and entertainer Buffalo Bill Cody was born in Iowa.
You won’t want to miss our fantastic selection of literature on the American West. View the full list here.

February 27, 1973: American Indian Movement activists occupied Wounded Knee, South Dakota, the site of the 1890 Sioux massacre.
For a vivid first-hand account of the occupation, snag a copy of Viet Cong at Wounded Knee: The Trail of a Blackfeet Activist by Woody Kipp.

February 28, 1849: The first gold prospectors arrived by ship in San Francisco, California.
If you’re into Gold Rush history, you’ll want to read On the Trail to the California Gold Rush by Alonzo Delano, a unique journal of one man’s journey to the California coast in search of fortune.

February 29, 1940: Gone with the Wind won eight Oscars at the Academy Awards.
Think Clark Gable was dreamy as Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind? Well, Paul Swan could have given him a run for his money. Read all about this actor/artist/dancer in the appropriately named The Most Beautiful Man in the World: Paul Swan, from Wilde to Warhol by Janis Londraville and Richard Londraville.

That wraps it up for this week, everyone. Check in again on Monday for new reviews of UNP books!