Every town has its secrets, and every neighborhood holds mysteries waiting to be uncovered. While you might think you know your local area inside and out, we're willing to bet there are stories lurking in plain sight that would completely surprise you – tales of remarkable individuals, forgotten events, and pivotal moments that quietly shaped the place you call home.
Today, we're excited to introduce you to our newest releases, each one a carefully crafted window into different aspects of our region's rich and complex past. These aren't your typical dry historical accounts filled with dates and statistics. Instead, they're engaging narratives that bring real people and authentic experiences back to life, making history feel immediate and personal.
Whether you're passionate about local genealogy, fascinated by how places evolve over time, or simply love a good story well told, these new releases promise to change how you see the familiar landmarks and landscapes around you.
Enjoy a glimpse of the history behind the most prestigious museums and discover sites better known for their part in international scandals. Peek into California’s colonial past, visit sites from the golden age of film or explore the urban legends surrounding the Black Dahlia. With tips from the best times to visit to where to park, experience the best of Los Angeles like a local.
In the middle of June 1855, a small group of Mormon missionaries arrived to a blistering hot, desolate valley. The call to Las Vegas was twofold; the men were to assist their fellow brethren traversing the Mormon Corridor and to establish peaceful relations with the region’s Southern Paiutes. The men organized a waystation inside an impressive adobe fort erected with thousands of bricks made by their own hands. When their two-year assignment ended, possession of the fort was assumed by others who transformed it into a supply station and ranch. Historical societies have long united to properly recognize the fort remnant and bring about meaningful preservation. They saw their work realized with the opening of the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park.
As the nation’s future hung in the balance, the Weather Gods delivered a wrath of fury on Union and Confederate forces throughout the Gettysburg Campaign. First, record-breaking heat and humidity wore down the warring armies during ungodly forced marches. Next, relentless storms plagued the soldiers with resultant muddy slogs on nearly impassable roads. As the armies met in mortal combat, soul-crushing heat turned the bucolic fields of Gettysburg into a sanguinary and barren expanse. Finally, torrential rains haunted the Confederate retreat and narrow escape across a swollen Potomac River. Authors Jeffrey J. Harding and Jon M. Nese present firsthand accounts, harrowing narratives and groundbreaking meteorological research that reshapes how we view the Civil War’s Gettysburg Campaign.
Built by hardworking immigrants chasing the American Dream, these taverns were where workers cashed their paychecks, swapped stories, celebrated victories and sometimes witnessed late-night crimes. Family-run bars were often passed down through generations, becoming intertwined with the ever-changing face of the city. Although many did not survive the 1960s and ’70s, their memory lives on.
Although occasionally long and roughly paved, roads less traveled reveal cultural gems in every region of the state. From the peaks of the Guadalupe Mountains to the valleys of the Rio Grande, find the best food you’ve ever indulged in, the kindest people you’ve ever met and stories that’ll last a lifetime. Make time for Texas’s wineries and historic churches. Explore true crime and paleontology specific excursions, and relish natural wonders and landmarks of human ingenuity. Author Raegan Scharfetter leads a tour through some of the most rewarding destinations in the Lone Star State.
