American: Beyond Our Grandest Notions
by Chris Matthews ’67

Called “a celebration of the American Spirit,” American: Beyond Our Grandest Notions, by Chris Matthews ’67, is a portrait of the country that traces a national temperament by examining our history, our myths and our popular culture. Matthews sees a broad and rich strain of sometimes paradoxical qualities that combine to make America unique and vibrant—pragmatism and optimism, independence and inclusiveness, rebelliousness and compassion.

Matthews is host and anchor of MSNBC’s Hardball, and star of the NBC-syndicated program, The Chris Matthews Show. A veteran of 15 years with the San Francisco Examiner and Chronicle, he was a speechwriter for President Jimmy Carter and senior aide to Thomas P. O’Neill Jr., former U.S. Speaker of the House. Matthews is The New York Times bestselling author of Now, Let Me Tell You What I Really Think, Hardball and Kennedy & Nixon. He lives with his wife, Kathleen Matthews, news anchor for the ABC affiliate in Washington, D.C., and their three children, in Chevy Chase, Md.

Ship Ablaze: The Tragedy of the Steamboat General Slocum
by Edward T. O’Donnell ’86

Ship Ablaze: The Tragedy of the Steamboat General Slocum by Edward T. O’Donnell ’86 tells the story of New York’s deadliest tragedy prior to Sept. 11, 2001. On June 15, 1904, 1,021 of New York’s Lower East Side residents perished, when a fire on the General Slocum forced the terrified passengers into the water. The only book available on this chapter in the city’s history, Ship Ablaze draws on firsthand accounts to examine why the death toll was so high, how the city responded, and why this event failed to achieve the infamy of the Titanic’s 1912 demise or the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. “Edward O’Donnell provides a dramatic and compelling narrative of New York’s saddest tragedy before 9/11,” notes best-selling author Clive Cussler. “It’s a fascinating probe into the holocaust that killed hundreds of women and children, and O’Donnell does a spellbinding job of making the calamity come alive.”

O’Donnell is an associate professor in the College’s history department. The author of 1001 Things Everyone Should Know About Irish American History (Broadway Books, 2002), he lives in Holden, Mass., with his wife, Stephanie Yeager ’86, and four daughters.

120 Days in Deep Hiding
by Robert E. Morris ’65

120 Days in Deep Hiding, by Robert E. Morris ’65, tells the story of his ordeal during the first Gulf War, when he was forced into hiding after Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait. Escaping capture by Iraqi soldiers, Morris hid in occupied Kuwait City for over four months, desperately trying to evade the Iraqi military. The book conveys the tactics that Morris and friends conceived to avoid capture in an endless series of round-ups. Hearing horrifying rumors of prisoner torture and murder, Morris and his hidden group devised a daring escape plan that is detailed in the book.

120 Days in Deep Hiding, by Robert E. Morris ’65, tells the story of his ordeal during the first Gulf War, when he was forced into hiding after Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait. Escaping capture by Iraqi soldiers, Morris hid in occupied Kuwait City for over four months, desperately trying to evade the Iraqi military. The book conveys the tactics that Morris and friends conceived to avoid capture in an endless series of round-ups. Hearing horrifying rumors of prisoner torture and murder, Morris and his hidden group devised a daring escape plan that is detailed in the book.

Indian Summer: The Forgotten Story of Louis Sockalexis, the First Native American in Major League Baseball
by Brian McDonald

Indian Summer: The Forgotten Story of Louis Sockalexis, the First Native American in Major League Baseball, by Brian McDonald, tells the story of Holy Cross’ first Hall of Famer. A full-blooded Penobscot Indian and the son of the tribe’s chief, Sockalexis came to Mount Saint James in 1895, on what was possibly one of the first college athletic scholarships ever recorded. His sensational play at the College led him to an offer from the Cleveland Spiders and a short, but impressive, career. Dubbed the “Chief of Sockum” by sportswriters of the era, he also inspired the creation of a fictional sports character, Frank Merriwell. In 1915, the Cleveland Spiders changed their name to the Indians as a tribute to Sockalexis. Publishers Weekly calls the book “tantalizing” and promises that it will be enjoyed by all “baseball romantics.”