ShelfLife@Texas

Books make great gifts, especially for those “hard to buy for” people on your list. So take a break from the mall and head on over to the Humanities Texas annual Holiday Book Fair this Saturday, Dec. 10 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the historic Byrne-Reed House.

Twenty-one authors will be available to visit with the public and sign copies of their latest books, which Humanities Texas will offer for purchase at a discounted price. Proceeds will go to
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Book lovers, foodies, artists and scholars will partake in an annual rite of fall here in Austin: The Texas Book Festival. The 16th annual Texas Book Festival will take place in and around the Texas State Capitol and nearby venues on Oct. 22-23.

The lineup includes more than 250 authors, an eclectic mix of top literary names, bestselling novelists, political and nonfiction notables, cookbook superstars, Texas writers, children’s authors and promising newcomers.

The talent pool also includes University of Texas at Austin
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Constitutional law scholar Lucas A. “Scot” Powe Jr., of The University of Texas School of Law will sign copies of his book “The Supreme Court and the American Elite” at the Humanities Texas Holiday Book Fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, December 11 at the office for Humanities Texas, located in the newly restored Byrne-Reed House on the southwest corner of 15th and Rio Grande Street in Austin.

This festive event, features 25 authors, including university faculty H.W. Brands, Don Carleton, Elizabeth Engelhardt, Tiffany
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In just a few short weeks summer will be over. Time to say goodbye to the extra daylight, daytrips to the coast and weekend barbecue parties. But alas, all good things must come to an end. Why not escape from those end-of-summer blues with a good book? Here’s a sneak peek at some forthcoming reads that will be hitting the shelves this fall.

“American Colossus: The Triumph of Capitalism, 1865-1900” (Doubleday, Oct. 2010)
By H.W. Brands, the Dickson Allen Anderson Centennial Professor of
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“American Dreams” mean different things to different people, but for historian and University of Texas at Austin Professor H.W. Brands, it’s the title of his latest book. “American Dreams: The United States Since 1945” (Penguin Press, June 2010) takes a historical journey from the end of World War II to the Obama administration.

“After spending a lot of time dealing with the nineteenth century, I decided to return to the twentieth – and, not coincidentally to that part of American history
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H.W. Brands, professor of history at The University of Texas at Austin, was among the 93rd annual Pulitzer Prize finalists. He was nominated in the category of biography or autobiography for his book “Traitor to His Class: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.”

This is the second time Brands has been nominated for the honor. Brands was also named as one of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize nominees, which will be announced during a ceremony on
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The Feb. 12 issue of The New York Review of Books highlights a selection of new works about Franklin Roosevelt’s presidency, including “Traitor to His Class” by UT Historian H.W. Brands.

In the story “A Revolutionary President,” Russell Baker suggests the blooming of FDR books “…probably has a lot to do with Barack Obama’s assuming the presidency at a moment of economic breakdown just as Roosevelt did seventy-six years ago.”

The New York Review of Books isn’t the only media outlet to take
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History Professor H.W. Brand’s new FDR biography “Traitor to His Class: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt” (Doubleday, 2008) hits bookstores tomorrow.

For insight on Brands’ inspiration for the project, check out book editor Jeff Salamon’s interview with the historian in the story “TR, FDR, and Ph.D.’s: Two Austin historians discuss all things Roosevelt” from the Nov. 1 issue of the Austin American-Statesman.

Brands heads out on a nationwide book tour for “Traitor to his Class” this week.
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Professors and alumni from The University of Texas at Austin will share their expertise on topics ranging from the U.S. economic crisis to political figures in American history at the 2008 Texas Book Festival Nov. 1-2 at the Texas Capitol.

“Traitor to His Class: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt”
Author: H.W. Brands
Professor, Department of History
When: Sunday, Nov. 2, 2-2:45 p.m.
Where: Texas State Capitol: House Chamber

H.W. Brands offers an illuminating portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s life and career. The
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