FOR HISTORY BUFFS

Napoleon: A Life (Basic Books) by Adam Zamoyski

This deep dive cuts through much of the myth surrounding Napoleon and gets straight to the heart of who he was as a leader and a person.

Best of Enemies: The Last Great Spy Story of the Cold War (Twelve) by Gus Russo and Eric Dezenhall

In late 1970s in Washington, DC, two newly arrived intelligence men CIA agent Jack Platt and KGB agent Gennady Vasilenko became close (and wildly improbable) friends. Perfect for the person who’s still mourning the end of “The Americans” and its bromance between Stan Beeman and Philip Jennings.

Atticus Finch: A Biography (Basic Books) by Joseph Crespino

It might seem strange to have a “biography” of the fictional “To Kill a Mockingbird” character, but this is a look at A.C. Lee, Harper Lee’s father and the inspiration for Scout’s dad. A fascinating profile of a complicated person.

Churchill: Walking with Destiny (Viking) by Andrew Roberts

This definitive biography of the storied leader was made possible through unprecedented access to material, including diaries, letters, unpublished memoirs and even the detailed diary notes taken by King George VI.

Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom (Simon & Schuster) by David Blight

An escaped slave who went on to become a leading orator, writer and abolitionist, this is the first major biography of Douglass in nearly 25 years.

Chasing New Horizons: Inside the Epic First Mission to Pluto (Picador) by Alan Stern and David Grinspoon

In July 2015, a NASA spacecraft whizzed past Pluto for the first time — and took pictures of the icy planet, capturing the world’s imagination. Mission leader Dr. Alan Stern tells the inside story of an unforgettable adventure.