Books by Julie M. Fenster

Mavericks, Miracles, and Medicine: The Pioneers Who Risked Their Lives to Bring Medicine into the Modern Age

by Julie M. Fenster

Mavericks, Miracles, and Medicine brings to life stories of the pioneering geniuses, eccentrics, and free thinkers who moved beyond the conventions of their day at great personal risk—often with tragic results—to push forward the boundaries of modern medicine. From Werner Forssmann, who was so confident in his theory that doctors could insert a catheter into a human heart for diagnostic purposes that he inserted one into his own heart, while watching on a live X-ray (and was basically thrown out of the profession, only to be awarded the Nobel Prize just before his death many years later), to Anton Von Leewenhoek, a draper and part-time janitor who discovered the existence of protozoa, bacteria, sperm, and blood cells; from Wilhelm Roentgen, who developed the X-ray machine in his basement with a single cathode ray and some cardboard, to Jean-Baptiste Denis, who gave the first-known blood transfusion (with sheep’s blood) and was later charged with murder (on manufactured evidence). Mavericks, Miracles, and Medicine is populated with the heretics and visionaries who forever changed medical science, and is featured on the History Channel miniseries of the same name.

Parish Priest: Father Michael McGivney and American Catholicism

by Douglas Brinkley, Julie Fenster, Julie M. Fenster

The first commercial, in-depth biography of the American-born Roman Catholic priest who may well be declared a saint. . . . “Delightful. . . . No magisterial biography emanating a suffocating aura of pomp and self-importance, this book is as low-key and as uplifting as Father Michael McGivney himself.”―Calgary Herald

“Father McGivney’s vision remains as relevant as ever in the changed circumstances of today’s Church and society.”―Pope John Paul II
In a time of discrimination and poverty for Catholics across America, Father Michael McGivney (1852-1890), began a legacy of hope that continues to this day. Called to action in 1882 by his sympathy for these suffering people, this dynamic yet tenderhearted man―the son of Irish immigrants― founded the Knights of Columbus, an organization that has saved countless families from destitution.
At heart, Father McGivney was the model of an American parish priest: Beloved by children, trusted by adults, and regarded as a “positive saint” by the elderly in his New Haven, CT, parish―a truly holy man whose life and works are still celebrated today.

Parish Priest: Father Michael McGivney and American Catholicism

by Douglas Brinkley, Julie Fenster, Julie M. Fenster

The first commercial, in-depth biography of the American-born Roman Catholic priest who may well be declared a saint. . . . “Delightful. . . . No magisterial biography emanating a suffocating aura of pomp and self-importance, this book is as low-key and as uplifting as Father Michael McGivney himself.”―Calgary Herald

“Father McGivney’s vision remains as relevant as ever in the changed circumstances of today’s Church and society.”―Pope John Paul II
In a time of discrimination and poverty for Catholics across America, Father Michael McGivney (1852-1890), began a legacy of hope that continues to this day. Called to action in 1882 by his sympathy for these suffering people, this dynamic yet tenderhearted man―the son of Irish immigrants― founded the Knights of Columbus, an organization that has saved countless families from destitution.
At heart, Father McGivney was the model of an American parish priest: Beloved by children, trusted by adults, and regarded as a “positive saint” by the elderly in his New Haven, CT, parish―a truly holy man whose life and works are still celebrated today.

The Case of Abraham Lincoln: A Story of Adultery, Murder, and the Making of a Great President

by Julie M. Fenster

In 1856, Abraham Lincoln was at a personal crossroads. Often despondent, he had grown bored with his work as a lawyer. He was beginning to see himself as just a former Congressman, without much of a future in politics. Later that year, the gruesome murder of a Springfield blacksmith provided the case that defined Lincoln's legal career. The string of lurid revelations that followed the crime became front page news across the country, putting Lincoln back in the national spotlight. The Anderson case reflected the spirit of the times: an inescapable, dark world, hidden within the optimism and innocence of the young city of Springfield. With the Anderson murder, Lincoln's legal skills as a defender were challenged as never before and he was finally able to prove himself as a man with a great destiny.

FDR's Shadow: Louis Howe, the Force That Shaped Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt

by Julie M. Fenster

In 1921, Franklin Delano Roosevelt€”the 1920 vice presidential candidate on the losing Democratic ticket€”was overcome by an illness that left him unable to walk. He retired to his family estate in Hyde Park with his wife, Eleanor, who was suffering emotional problems of her own. For the Roosevelts, it was the low point of their lives. At that juncture, Roosevelt€™s advisor, Louis Howe, moved in with them, leaving his own family behind. Howe set to work to lift Roosevelt€™s spirits and maintain his connection to the world of politics. At the same time, he encouraged Eleanor to develop the self-esteem that would allow her to realize her full potential. Three years later, against all expectations, FDR was once again a key player on the national political stage and Eleanor had blossomed into the public figure we all know and love. With her signature insight and wit, Julie Fenster presents a vivid, behind-the-scenes portrait of the world of the

Jefferson's America: The President, the Purchase, and the Explorers Who Transformed a Nation

by Julie M. Fenster

The surprising story of how Thomas Jefferson commanded an unrivaled age of American exploration—and in presiding over that era of discovery, forged a great nation.

At the dawn of the nineteenth century, as Britain, France, Spain, and the United States all jockeyed for control of the vast expanses west of the Mississippi River, the stakes for American expansion were incalculably high. Even after the American purchase of the Louisiana Territory, Spain still coveted that land and was prepared to employ any means to retain it. With war expected at any moment, Jefferson played a game of strategy, putting on the ground the only Americans he could: a cadre of explorers who finally annexed it through courageous investigation.

Responsible for orchestrating the American push into the continent was President Thomas Jefferson. He most famously recruited Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, who led the Corps of Discovery to the Pacific, but at the same time there were other teams who did the same work, in places where it was even more crucial. William Dunbar, George Hunter, Thomas Freeman, Peter Custis, and the dauntless Zebulon Pike—all were dispatched on urgent missions to map the frontier and keep up a steady correspondence with Washington about their findings.

But they weren’t always well-matched—with each other and certainly not with a Spanish army of a thousand soldiers or more. These tensions threatened to undermine Jefferson’s goals for the nascent country, leaving the United States in danger of losing its foothold in the West. Deeply researched and inspiringly told, Jefferson’s America rediscovers the robust and often harrowing action from these seminal expeditions and illuminates the president’s vision for a continental America.

Jefferson's America: The President, the Purchase, and the Explorers Who Transformed a Nation

by Julie M. Fenster

The surprising story of how Thomas Jefferson commanded an unrivaled age of American exploration—and in presiding over that era of discovery, forged a great nation.

At the dawn of the nineteenth century, as Britain, France, Spain, and the United States all jockeyed for control of the vast expanses west of the Mississippi River, the stakes for American expansion were incalculably high. Even after the American purchase of the Louisiana Territory, Spain still coveted that land and was prepared to employ any means to retain it. With war expected at any moment, Jefferson played a game of strategy, putting on the ground the only Americans he could: a cadre of explorers who finally annexed it through courageous investigation.

Responsible for orchestrating the American push into the continent was President Thomas Jefferson. He most famously recruited Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, who led the Corps of Discovery to the Pacific, but at the same time there were other teams who did the same work, in places where it was even more crucial. William Dunbar, George Hunter, Thomas Freeman, Peter Custis, and the dauntless Zebulon Pike—all were dispatched on urgent missions to map the frontier and keep up a steady correspondence with Washington about their findings.

But they weren’t always well-matched—with each other and certainly not with a Spanish army of a thousand soldiers or more. These tensions threatened to undermine Jefferson’s goals for the nascent country, leaving the United States in danger of losing its foothold in the West. Deeply researched and inspiringly told, Jefferson’s America rediscovers the robust and often harrowing action from these seminal expeditions and illuminates the president’s vision for a continental America.

case-of-abraham-lincoln

by Julie M. Fenster

The year 1856 was a pivotal one for this country, witnessing the birth of the Republican Party as we know it. But it was also a critical year in the troubled political life of Abraham Lincoln. As a lawyer, he tried his most scandalous murder case. At the same time, he made a decision which unleashed his soaring abilities for the first time, a decision which reverberates to this whether or not to join the new Republican Party. The Case of Abraham Lincoln offers the first-ever account of the suspenseful Anderson Murder Case, and Lincoln’s role in it. Bestselling historian Fenster not only examines the case that changed Lincoln’s fate, but portrays his day-to-day life as a circuit lawyer and how it shaped him as a politician. In a book that draws a picture of Lincoln in court and at home during that memorable season of 1856, Fenster also offers a close-up look at Lincoln’s political work, much of it masterful, some of it adventurous, in building the party that would change his fate – and that of the nation.

For the Next Generation A Wake-Up Call to Solving Our Nation's Problems

by Julie M. Fenster, Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Congresswoman and Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz challenges the nation to resolve tough political issues for future generations.

America has witnessed the dangers that come with shortsightedness, writes Debbie Wasserman Schultz in For the Next Generation. If we want to ensure prosperity for ourselves and an improved way of life for young Americans, we have to change, starting now. We must:

· Create jobs

· Turned around our economy

· Formulate a long-term energy solution

· Reform immigration policies

· Enhance and expand health-care coverage

Yet these important issues have been sidelined by gridlock in a Congress that is too concerned about the next election to worry about the future. The group of Americans who have the most to lose from this dysfunction are the ones least represented in government: America's children. For the Next Generation is a call to action, one mother's challenge to her congressional colleagues and to the rest of the nation, to adopt a parent's perspective for doing right by kids.

Marked by clarity and by Debbie's characteristic poise, this polemic is informed by the congresswoman's own personal and professional experiences. It digs deep, exposing very real threats that America faces as a result of its failure to confront tough decisions in politics. Debbie conveys a vision of an America that has learned hard lessons from its recent past, an America galvanized by a renewed sense of purpose for applying that wisdom through forward-thinking policies on education, civil rights, and foreign policy. She describes how she will fight to overcome the legislative obstacles that inhibit progress, and she calls upon fair-minded Americans to lend their own strengths to securing a better tomorrow for the next generation.