Southern Nonfiction

The term “serial killer” was first introduced in the 1970s by FBI Agent Robert Ressler. Shortly after joining the FBI in 1970, he was recruited to join the newly developed Behavioral Science Unit where he became fascinated with the psychology behind violent offenders. He wanted to better understand the motive behind a murder – what caused the person to act out in such a way, and what similarities these individuals shared. Ressler recognized that most offenders knew their victims, but there was a certain type of killer that picked their victims at random, and often killed multiple ...

The sprawling highways and quiet small towns of Texas hide a dark and brutal history. Beyond the headlines and whispered local legends lie the definitive, blood-curdling stories of the state's most horrifying crimes. True Crime - Gore in Texas is not for the faint of heart. This meticulously researched anthology rips open the case files on the Lone Star State's most infamous and psychologically disturbing criminals. From the sadistic "Candy Man" Dean Corll to the shocking acts of family annihilators and the cold, calculated slayings of cartel hitmen, these accounts detail the manhunts that ...

Hillbilly Elegy recounts J.D. Vance's powerful origin story... From a former marine and Yale Law School graduate now serving as a U.S. Senator from Ohio and the Republican Vice Presidential candidate for the 2024 election, an incisive account of growing up in a poor Rust Belt town that offers a...

A historical non-fiction book set in various regions of ancient North and South America during the pre-Columbian era. Unearth the forgotten legacy of the Mound-Builders—an advanced civilization that flourished across North America long before European contact. This compelling narrative dives deep into the rich history of these remarkable ancient peoples, exploring their impressive earthen mounds, complex social structures, and the tragic tales of knowledge lost to time and conquest. Their story is one of ingenuity, resilience, and ultimately, a poignant reminder of what was lost in the ...

They’ve just achieved statehood. Has the wilderness of this new wife’s childhood been completely tamed, or are there deadly threats on the horizon? Florida, 1844. Mary Adeline Walker brims with optimism. After three years of marriage, she’s still head-over-heels in love with her refined gentleman of a husband and delights in their blended family of five children. But it’s hard to remain at peace as outlaw gangs constantly crop up and news of war with Mexico brings a spark to her spouse’s eyes. Relieved as the conflict sweeps by without harming her household, Mary steadfastly keeps...

“So often people ask me if there’s a book on story I can recommend. This is the one. I can’t recommend it highly enough.”––Alexa Junge, writer/producer, Friends, Sex and the City, The West Wing A master class of 27 lessons, drawn from 27 diverse narratives, for novelists...

Blood, Water, and Jazz tells the story of Louisiana like never before—a place of empires and revolutions, of slavery and freedom, of music and resilience. From the first Indigenous nations along the Mississippi, through French and Spanish colonial struggles, the rise of the Cotton Kingdom, the Civil War, Jazz’s birth, the Great Depression, and the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana’s history is a story of survival against all odds. With vivid narratives, unforgettable vignettes, and deep cultural insight, this book brings history to life: walk the levees with enslaved workers...

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER In this gripping Civil War history, Fox Business's Gerri Willis charts the making of a spymaster genius. Wealthy Southern belle Elizabeth Van Lew had it all. Money, charm, wit—the most elegant mansion in Richmond. So why risk everything to become a Union...

What happens when the house of your dreams becomes the cause of your nightmares? In The Haunting of Pensacola Avenue, Julie Still-Rolin shares her chilling, real-life experience of living in a haunted house for over a decade. Nestled in a quiet Southern neighborhood, the house seemed perfect—until it didn't. Very quickly Julie started experiencing things that she tried to explain away but eventually came to accept as paranormal. From an unsettling Ouija board session to a late-night visit from paranormal investigators, this deeply personal memoir takes readers on a journey through 11 ...

For more than two centuries, the story of the Zulu kingdom has captured the world’s imagination—its warriors, its kings, its endurance. But behind the legend lies a deeper, more human saga of ambition, ingenuity, betrayal, and survival. Empire of the Zulu is a sweeping narrative history that traces the rise of one of Africa’s most remarkable civilizations—from the boy Shaka, born under a shadow of shame, to the modern monarchs who inherited his legacy under the glare of colonial rule and beyond. Blending vivid storytelling with meticulous research, Temba Khumalo brings to life the ...

Guerrilla Warfare by the revolutionary Ernesto Che Guevara, written in 1960, has become a how-to manual for thousands of guerrilla fighters in various countries around the world. Guevara intended it to be a guidebook on guerrilla warfare, as inspiration for the revolutionary movement. Fascinating to admirers and adversaries alike, he captured the minds of millions with his leadership and his belief in guerrilla warfare as the only effective agent to achieve political change.

🦏 Meet the Fierce & Fabulous Rhino! 🌍 Get ready to charge into the wilds of Africa with the Southern White Rhinoceros—one of the largest and most powerful animals on Earth! 💪🌿 From its giant horn 🦏 to its thunderous stomp 🐾, this Amazing Animal of the Savannah will WOW readers with cool facts, bold photos 📸, and a peek into life on the savannah 🌞. ✔️ Perfect for curious kids, animal lovers, and future wildlife heroes 🧠❤️ ✔️ Easy-to-read facts, conservation tips, and a BIG personality! 🛡️ ✔️ Great for home, classroom, or zoo trips! 🏫📚 ...

WINNER OF THE AMERICAN BATTLEFIELD TRUST PRIZE FOR HISTORY A groundbreaking, important recovery of history; the overlooked story—fully explored—of the critical aspect of America’s Revolutionary War that was fought in the South, showing that the British surrender at Yorktown was the...

The story of the pivotal struggle between the Creek Indians and an insatiable, young United States for control over the Deep South—from the acclaimed historian and prize-winning author of The Earth is Weeping The Creek War is one of the most tragic episodes in American history, leading to the...

What is it like to live in or visit Guatemala? What makes Guatemala’s culture unique? Explore the geography, traditions, and daily lives of Guatemalan people.

Coffee and brightly painted oxcarts. Quetzals, coastlines, and the Montverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Learn the ABCs of Costa Rica in this exotic, colorful tour of the small but treasure-filled Central American country.

Take an alphabetical exploration of the people, geography, animals, plants, history, and culture of Guatemala!

Oil, mangoes, and Angel Falls. International beauty contest winners and the golden legend of El Dorado. Wander inside this beautiful book to learn the ABCs of what makes Venezuela a South American jewel.

Campfire tales...What lurks in a rural farm pond on a dark night? A sighting of a black panther. UFO sightings. What stalks two fishermen at a farm pond late at night, that has red eyes? Was that a Bigfoot heard in Colorado? These and other tales of fishing and hunting adventures are contained within.

From pre-Columbian fires to Michelin-starred kitchens, Salt and Fire tells the epic story of a nation that cooked its way through conquest, slavery, revolution, and rebirth. Blending history, memory, and flavor, this sweeping narrative reveals how Colombia’s identity was forged not just in battles, but in kitchens. Through every era — Indigenous, African, colonial, and contemporary — food becomes both witness and resistance. Follow the scent of ajiaco simmering in Bogotá, taste the Pacific’s secret curries, hear the drums behind the coastal stews, and step inside the coffee farms ...