Aikman, Becky. Spitfires: The American Women Who Flew in the Face of Danger during World War II. Bloomsbury. May 2025. ISBN 9781635576566. 384p. $31.99. HISTORY

In 1942, a group of American women, who weren’t permitted to fly for the U.S. Army, traveled to England to ferry fighter planes and bombers for the British Royal Air Force. Drawing on interviews and unpublished diaries, letters, and records, Aikman (Off the Cliff) relates the true stories of nine of these remarkable women pilots. With a 100K-copy first printing.

Dugard, Martin. Taking Midway: Naval Warfare, Secret Codes, and the Battle that Turned the Tide of World War II. Dutton. May 2025. ISBN 9780593473245. 400p. $32. HISTORY

Dugard, bestselling coauthor of Bill O’Reilly’s “Killing” series, offers the next “Taking” title, after Taking London. Recounting the codebreaking efforts of Lt. Commander Joseph Rochefort and his attempts to predict Japan’s next attack, Dugard tells the dramatic account of what ensued—the Battle of Midway, a victory in the Pacific that changed the course of World War II.

Rediker, Marcus. Freedom Ship: The Uncharted History of Escaping Slavery by Sea. Viking. May 2025. ISBN 9780525558347. 416p. $32. HISTORY

Rediker (Atlantic history, Univ. of Pittsburgh; The Slave Ship) examines the Underground Railroad’s maritime origins in this deeply researched account. As thousands fled enslavement in the South, many of their harrowing escapes took place by sea. Rediker offers a new look into these lesser-known routes and the vessels that carried them to freedom.

Winik, Jay. 1861: The Lost Peace. Grand Central. May 2025. ISBN 9781538735121. 400p. $35. HISTORY

Bestselling Winik (1944: FDR and the Year That Changed History) chronicles the weeks leading up to Abraham Lincoln’s decision to go to war against the Confederacy. He highlights the efforts made to avoid war, from the peace conference at the Willard Hotel to Senator Crittenden’s efforts, and the work of Lincoln’s cabinet as they considered this difficult decision.