Mile High History Book Club

For this meeting of the Mile High History Book Club, we'll be reading and discussing Eric Raunchway's Murdering McKinley: The Making of Theodore Roosevelt's America, a gripping exploration of how an assassin’s bullet ended one era of American politics and ushered in the modern age under Theodore Roosevelt.

The book is around 270 pages long.

If you don't think you'll have time to read the book, but still want to join the discussion, or if you're trying to decide whether you want to commit to reading this book, you can listen to this interview with the author.

Book Description

When President William McKinley was shot by an anarchist in 1901, Americans were forced to confront a new world of political radicalism, rapid industrialization, and an uncertain future. In Murdering McKinley, historian Eric Rauchway explores not only the assassination but also the social and political upheaval it reflected.

Through the lens of the investigation and the rise of Theodore Roosevelt, the book examines how the tragedy reshaped the presidency, the nation’s understanding of justice, and the direction of the 20th century. It’s a compelling narrative of a nation at a turning point, told with insight and urgency.

For this meeting, we’ll be discussing Michael Axworthy’s Empire of the Mind: A History of Iran.

The book is 384 pages long. The audiobook version is around 13 hours.

Book Description

Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, the world’s perception of Iran has been largely defined by its turbulent relationship with the West, religious conservatism, and political repression. In Empire of the Mind, historian and former diplomat Michael Axworthy offers a broader and more nuanced view—charting Iran’s history from the Achaemenid Empire through to the Islamic Republic.

Axworthy combines political narrative with cultural insight, drawing attention to Iran’s deep literary, philosophical, and artistic traditions. This accessible and engaging book traces the continuity of Persian civilization across dynasties, revolutions, and invasions, offering readers a richer understanding of a nation too often reduced to headlines.

Details
For this meeting, we’ll be discussing Clay Risen’s Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America. A gripping look at how the U.S. turned on itself during the Cold War—and how the echoes of McCarthyism still reverberate today.

The book is 471 pages long. The audiobook version is 15 hours and 16 minutes.

If you don’t think you’ll have time to read the book, but still want to join the discussion, you can watch this interview with the author where he talks about the book.

Book Description
A revealing new portrait of McCarthyism—showing how the paranoia and cruelty of the Red Scare extended far beyond its namesake senator, and why it’s more relevant than ever.

The Red Scare is infamous for its victims—Hollywood screenwriters, leftist academics, suspected spies. But it was far more than the antics of Joe McCarthy. In Red Scare, Clay Risen shows how the rise of American global power during the Cold War spurred a nationwide panic that stretched from union halls to university campuses, from the FBI to the Oval Office.

Drawing on dozens of newly declassified sources, Risen tells a sweeping story through a vivid cast of characters—politicians, bureaucrats, whistleblowers, and everyday Americans. He explores how institutions from the State Department to the post office were reshaped by loyalty tests, blacklists, and purges—and how many of the forces at play then are re-emerging today.

Details
For this meeting, we’ll be discussing Paul Blustein’s King Dollar: The Past and Future of the World’s Dominant Currency. A deeply reported and surprisingly readable history of how the U.S. dollar became the world’s most powerful financial weapon—and whether its dominance is sustainable.

The book is 320 pages long. The audiobook version is 12 hours and 42 minutes.

If you don’t think you’ll have time to read the book, but still want to join the discussion, you can watch this interview with the author.

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Book Description
King Dollar chronicles the extraordinary rise of the U.S. dollar to its current status as the world’s preeminent currency—and the mounting challenges it faces in the 21st century. Veteran journalist Paul Blustein traces how the dollar came to dominate global finance after World War II, weathering crises from Nixon’s gold shock to the Great Recession. Along the way, he introduces the economists, policymakers, and power players who shaped monetary policy and enforced dollar hegemony.

Blustein also examines the growing backlash—from China’s ambitions to dedollarize trade to the potential threat of digital currencies. With sharp insight and crisp storytelling, King Dollar raises provocative questions about the future of global finance—and America’s place in it.