Simon Winchester, October 30
How did America become "one nation, indivisible"? What unified a growing number of disparate states into the modern country we recognize today? \n\nTo answer these questions, Winchester follows in the footsteps of America's most essential explorers, thinkers and innovators. He treks through vast swaths of territory -- from Pittsburgh to Portland, Rochester to San Francisco and Seattle to Anchorage -- introducing the fascinating people who played a pivotal role in creating today's United States.\n\nWinchester is the best-selling author of many books, including "The Professor and the Madman," "The Man Who Loved China," "A Crack in the Edge of the World," and "Krakatoa." In 2006, Winchester was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by her Majesty the Queen.