Book Club to Meet April 16 To Discuss “Rush”

The next meeting of the Historical Society’s Book Club will be Tuesday April 16, 2019 at 7 pm at Greenfield Hall, 343 Kings Highway East, Haddonfield.

We’ll be discussing Rush: Revolution, Madness and Benjamin Rush, the Visionary Doctor Who Became a Founding Father, by Stephen Fried.

Benjamin Rush was a physician and internationally known writer and agitator, and was only 30 years old when he added his signature to the Declaration of Independence. Publishers Weekly called the book a “comprehensive and fascinating biography . . . that will keep readers engaged until the last page.” The Philadelphia Inquirer said, “Reminds us eloquently, abundantly, what a brilliant, original man Benjamin Rush was, and how his contributions to Philadelphia and the United States continue to bless us all.”

As always, all are welcome at our discussion, even if you haven’t read the book. Light refreshments will be served.

After April, the Book Club will next meet on Tuesday June 4 at 7 pm to discuss Tasting Freedom: Octavius Catto and the Battle for Equality in Civil War America, by Daniel R. Biddle and Murray Dubin. (You may recall that the Historical Society welcomed Biddle and Dubin for a general membership meeting presentation about Catto in September 2018.)

Four Historical Society Events On Tap This Week

This will be a busy week for the Historical Society of Haddonfield! We hope you can join us for one or more of our events:

Monday February 25: Our Book Club will be holding a joint meeting with the Haddonfield Public Library Book Club to discuss The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century, by Kirk Wallace Johnson. We’ll meet at the Public Library at 7 pm. All are welcome, even if you didn’t read the book.

Tuesday February 26: We’ll be hosting a celebration of the work done by HMHS U.S. Advanced Placement history students this winter as they researched World War II in the Historical Society’s archives. “HMHS Students Reflect on World War II Research Projects” will be held at 7 pm in the HMHS library, located at 401 Kings Highway East, Haddonfield. Free, and all are welcome.

Wednesday February 27: The Historical Society will be holding a “Dine and Donate” fundraiser from 5-10 pm at P. J. Whelihan’s Pub & Restaurant at 700 Haddon Avenue, Haddon Township. Just let your server know that you’d like to help the Historical Society that night, and drop your final receipt in the designated bucket when you leave to have 15 percent of your meal charge donated to the Historical Society!

Sunday March 3: The Historical Society will be open for its usual “First Sunday” hours, 1-3 pm. Due to popular demand, we’ll be continuing our pop-up display from February, “Weddings in Haddonfield,” for another month. We will also offer our usual tours of Greenfield Hall, and the Archives Center and Research Library will be open for researchers next door in the Samuel Mickle House. Free, but donations welcome.

Book Club To Discuss “The Feather Thief” on February 25

The Historical Society’s Book Club will next meet on Monday February 25, 2019 to discuss The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century, by Kirk Wallace Johnson.

This will be a joint discussion with the Haddonfield Public Library Book Club. We’ll meet at the Public Library, 60 N. Haddon Ave., Haddonfield, at 7 pm.

The Feather Thief is a riveting account of how one man stole hundreds of rare bird skins from the British Museum of Natural History, most likely to sell to fly-fishing enthusiasts who recreate Victorian-era salmon flies. The New York Times Book Review called the book, “Fascinating . . . a complex tale of greed, deception, and ornithological sabotage.” Publishers Weekly said the book is an “enthralling account of a truly bizarre crime.”

As always, all are welcome at our discussion, even if you haven’t read the book. Light refreshments will be served.

Looking further ahead, the Book Club will also meet on Tuesday April 16 to discuss Rush: Revolution, Madness and Benjamin Rush, the Visionary Doctor Who Became a Founding Father, by Stephen Fried.

Book Club To Meet on Tuesday November 27

The Historical Society Book Club’s next meeting will be Tuesday November 27 at 7 pm in Greenfield Hall.

We will be discussing It Ended Badly: Thirteen of the Worst Breakups in History, by Jennifer Wright. The book is an amusing review of “the worst of the worst in historically bad breakups,” from Nero in Ancient Rome to Elizabeth Taylor in the 20th century. Library Journal says the “writing fits right in with the work of comedian authors Tina Fey and Chelsea Handler.”

As always, all are welcome at our discussion, even if you haven’t read the book. Light refreshments will be served.

Have a suggestion for a future selection for the Book Club? Feel free to call or email the office with your ideas.

Next Book Club Meeting To Be Held September 25

There’s still time to read the Historical Society’s Book Club summer reading selection before our next meeting, scheduled for Tuesday September 25 at 7 pm at Greenfield Hall.

We’ll be discussing Grant, by Ron Chernow, a captivating biography of Ulysses S. Grant. Grant was named one of the best books of 2017 by Goodreads, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and others. Chernow “delivers a deeply researched, everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know biography, but few readers will regret the experience,” according to Kirkus Reviews.

As always, all are welcome at our discussion on September 25, even if you haven’t read the book. Light refreshments will be served.

If you’re planning your fall reading, the Book Club will then meet on Tuesday November 27 to discuss It Ended Badly: Thirteen of the Worst Breakups in History, by Jennifer Wright.