New WHS Press Books

Beautifully illustrated with historic photographs and original artwork, this compelling biography for young readers tells the remarkable story of fair housing advocate and civic leader Vel Phillips.

A powerful memoir that illuminates life on the home front and the impact of World War II on an American family.

The Thirty-Second “Red Arrow” Infantry Division played a crucial role for the Allied Forces in the Pacific. Learn how this National Guard unit with origins in the Midwest became one of the most effective—and most battle-tested—US combat units in WWII.

A children’s history of logging, land use, and the legacy of conservation by father-daughter duo Jerry Apps and Susan Apps-Bodilly.

In lively prose, historians Jane Conway and Randi Julia Ramsden reveal how quirky food fashions and regional traditions made their way to 1800s Wisconsin. Includes fifty retro recipes—and the history behind them—to inspire and delight home cooks everywhere.

This entertaining story chronicles the career of a one-of-a-kind, independent promoter whose hardheadedness and love of music have helped him keep it real and make it in the music business for more than forty years.

The true story of a family pet who served in WWII and went on to become a friend to wounded veterans

Explore the remarkable story of Wisconsin astronomers whose curiosity, persistence, and innovation helped us better understand our universe. More than 100 photos!

Author B.J. Hollars chronicles JFK’s nail-biting Wisconsin win by drawing on rarely cited oral histories from the eclectic team of people who worked together to make it happen: a cranberry farmer, a union leader, a mayor, an architect, and others.

The first biography to chronicle the life and career of one of the most beloved musical artists to come out of Wisconsin. From his earliest days singing in the 1940s until his death in 2017, Jarreau defied categorization.

An intimate and engaging Native food memoir. These stories from the author’s teen and tween years—some serious, some laugh-out-loud funny—will take readers from Catholic schoolyards to Native foot trails to bowling alleys.

A first-hand narrative of the fight for farmworkers' rights from celebrated labor leader, Jesus Salas. Young leaders founded Obreros Unidos (Workers United) to fight for fairness and respect, and to provide services to migrant families.

A multilayered story about the impact of people on the vulnerable landscape of the Namekagon Barrens Wildlife Area. Told in memoir style. Color photographs.

Much more than a cookbook! This paperback edition makes this seminal work accessible for a new generation of foodies, home cooks, and history lovers. 450 recipes.

The nation-to-nation treaties and other documents discussed here testify to the complexity and sovereignty of Indigenous governance then and now. This volume is a vital resource for historians and an accessible introduction to Indigenous treatymaking in Wisconsin.

Take a nostalgic ride around the fair with celebrated rural historian, Jerry Apps, as the former 4-H leader and fair judge showcases the history of Wisconsin county fairs (and the state fair) in this salute to one of the Midwest’s greatest summer traditions!

Wisconsin Waters takes readers on an epic tour of the geologic, natural, and human stories that have shaped these aquatic landscapes over millions of years.

Little Hawk shares his life journey—a story that is wise and irreverent, often funny, and deeply moving.

Beginning with a boyhood surrounded by storytellers, Jerry Apps engages readers with stories about his path to becoming one of the Midwest’s best-known and most revered writers. A book for book lovers! Published by Wisconsin Historical Society Press.

Readers will find in these pages the biography of a bridge, a requiem for a union, odes to autumn and spring, a poem about aging, tales of two shipwrecks, a frank take on segregation, a visit to a junkyard, memories of the summer of ’68, and more.

A bittersweet story of bravery and compassion, Finding Freedom provides the first full picture of the man for whom so many fought and around whom so much history was made.

Essays on barflies, fix-it guys, and other eccentric small-town folks come together in a humorous and touching collection that shares the heart of a Midwestern lake community.

Relish the real-life, epic journey of intrepid Wisconsin voyageur, Clara Pagel, who ventured into the world just prior to the start of World War II, chronicling her travels and the state of the world—from bombings and earthquakes to Mussolini and Gandhi—in more than 100 letters to YWCA members back home.

Examines the intense debate over the drafting and ratification of the first ten Amendments to the Constitution. A profoundly important documentary record of the effort to protect human rights during the Revolutionary War Era.

Examines the intense debate over the drafting and ratification of the first ten Amendments to the Constitution. A profoundly important documentary record of the effort to protect human rights during the Revolutionary War Era.

The fourth in a planned five-volume series examining the intense debate over the drafting and ratification of the first Ten Amendments to the Constitution.

A seeds-to-supper guide for the whole family to learn together about gardening science and history and growing in different environments. Includes recipes and projects to make the most of these nature lessons!