While you’re staking out prime fireworks real estate at your local Independence Day celebration, pass the hours before nightfall with some entertaining and thought-provoking reading material from Yale Press’s American Icon Series.

Gore Vidal’s treatment of our Founding Fathers in his book Inventing a Nation: Washington, Adams, Jefferson is the Angus steak of historical narratives, compared with, let’s say, the flank or skirt steak varieties, which are only palatable after great effort and careful slicing. But enough about meat! Stylish and immensely readable, reflecting Vidal’s singular grasp of American history and affection for its flawed but visionary cast of characters, Inventing a Nation is a truly beefy account of a place in time we just can’t forget.

Before the real fireworks start, prepare for some mental fireworks once you’ve entered the riveting history of New York City’s iconic Empire State Building in Mark Kingwell’s Nearest Thing to Heaven: The Empire State Building and American Dreams. Kingwell reveals the layers of meaning that surround what was once conceived as the ultimate symbol of American status and progress.

And it’s the perfect book to complement your skyward neck-craning.

Happy reading! And a happy Fourth!

–Michelle