Library Picks: Moon Landing, Elvis and Hemingway

Our weekly Library Picks feature highlights important dates and happenings in history for the upcoming week.

Prisoner turned president of South Africa Nelson Mandella's birthday is Jul 18, 1918, as is Hunter S. Thompson's, the noted American journalist and innovative writer, born in 1939.

"The King" himself, Elvis Presley, had his first recorded single released on July 19, 1954.

On July 20, 1969 man first walked on the moon during the infamous "space race" between the Soviet Union and our own NASA program. We know who won, but both sides weren't without their successes, failures and massive contributions to science.

Ernest Hemingway's birthday is coming up on July 21. Born in 1899, the influential writer often spent time in Michigan throughout his life, which is explored in one of the books below.

Library Director Elizabeth Gulick and librarian Jenni Gannod of made the following selections for this week's topics .

1. Conversations with Myself (Book) - A variety of Nelson Mandella's writings are contained in this book from letters to notebooks to prison diaries, all coming together to offer a look into the mind of the person who is often considered the most famous man in the world. The foreword was written by President Barack Obama himself.

2. Gonzo: The Life of Hunter S. Thompson (Book) - Gonzo-style journalism pioneer Hunter S. Thompson was an eccentric and powerful personality with a unique voice. This biography by authors Corey Seymour and Jann S. Wenner explore the writer that took journalism by storm.

3. Elvis Presley: Elvis' #1 Hit Performances (DVD) - This collection of recorded performances shows "the king of rock and roll" at his best through classic footage like his appearances on Ed Sullivan along with other guest appearances on television and live concert films.

4. Apollo: The Epic Journey to the Moon (Book) - Author David Reynolds created this well-written look at the Apollo program of NASA that got us to the Moon and back. Using easy explanations, thorough documentation and lots of visuals, he looks at the space race and NASA with the knowledge of today, not treating NASA like a perfect machine but a flawed agency that failed almost as often as it succeeded.

5. Picturing Hemingway's Michigan (Book) - Published by Wayne State University's press (Painted Turtle Books), Professor (of History) Michael R. Federspiel filled this book with archival pictures and excerpts of Hemingway's works, a literary mastermind who frequented Michigan for inspiration and refuge.