The Nonfiction Author Series returns this winter with four rousing real-life adventures: a brazen billion-dollar art theft; a gutsy woman who tricked the Nazis into releasing thousands of Polish prisoners; the ominous day-by-day countdown to the opening shots of the Civil War; and the wartime bond between two iconic American heroes.
Presented by the nonprofit Friends of the Library of Collier County at the Hilton Naples, the four Monday morning lectures and book signings raise funds to help support the 10 branches of the Collier County Public Library system.
The popular series has already sold out, but the Friends is maintaining a waitlist for the possible sale of tickets to individual events. See the info box for details.
The featured speakers are:
- Michael Finkel, author of “The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession,” on Monday, Jan. 20;
- Elizabeth White, author of “The Counterfeit Countess: The Jewish Woman Who Rescued Thousands of Poles during the Holocaust,” on Monday, Feb. 3;
- Erik Larson, author of “The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War,” on Monday, Feb. 24; and
- Adam Lazarus, author of “The Wingmen: The Unlikely, Unusual, Unbreakable Friendship Between John Glenn and Ted Williams,” on Monday, March 17.
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“We are extremely pleased with the riveting lineup we have for the 2025 Nonfiction Author Series, and even more pleased that our enthusiasm is shared by the Naples community — series tickets sold out within a month!” said Lew Paper, chair of the Nonfiction Author Series committee.
“We will continue to maintain a waitlist and monitor the situation with the hope that, as in past years, we can sell additional series tickets or perhaps tickets to individual events.”
‘The Art Thief’ a hard-to-believe true story
“The Art Thief” is the fourth book by Michael Finkel, a lifelong journalist who has written for the New York Times and National Geographic.
It’s the hard-to-believe true story of a French thief who pilfered artworks from more than 200 museums and galleries, amassing a collection valued at up to $2 billion — which he never tried to sell but instead displayed in his attic rooms in his mother’s house, solely for the enjoyment of himself and his girlfriend.
The thief had never been interviewed by any American journalist until Finkel wooed him with a years-long letter-writing campaign. The result of their eventual conversations is an astonishing look inside an obsessive life.
‘Counterfeit Countess’ delves into Holocaust, Nazis
For professional historian Elizabeth White, “The Counterfeit Countess” is the culmination of her 40-year career that focused on chronicling the Holocaust, finding accountability for Nazi and international crimes, and preventing genocide and mass atrocities.
With her co-author and fellow historian Joanna Sliwa, White tells for the first time the amazing story of a brilliant Polish Jewish mathematician who pretended to be a fictitious Polish Christian countess and was able to save thousands of people imprisoned in German-occupied Poland in the midst of the Holocaust.
The real-life Dr. Josephine Janina Mehlberg — aka Countess Janina Suchodolska — survived the war and came to the United States with her husband. They settled in Chicago and taught at universities until her death in 1969. Mehlberg’s unpublished memoir became the basis for “The Counterfeit Countess.”
Erik Larson book focuses on road to Civil War
The hugely popular author Erik Larson is no stranger to Naples audiences, having made a “virtual” appearance during the COVID pandemic in 2021 for another Friends author series. This time, he’s in Naples in person to talk about “The Demon of Unrest.”
Larson’s latest book is a chilling countdown of the steps and missteps in the five months between Lincoln’s election in 1860 and the start of the Civil War, when the Confederates shelled Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina.
How many of us learned in school that in early 1861, a violent pro-slavery mob tried to stop Congress from certifying Lincoln’s Electoral College victory? It makes for an interesting footnote to the events of Jan. 6, 2021.
‘The Wingmen’ details friendship between American icons
Closing out the Nonfiction Author Series will be Adam Lazarus, whose “The Wingmen” chronicles the surprising — and enduring — bond between the ever-courteous John Glenn and the foul-mouthed Ted Williams. The book was sparked by a photo Lazarus saw of Glenn and Williams together at their Marine base in Korea in 1953.
Everyone knows about Glenn’s heroics as a fighter pilot in World War II and Korea, which led to him becoming an astronaut, the first American to orbit the Earth, and later a U.S. senator from Ohio. And Williams, of course, was one of the greatest hitters in baseball history. But how many know that Williams flew 38 combat missions deep into North Korea and survived a crash landing?
Their friendship endured in the decades after, despite their very different lifestyles and politics. Williams, a diehard Republican, wouldn’t support Glenn’s quest for the 1984 Democratic presidential nomination. But when Glenn flew into space again at age 77 in 1998, the wheelchair-bound Williams was at the launch to cheer him on.
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Nonfiction Author Series kicks off Jan. 20
What: Author lectures and breakfast that raise funds for the Collier County Public Library system
Where: Hilton Naples, 5111 Tamiami Trail N., Naples
When: Breakfast is served at 8:30 a.m.; the authors speak shortly after 9:15 a.m., followed by a book signing. The breakfast buffet features choices of hot and cold entrees, including eggs with bacon and sausage, cereals, yogurts, fruits, a variety of breads, juice and coffee.
Author lineup: Michael Finkel, Monday, Jan. 20; Elizabeth White, Monday, Feb. 3; Erik Larson, Monday, Feb. 24; and Adam Lazarus, Monday, March 17
Cost: A waitlist is being kept, because the series is already sold out. The series was priced at $350 for all four events for members of the Friends of the Library of Collier County, and $395 for nonmembers. Friends memberships begin at $40/year and provide access and discounts to many other programs. Details at collier-friends.org. A portion of the ticket purchase can be tax-deductible.
Get on the waitlist: The Friends will decide later whether to sell tickets to individual events. Call Marlene Haywood, the Friends’ Program Director, at 239-262-8135, or email Marlene atmhaywood@collier-friends.org.
The 2025 sponsors of the Nonfiction Author Series are: Platinum — Books-A-Million, Hilton Naples, Stock Development, The Club at Olde Cypress; Gold — Fidelity Investments, John R. Wood Properties; and Silver — BrickTop’s Restaurant, J. Alexander’s Restaurant, Naples MacFriends User Group, The Capital Grille and Wynn’s Market.
