On April 16, the Chicago Public Library quietly posted on its website a list of the 28 books that Mayor Rahm Emanuel says he loves most. You can see the full list here—but first, here are some insights.

1 He’s obsessed with the Battle of Gettysburg.

Three books—three!—about the Civil War clash made his list. Makes sense. The North Side gets the glory.

2 He knows more about the civil rights movement than you do.

Unless you, too, took the time to read all 2,912 pages of America in the King Years, a trilogy by Taylor Branch. (You know you didn’t. You also know he did.)

3 He really is tough as nails.

His lit tastes run awfully heavy (Armageddon! Underworld! Pillar of Fire!). His idea of lightening things up? The one book engineered to make children weep: Charlotte’s Web.

4 He’s drawn to much taller men.

Rahm (five-foot-seven) chose volumes about Abe Lincoln (six-foot-four), Lyndon Johnson (six-foot-four), and George Washington (six-foot-two). Don’t expect a biography of James Madison (five-foot-four) on his Kindle any time soon.