History buffs to the front! Need some book recommendations.
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Azincourt and The Burning Land by Bernald Cornwell are accurate works of historical fiction and great reads.
Blood and Mistletoe, The history of the druids in Britain by Ronald Hutton is very good also.
Blood and Mistletoe, The history of the druids in Britain by Ronald Hutton is very good also.
Well I was gonna go recomend War and Peace as despite being fiction its what Tolstoy calls personal history and the (second book/part/section its all sotred as one book anyhow?) sections switch to a focus on the Napolean's war on the eastern front with Russia. Tolstoy fought in a good few wars and talked to many troops, so the book has at least some grounding in how the wars felt (and covers some the events quite well).
For real facts though I reconmend some AJP Taylor there some good history
For real facts though I reconmend some AJP Taylor there some good history
Well it's not exactly what you want and is definitely part fiction but Outlaws of the Marsh is an incredible novel which is historically accurate for the most part with some romanticized parts. It isn't impartial but once again I would heavily recommend it as it was a great read.FernandoV said:Okay, so I've become tired of T.V, like to the point where watching it has given me headaches.
Basically, I'm looking for some period books. Now, I only want books that YOU personally have read, not that have been recommended to you. Also, I want books that are as impartial as possible. I don't want books that lean towards a certain opinion to heavily. Also, I don't want ANY WW2 books.
I'm currently interested in the French Revolution but feel free to recommend other time periods; preferably not all of them being european history.
Edit: I mean books that document the history, not fiction set in the time period. Sorry
1421: The Year China Discovered the World
- very interesting idea but whether the archeology fully supports the thesis is really up to the reader
April Blood: Florence and the Plot Against the Medici
- It reads almost like a novel, as opposed to a history text but gives some amazingly insightful information into the world of Renaissance Italy and the seedy and grotesquely violent world of Italian nobles.
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
- History as it is events that happened in the recent past, but still occurs today. The first hand account of a boy from Sierra Leone who is caught up in a civil war and his experiences as a boy soldier. One of the best books I have ever read.
I haven't read many French Revolution texts aside from plain ol' history books, but if you haven't read Les Miserables you probably should. It's not THE French Revolution but still a good a good piece of the 19th century French society.
- very interesting idea but whether the archeology fully supports the thesis is really up to the reader
April Blood: Florence and the Plot Against the Medici
- It reads almost like a novel, as opposed to a history text but gives some amazingly insightful information into the world of Renaissance Italy and the seedy and grotesquely violent world of Italian nobles.
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
- History as it is events that happened in the recent past, but still occurs today. The first hand account of a boy from Sierra Leone who is caught up in a civil war and his experiences as a boy soldier. One of the best books I have ever read.
I haven't read many French Revolution texts aside from plain ol' history books, but if you haven't read Les Miserables you probably should. It's not THE French Revolution but still a good a good piece of the 19th century French society.
Germs, Guns, and Steel by Jared Diamond. Lays out a theory as to why the West prevailed in history instead of Asia or the Americas, covers from 11,000 BC to today. May not agree with all of it, but great read.
If find nothing is as impartial on straight-up history as college history textbooks. Which, I don't get bored of reading.FernandoV said:Okay, so I've become tired of T.V, like to the point where watching it has given me headaches.
Basically, I'm looking for some period books. Now, I only want books that YOU personally have read, not that have been recommended to you. Also, I want books that are as impartial as possible. I don't want books that lean towards a certain opinion to heavily. Also, I don't want ANY WW2 books.
I'm currently interested in the French Revolution but feel free to recommend other time periods; preferably not all of them being european history.
Edit: I mean books that document the history, not fiction set in the time period. Sorry
Burke is the man to go with then.FernandoV said:Okay, so I've become tired of T.V, like to the point where watching it has given me headaches.
Basically, I'm looking for some period books. Now, I only want books that YOU personally have read, not that have been recommended to you. Also, I want books that are as impartial as possible. I don't want books that lean towards a certain opinion to heavily. Also, I don't want ANY WW2 books.
I'm currently interested in the French Revolution but feel free to recommend other time periods; preferably not all of them being european history.
Edit: I mean books that document the history, not fiction set in the time period. Sorry
Can you be at bit more specific, there is after all a lot of history.
Are you interested in books focusing on one person or the general events. Do you like war or social movements? What countries are you interested in? What time periods? ARe you interested in books that chronicle certain movements like feminism, black civil rights, the reformation and the like? Do you like narrative (i.e reads like a novel) or do you like it to feel more factual?
The Flashman Papers, as the series is called.
I'm totally not biased.
There's quite a few and he goes about everywhere. The second one is the only really highly fictionalised book.
The series takes place from the mid to the late 1800's.
I'm totally not biased.
There's quite a few and he goes about everywhere. The second one is the only really highly fictionalised book.
The series takes place from the mid to the late 1800's.
General events, social movements moreso but I like wars as well, Europe is fine but I'm also very interested in recent South American issues, maybe focusing on Colombia, and factual definitely.370999 said:Burke is the man to go with then.FernandoV said:Okay, so I've become tired of T.V, like to the point where watching it has given me headaches.
Basically, I'm looking for some period books. Now, I only want books that YOU personally have read, not that have been recommended to you. Also, I want books that are as impartial as possible. I don't want books that lean towards a certain opinion to heavily. Also, I don't want ANY WW2 books.
I'm currently interested in the French Revolution but feel free to recommend other time periods; preferably not all of them being european history.
Edit: I mean books that document the history, not fiction set in the time period. Sorry
Can you be at bit more specific, there is after all a lot of history.
Are you interested in books focusing on one person or the general events. Do you like war or social movements? What countries are you interested in? What time periods? ARe you interested in books that chronicle certain movements like feminism, black civil rights, the reformation and the like? Do you like narrative (i.e reads like a novel) or do you like it to feel more factual?
I'm currently reading "The Bloody White Baron" by James Palmer. It's a biography about baron Roman Nikolai Maximilian von Ungern-Sternberg (1885 - 1921), notable for being the last person who successfully used horse-based cavalry to conquer a nation (Mongolia).
The baron was stark raving mad, a Stalin-level asshole, and had his own army. Of Cossacks. That sort of thing makes for a very entertaining history lesson, and I highly recommend you check it out.
He's even got his own page on TVTropes.org! http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Ungern-Sternberg
The baron was stark raving mad, a Stalin-level asshole, and had his own army. Of Cossacks. That sort of thing makes for a very entertaining history lesson, and I highly recommend you check it out.
He's even got his own page on TVTropes.org! http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Ungern-Sternberg
Barbarians by Terry Jones and several historians.
I cannot recommend this book enough. It completely mindfucks your perception of the Romans and the cultures that surrounded them.
I cannot recommend this book enough. It completely mindfucks your perception of the Romans and the cultures that surrounded them.
Dwelling Place by Erksine Clark (antebellum GA plantation life)
Cold War, Cool Medium by Thomas Doherty (Impact of television in Cold War America)
Working Class War (How Vietnam affected lower class youth in America)
All you Need is Love (Beginnings of the Peace Corps)
The Shoemaker and the Tea Party (The biography of George Robert Twelve Hewes, an "unsung hero" or sorts in American history)
A Time for Choosing (Rise of the modern Conservative party in America during the Cold War)
Books on Gullah Culture are interesting as well.
Carry it On: The War on Poverty and the Civil Rights Movement in Alabama 1964-1972
Sorry it's very America-centric, but it's what I've studied most extensively. Not to mention, American history is *very* interesting. You just have to dig a tad deeper. Warning, a tme for Choosing is incredibly dry, but you'll know how the Dixiecrats switched sides and why the consrevatives of today are how they are.
Cold War, Cool Medium by Thomas Doherty (Impact of television in Cold War America)
Working Class War (How Vietnam affected lower class youth in America)
All you Need is Love (Beginnings of the Peace Corps)
The Shoemaker and the Tea Party (The biography of George Robert Twelve Hewes, an "unsung hero" or sorts in American history)
A Time for Choosing (Rise of the modern Conservative party in America during the Cold War)
Books on Gullah Culture are interesting as well.
Carry it On: The War on Poverty and the Civil Rights Movement in Alabama 1964-1972
Sorry it's very America-centric, but it's what I've studied most extensively. Not to mention, American history is *very* interesting. You just have to dig a tad deeper. Warning, a tme for Choosing is incredibly dry, but you'll know how the Dixiecrats switched sides and why the consrevatives of today are how they are.
A history book I thoroughly enjoyed was Osman's Dream. It's very specific to the Ottoman empire. It is however, a good long read. I'd recommend it if you want just want read something non-fictional and drenched with history.
Are you ready to be kicked in the balls by history? Bonus points if you watch Schindler's List right after finishing the book and don't want to kill yourself, or self-terminate, as you'd apparently be a machine.
And as for your WWII stipulation: (a) Sino-Japanese War 2 started earlier than 1939;
(b) Although Europe played a significant part in the Pacific Theatre, the background of the conflict is almost entirely from East Asian tensions; (c) Not enough people know about this absolute travesty; (d) The author committed suicide over it.
There's also the entire history of Istanbul, creatively titled "Istanbul", which is a wee bit dry, but still compelling.
Then there's "El Liberador":
http://books.google.com/books/about/El_Libertador.html?id=JpagnzteVggC
It's about another criminally under-exposed figure from history by the name of Simon Bolivar. He's like if George Washington had a baby with Napoleon I and left him to be trained in the art of "How to be a bad-ass Venezuelan Revolutionary and then go on to gain independence for almost an entire continent".
Just off the top of my head.
The Classical World: An Epic History of Greece and Rome by Robin Lane Fox
I'm currently halfway through and it's really, really interesting. It's great for getting a really good overview of pretty much everything about the classical greek and roman world.
God's Philosophers: How the Medieval World Laid the Foundations of Modern Science by James Hannam
I've only read the first chapter of this so far, but it's really really good and if you also like science then will be really good. It's about all the inventions and history of the "dark ages" and so dispels the myth that nothing happened during it.
I'm currently halfway through and it's really, really interesting. It's great for getting a really good overview of pretty much everything about the classical greek and roman world.
God's Philosophers: How the Medieval World Laid the Foundations of Modern Science by James Hannam
I've only read the first chapter of this so far, but it's really really good and if you also like science then will be really good. It's about all the inventions and history of the "dark ages" and so dispels the myth that nothing happened during it.
Can't go wrong with anything by Simon Schama, I find his writing has a very natural flow. I can't speak for his historical accuracy but the guy can write. I'd also suggest anything by Thomas Keneally, he writes straight historical non-fiction and also fiction with a heavy basis in historical fact. Mostly Australian subjects though.Markgraf said: