Post any good history books.>The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777 by Rick Atkinson>Recounts the first twenty-one months of America’s violent war for independence. From the battles at Lexington and Concord in spring 1775 to those at Trenton and Princeton in winter 1777, American militiamen and then the ragged Continental Army take on the world’s most formidable fighting force. It is a gripping saga alive with astonishing characters: Henry Knox, the former bookseller with an uncanny understanding of artillery; Nathanael Greene, the blue-eyed bumpkin who becomes a brilliant battle captain; Benjamin Franklin, the self-made man who proves to be the wiliest of diplomats; George Washington, the commander in chief who learns the difficult art of leadership when the war seems all but lost. The story is also told from the British perspective.https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41812830-the-british-are-cominghttps://www.amazon.com/British-Are-Coming-Lexington-Revolution-ebook/dp/B07HF349XK
>>23794138How good is this book? I loved his liberation trilogy and heard that the second Revolution book is coming out next year.
I'm currently reading picrel after seeing it in the last thread and it's excellent so far. My favorite history books are the ones that explain why commonly held assertions about historical events are incorrect or misguided and explain what (probably) actually happened, and this book fits the bill perfectly. Any books like this but for Roman history?
I think the british are comin dude
>>23794181seeing Britain today, I don't blame them for wanting anywhere else
Looking for Cold War books
>>23794160This might be a retarded question, but is this book the same as pic rel? They have the same page length so I’m guessing they are, but the titles are different on thr covers.
>>23794247yes they're the same book, the only difference is the first pic is published by Penguin and yours by Harvard University press
>>23794256Alright, thank you. I’m going to add it to my book list.
>Hope this counts as historyCrusade : The Untold Story of the Persian Gulf War- Rick AtkinsonMy favorite non-fiction. About to read Seven pillars of wisdom, very excited.
In Flanders Fields: Passchendaele 1917 - Leon Wolff>Of all the grim, gallant and inglorious battles of the Western Front, this is the name uniquely evocative of the "mud and blood" that pervaded the First World War. The total gain - a few thousand yards of indefensible slough - cost about a million Allied lives. In this now classic account of the Flanders campaign, Leon Wolff graphically describes the whole terrible business: from Haig's initial plan; his determination to carry it out despite constant opposition from the Cabinet and the muddle of doubts and disagreement among the military staff; through the early stages of the "great offensive"; and to the scene of the battle itself - the Flanders fields which will "forever haunt Western civilization".https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43258328-in-flanders-fields
I quite liked this book. It was a bit dry at points, but had some very interesting sections. It put a good deal of focus on the evolution of the English government during this period and it had a balanced recounting of England’s shift to Protestantism and Anglicanism under Henry VIII. If anyone wants more recommendations on British and Irish history, feel free to ask. I’ve read quite a few books on that subject now.
Any good books about Napoleon?
>>23794247I bought CV Wedgewoods book first, I plan to get this one too.And for hundredth millionth fucking time, I need more environmental history. I’ve asked for these in the last four threads only to get crickets as a response.
>>23794152I really enjoyed it, now I want to read some founding father biographies and maybe one about bunker hill. I probably wouldn’t have tried it of my own volition, but it’s on kindle unlimited.
>>23796003I really am sorry bro. I if I had a rec on environmental history, I’d give it to you. The closest I’ve ever gotten to that were some sections about the Scottish Highlands in a book primarily about the Highlanders themselves. But that’s not really a rec.
>>23796194I’ve found more on my own honestly but thanks for at least making an attempt
>>23796194On second thought, what book are you referring to? My mom’s side are Scottish and I want to know more about my lineage.
>>23796207Sure, the book I’m talking about is pic related. Be cautious, however. It’s not written by a historian but by a journalist who is passionate about this area—it’s one of those types of history books. Nonetheless, I thought it was an interesting summary of the history of NW Scotland.Both sides of my family have a lot of Scottish ancestry so it’s an area I’m interested in as well. Let me know if you would like more recommendations on Scotland.
>>23796281My other side is Northern English so we’re not too far apart but thanks for the rec. I do prefer actual historians than journalists but I guess this will do for now.
>>23796288I do prefer actual historians as well, but I get what I can from thrift stores.
>>23796304It’s no big deal regardless but thanks again
>>23795992Andrew Roberts' biography is great
>>23795992
This is next on my reading list. I want to read more English history.
>>23797740I guess I can list a fewChristopher Hill - “The World Turned Upside Down - Radical Ideas During The English Revolution”Hugh-Trevor Roper - “Crisis Of The Seventeenth Century - Religion, Reformation, & Social Change”Blair Worden - “The English Civil War”
>>23794231Here ya go:Colonel John Hughes-Wilson - The Cold War: The Hidden Truth About How Close We Came to Nuclear ConflictIain MacGregor - Checkpoint Charlie: The Cold War, The Berlin Wall, and the Most Dangerous Place on Earth -John Lewis Gaddis - The Cold War: A New HistoryMichael Swanson - The War State: The Cold War Origins of the Military-Industrial Complex and the Power Elite, 1945-1963
>>23794138What is the best book on the Duke of Marlborough?
Witness>The author recounts the forces that shaped his life, describes his involvement with the Communist Party, and explains the reasons for his identification of Alger Hiss as a Communist agent.
>>23794138this is gonna sound extremely specific but my stepfather's half brother was wartime medic in Vietnam or something, and I'm wondering, is there any history of the medic in general? not looking for a history of medicine or doctor but specifically medics in wartime. I have histories of mercenaries, guerillas, and spies, I'm now looking for a history of military medics. thanks in advance.
>>23794669>Of all the grim, gallant and inglorious battles of the Western Front, this is the name uniquely evocative of the "mud and blood" that pervaded the First World War.What a moronic statement. Canadians and Brits must really think the world revolves around them.
>>23799722thats because, along with the US, it kind of does, at least in our current era.
Why can't they (Audible) make audiobooks for the New Oxford History of England as they did for the Oxford History of the United States?
>>23798675In a similar vein, and to bump the thread, I really enjoyed reading this book. It’s the memoirs of an IRA intelligence officer who eventually turned snitch because he became disillusioned with the movement and feared for his family’s future. It was very informative in what some of the warfare of the Troubles looked like, a persistent low level war of bombings and assassinations.
>pic relatedalmost poetic in certain passages
>>23794231Aquarium, stories from a Soviet spy>>23794138The Training Ground, Mexican-American war>>23796003The One Straw Revolution, Japanese crack ecology
Any books you guys might care to recommend about Christian political theology? I'm interested in the church's support of princes and feudal order, and also, if possible, of their thoughts on the republics of the middle ages and pre-modern period.
>>23801809Maybe The King’s Two Bodies?
>>23798675>Highest ranking Soviet defector. Didn't believe Golitsyn at first regarding the scale of strategic deception, 'maskirovka' at the geostrategic scale, but after meeting him he became convinced after they compared notes.
>>23798675>>23801828Sino-Soviet penetration of South and Central America. Author personally corresponded with Mao, whose insight and advice is of particular interest (namely, corrupt businessmen and politicians are our friends, grease those palms!)
>>23801156Glad to hear this fuck got murdered a few years later. Although I am surprised to learn insurgency forces have intelligence officers.
>>23801289Thanks but I don’t think that’s exactly what I’m looking for
I'm going to be finishing up The Fate of Africa soon, and next on my list of global primers are The Origins of Modern Europe and The Beginnings of Rome. After that it'll probably be the middle east or east Asia, but that's too far ahead to plan now. My overall goal is to start with broad overview books, then fill in areas with more specific topics and people that I find interesting. I want a baseline grasp of everything first, though.
>>23802386Intelligence officer is just a nice way of saying he planned the hits. He’d watch a target for months and determine the best time and place for the gunman to get in and out.
>>23802597I forgot to ask for anyone's recommendations on high-level, broad scope books on a large topic. Across all of history, any area is fine just as long as it's good as an initial starting point.
>>23802615I posted a bunch of recs a thread or two back, here: https://archived.moe/lit/thread/23754391/#23769148
>>23802822Appreciate it, thank you
>>23802597>I'm going to be finishing up The Fate of Africa soonI'm reading that too, probably thanks to your recommendation, and I'm loving it.
>>23795833I only just poked my head in to see if anyone was talking about British and Irish history! I would appreciate your best general springboard recommendations please and thank you.
>>23803768I got some here, but not all of its English history >>23797874
>>23802421"Environmental History", is that you? Its almost too broad and vague a term. Do you mean "History of Environmentalism", "History of *this particular* environment X", or even something else. In any case, many kinds of useful information are going to be gained... in other related works.
Anyone read or took a look at the 2023 Peter Frankopan book "The Earth Transformed: An Untold History" ?
>>23803799I loved Silk Road. I am intrigued by this whats it even about
>>23803823Apparently it's an history of the effect of "climate" over history but i'm a bit scared to read some overly mainstream opinion and really broad/generic opinion on things. Not sure he can get in depth of the effect over the entire earth history in one book, subject seems really good but might be something like "Sapiens" and i'm night reading that.
>>23803799I have, though I never completed it
>>23803833Not all macrohistory is trash though I’m a sucker for the stuff so don’t take my word for it
>>23803908How far you got? how was it? >>23803911It's not meant to be macro history just following history and looking at small point where he decide climate had an impact on it that's all I don't think there's a real macro history look upon those events and even less on the grand scale of earth history. I just don't want to read it if it's boring mainstrean stuff and a conclusion with the earth is burning but i's not really your fault because 5000000 years ago it was hotter and they didn't have cars.
>>23794138Best books on Mao? Anything like Deng Xiaoping from Vogel?
What about Ancient Greek books
>>23804043Start with these and buy Landmark series:Herodotus Thucydides Xenophon (anabasis and hellenika)
If you're into WW1 there are a lot of good books in this chart.
>>23804023Jung Chang's book was very good, it was definitely trying to be a modern Rise and Fall of the Third Reich about Mao.
>>23804687NTA but good to hear, this one's been sitting on my shelf for awhile.
>>23804687This is complete bullshit, no historian takes this book seriously, including those anti-Mao, for the simple reason that barely anything in it is sourced properly, or even sourced at all. It's almost a meme amongst historians for how obviously biased it is. Fuck off faggot.
>>23804113Total fail to not include pic
>>23794138Is this the best book about Hamilton? I know it was the 'inspiration' for that god-awful musical that was in vogue some years ago, but I'm willing to give it a try if it is actually good.
>>23804830Came here to post Fromkin as I'm reading this right now, and its awesome, highly recommended.
>>23797740If you want to read more on castles, check out Marc Morris's "Castle: A History of the Buildings that Shaped Medieval Britain"
>>23804113I'm glad the quadrilogy of the Eastern Front is here (Collison of Empires, Germany Ascendant, etc). I've been eyeing those books for a year now. Although Antony Beeover's Russia Civil War book could be listed here. I suspect it was omitted intentionally.
Any good recommendations on general Byzantine history?
>>23805100The Byzantine writers
Currently reading volume 1. In disappointed with the size of volume 1. Volume 2 and 3 are 500 pages. So it is odd that that volume 1 is so small. >The history of the church and in particular the reformation of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries-is a fascinating subject of study. A period of tumultuous events and passionate debate, the reformation introduced the world to a host of influential characters. And while individuals such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Thomas Cranmer stand out prominently in this period, there are certainly other, though perhaps lesser-known, characters who left their own significant marks on history. John Frederick the Magnanimous was one such character. This biography of the Saxon elector who ruled from 1532 to 1547 is the first-ever English translation of Georg Mentz’s original biography of John Frederick. Featuring abundant coverage of the elector’s life and the political issues he faced, this biography also provides useful background for the study of Luther’s later years, as well as a description of the Smalcald War following Luther’s death.
>>23805404You got a three volume biography of a little-known German prince, who noone has ever heard of, and you are still not satisfied?>>23797740This is such a weirdly specific topic. My English history is kinda rusty, but wasnt the WotR more about political intrigues and field battles then any sieges? I mean sure, its the 15th century, there would still be a ton of castles all over the place, but its weird to write a book about them>>23805100The usual that always get recommended. Anthony Kaldellis, Ostrogorsky, Treatgold, J.J Norwich for the prose
>>23804113I like john tolands book about the final year of the war. Although I do think the chapters about the start of the russian revolution should have been left out
>>23805564>russian revolutionmeant the russian civil war and the allied intervention. my bad
>>23805100Best full history I know is 'The New Roman Empire' by Anthony Kaldellis. I've only read about a third of it so far but I've enjoyed it a lot more than the others mentioned.
>>23804860How does compare to McMeekin’s treatment of the same subject?
>>23803945I only read a chapter or two to assess if I liked it or not. I can’t say.As for your other comment Dawson and Toynbee do pretty well at that and don’t sit there all day pontificating about ‘le climate change’ maybe it’s the quality of what you’re reading. That’s not to say environmental impacts aren’t important, as I got picrel a few weeks ago and I plan to read it about maybe seven or so books down the line, which will probably be next year.
Any recommendations on books about the classical era that arent roman or greek centered? Im gonna pick up Cunnlife's "The Scythians: Warrior Nomads of the Steppe" since it looks promising
>>23804113>not including the most important book
>>23806109Corinna Riva - A short history of the EtruscansMiranda Green - The Celtic WorldTim Clarkson - The Picts, a historyMalcolm Todd - The Early GermansJohn Wilkes - The IllyriansRalph Hoddinott - The ThraciansChristopher Beckwith - The Scythian EmpirePierre Briant - From Cyrus to Alexander, a history of the Persian EmpireW.B. Fisher - The Cambridge History of Iran volume 3 (for the Seleucid, Parthian, and Sasanian periods)David Graf - Rome and the Arabian Frontier: From the Nabataeans to the SaracensRaoul McLaughlin - The Roman Empire and the Indian OceanRaoul McLaughlin - The Roman Empire and the Silk Routes
I need your COMFIEST books about middle ages. Anything goes as long as it's about the middle ages
>>23802386Col. 3
There was talk about good books for a general overview of the roman republic/empire a few threads ago, and a few good books were suggested, but like a total retard I didn't write them down. Can't find them in the archive either.So, what books serve as a good overview without spanning 10 volumes by going into autistic detail about everything?
Best books on Mussolini? I’m more interested in his character than his influence on the world thoughbeit
>>23806543Nice, thanks!
Does anyone have the list of japanese history books that was posted a couple months ago?
>>23807447>General OverviewHistory of Japan by George SamsonA History of Japan to 1334, Volume 1A History of Japan, 1334-1615, Volume 2A History of Japan 1615-1867, Volume 3>Early Japan/ArcheologyHimiko and Japan's Elusive Chiefdom of Yamatai: Archaeology, History, and MythologySacred Texts and Buried Treasures Issues in the historical archeology of Ancient Japan>Primary SourcesTales of the Heike (multiple translations avaialble) - Genpei War basically the Iliad of JapanKojiki - Heldt Gustav (oldest historical chronicle of japan)Nihongi - william astonA Tale of Flowering Fortunes Annals of Japanese Aristocratic Life in the Heian PeriodPillow book - account of heian courtTale of Genji - similar to aboveTokushi Yoron - Joyce AckroydThe history of the fujiwara house (toshi kaden) - mikael bauerOkagami - Life of Fujiwara Michinaga one of the most powerful nobles in the heian periodChronicles of Oda Nobunaga - only primary sengoku source in english as far as I'm awareTaiheki a chronicle of medieval japan - partial translation (12 out of 40 chapters)Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns: Jinno Shotoki of Kitabatake ChikafusaThe future and the past - a translation and study of gukansho, an interpretative history of japan written in 1219 - medieval japanese chronicle from a buddhist perspectiveThe Onin War: History of Its Origins and Background with a Selective Translation of the Chronicle of Onin by H. Paul Varley - usually held as start of sengoku jidaiJinno shitoki would the most valuable primary source since it was written by a man who was part of the events from the fall of kamakura to the northern and southern courts periods>Heian Period (794 to 1185)Insei Abdicated sovereigns in the politics of late heian japan 1086-1185Suguwara no Mizhizane and the early heian courtImperial politics and symbolics in ancient japan - the tenmu dynasty 650-800Yoritomo and the founding of the kamakura bakufuFriday, Karl (2007). The First Samurai: The Life and Legend of the Warrior Rebel, Taira MasakadoFriday, Karl (2003). Samurai, Warfare and the State in Early Medieval JapanFriday, Karl (1992). Hired Swords: The Rise of Private Warrior Power in Early Japan>Kamakura Shogunate (1192–1333)Minoru Shinoda - The Founding of the Kamakura Shogunate 1180–1185. With Selected Translations from the Azuma KagamiIn Little Need of Divine Intervention: Takezaki Suenaga's Scrolls of the Mongol Invasions of JapanKenmu: Imperial Restoration in Medieval Japan H Paul VarleyThe World Turned Upside Down: Medieval Japanese Society Pierre Souyri,For secondary sources I would get Pierre Souyri's book
>>23807456>Muromachi Shogunate (1336–1573)John W. Hall - Japan in the Muromachi Age-University of California Press (1977)Japans Renaissance the Politics of the Muromachi BakufuA sense of place _ the political landscape in late medieval JapanJohn W. Hall - Japan in the Muromachi Age-University of California Press (1977)John Ferejohn, Frances Rosenbluth - War and State Building in Medieval Japan-Stanford University Press (2010)The Origins of Japan’s Medieval World _ Courtiers, Clerics, -- Jeffrey P. MassSengoku Jidai (1467 to 1603)Sengoku Jidai. Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu: Three Unifiers of JapanWar and faith ikko ikki in late.muromachi japanA sense of place _ the political landscape in late medieval JapanChris Glenn - The Battle of Sekigahara_ The Greatest, Bloodiest, Most Decisive Samurai Battle EverHideyoshi - mary elizabeth barryJaponius Tyrannus oda nobunaga reconsideredTokugawa Ieyasu - conrad totmanConrad Totman - The Green Archipelago_ Forestry in Pre-Industrial Japan-University of California Press (1989) - why Japan is such a green place. Much of the forests and other greenery were destroyed and only restored in the early modern periodSamuel Hawley - The Imjin War_ Japan's Sixteenth-Century Invasion of Korea and Attempt to Conquer China>BuddhismFoundation of Japanese Buddhism: The Aristocratic Age Vol IFoundation of Japanese Buddhism: The Mass Movement Vol IIRe-visioning _Kamakura_ Buddhism -- Payne, Richard KarlRobert E. Morrell - Early Kamakura Buddhism_ A Minority Report
>>23807461Sarashina Diary
>>23807061Can a book about a thousand years of history be good without spanning 10 volumes? I know that's not an answer, I just don't think the question makes sense, which is why there is nothing even resembling a consensus answer despite it being one of the most frequently asked questions on /lit/. You should consider narrowing down your search to a more specific period or commit more reading time.
>>23807623anything above 300 pages can be good
>>23807638OK, consider this undergraduate textbook at 516 pages.
>>23806109>>23807132Also consider:Dexter Hoyos - The CarthaginiansHyun Jin Kim - The Huns
Recs for the Russian revolution and French revolution?>>23807061You can find books that try to cover the whole history of ancient Rome, I did this and found them shallow experiences. I am reading through Tom Holland's Rome books now and I recommend them. Start with Rubicon which covers the fall of the Republic.
The Two-Ocean War: A Short History of the United States Navy in the Second World War - Samuel Eliot Morison>The Two-Ocean War highlights: the preparation for war, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the long war of attrition between submarines and convoys in the Atlantic, the battles of the Coral Sea and Midway, the long grind of Guadalcanal, the leapfrogging campaigns among the Pacific islands, the invasion of continental Europe, the blazes of glory at Leyte and Okinawa, and the final, grudging surrender of the Japanese.https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1031422.The_Two_Ocean_War
>>23808044>Recs for the Russian revolutionA People's Tragedy by Orlando Figes
>>23808642Figes has engaged in academic misconduct such as conducting popular reviews of his own work.
Helmet for My Pillow - Robert Leckie>Robert Leckie enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in January 1942, shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. In Helmet for My Pillow we follow his odyssey, from basic training on Parris Island, South Carolina, all the way to the raging battles in the Pacific, where some of the war’s fiercest fighting took place. Recounting his service with the 1st Marine Division and the brutal action on Guadalcanal, New Britain, and Peleliu, Leckie spares no detail of the horrors and sacrifices of war, painting an unvarnished portrait of how real warriors are made, fight, and often die in the defense of their country.
>>23807456Thank you
>>23807061Mike Duncan's podcast did as good a job of it as you could.Its dry enough to not get hated on like Carlin.
>>23806944I really enjoyed Penguins Chronicles of the Crusades which has two interesting authors Joinville and Villehardouin. Covers the 4th and 7th Crusades
bump
>>23808000Will do, though I have read "Carthage must be destroyed", which is a fun read on carthage
>>23807623>>23808044>>23808813Fair enough. I guess there's simply too much to cover about the romans to do as such in a format I was hoping for. Thanks for the recs however.
Has anyone read Tragedy & Hope by Quigley? Curious of anons thoughts on it.
>>23806944Iron Men and Saints by Harold Lamb, about the First Crusade. Its sequel The Flame of Islam covers the remaining Crusades.
>>23811048Broad histories are fine for getting your feet wet and getting a general narrative and structure of the era.Then dive into more specific episodes, like Punic wars, sulla wars, Caesars wars, various interesting emperors... I feel like there's a general drop in interest generally after Aurelius, certainly for me, though after the 3rd c wraps up there's of course Constantine and the byzantine tangent you can explore.But Rome is most interesting as a golden age that's remote enough to be exotic yet foundational enough to be highly relevant. Once it devolves into a fractured rotting mess it loses its appeal.What does it have at that point that really distinguishes it from the middle ages, which we have far more source material to work with.
>>23794138I’m reading The Thirty Years’ War by Wedgwood now and it’s great. She breaks down a super complex background and war in a manageable and pretty entertaining way (for a history book). What a complete clusterfuck that absolutely devastated the people. My favorite personalities so far are Richelieu and Adolphus. Wallenstein is an incredibly interesting person as well and I see how he’s entered popular consciousness in that region as a polarizing figure. I’d be interested in any books on these figures. Also, are Wedgwood’s other books worth reading? I’d assume so since she handles the Thirty Years War well. Next historical book I’m going to read is either Pepy’s diary or Holmes’ Shelley biography
>>23812598I have that book, thanks. Btw, besides her and Peter Wilson, what other historians cover the Thirty Years War?
Does anybody know if there is any difference between Renaissance Complete and the Panorama of the Renaissance by Margaret Aston? >>23794231The cold war, a world history
>>23812869>what other historians cover the Thirty Years War?Try on Amazon or Wikipedia page for the war (Sourses and Further reading).
>>23813368I guess. Also, it’s “sources” not “sourses”
Good books on prehistory?
>>23813436It's souses.
>>23813529No
>>23813247They're the same book, They just changed the title for the republication.
>>23813550Suses
written as a neutral assessment of his life and the often false mythology around him, very good
Wordsworth military library books are usually pretty good, they are fun to collect from used book stores. >The Struggle for Europe, Chester Wilmot>describes the build-up of the invasion of Europe, and the scenes at the beach-head and in the "bocage" of Normandy. It also discusses the disputes among the Allies, the Anglo-American difficulties over Grand strategy, and the friction between Hitler and his generals which culminated in the plot of July 20th 1944, as well as the pincer movements of the Russians and the Anglo-American forces which brought Europe to victoryhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B09MJNN6N9https://www.librarything.com/nseries/261346/Wordsworth-Military-Library
>read a book about war pre-20th century >army isn’t paid regularly >army is hungry >deserters >disease>pillaging and devastating the lands and people >threats of mutiny It all really came down to who could keep up morale and keep the army under control, didn’t it?
>>23813438I enjoyed Against the Grain by James C Scott
>>23814568Thanks though I have yet to get that
What are the best (from entertaining and narrative point of view) source materials from Antiquity and the Middle Ages? Like (here are examples of what I mean) "The History of Rome" by Livy, "The March of the Ten Thousand" by Xenophon, "Ecclesiastical History of the English People" by Bede, Plutarch and Diogenes Laertius' Lives. Or what?
>>23814864The History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides The Twelve Caesars by Suetonius The Secret History by Procopius
>>23814864The histories of Polybius and Procopius are my two go-to underrated recs. Polybius not just because he's less biased and more accurate than Livy, but also for his commentary on virtue and the nature of history. Procopius (speaking of his 'ordinary' history here, not his secret history) because the reconquest of Rome lends itself to an epic narrative, and for precious digressions about other parts of the world or events in Constantinople like the Nika riots.
I'm looking for something about medieval russia history, preferably covering from the formation of kievan rus until the mongol invasions, what have you got?
>>23814941Geoffrey Hosking, Russia and the Russians: A History Orlando Figes, The Story of RussiaBoth cover the entire history
>>23814950Cheers, I'll check it out.
>>23814864The Annals and The Histories by Tacitus
>>23814941There is Klyuchevsky's History on libgen in English:A History of Russia, Volume 1https://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=2F34D962E54F460FA0B304A132D3E340A History of Russia, Volume 2https://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=1534FD2682DC226016E304C605DC5787George Vernadsky's history on libgen in English:A History of Russia, Vol 1: Ancient Russiahttps://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=56B20FCD7CA229B1225F348A53C7E25EHistory of Russia, Vol 2: Kievan Russiahttps://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=FA12001235B78B2E7B48C4C3414EEB17History of Russia Volume 3 The Mongols and Russiahttps://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=C8F5ABB430EFD03636E4E85BE1A28980And more modern: The Cambridge History of Russia. From Early Russia to 1689https://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=F850B7C1622ADEAEB99E7C844B4B5CE9
>>23814911>>23814934>>23814967Thanks. What about Medieval period?
>>23814941Try 'Kievan Rus' and other combinations on LibGen, maybe you will find some new books. For example:Reimagining Europe: Kievan Rus’ in the Medieval Worldhttps://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=9B807E2BDA8EDD5116A83AACC507ACCDThe Early Slavs: Eastern Europe from the Initial Settlement to the Kievan Rushttps://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=97B1E921C1273ABA4448C152B79F5311Byzantine Liturgy in Rus: The Making of the Kievan Primary Chroniclehttps://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=B68E51A476DB94DD0E5CE0A391B59F91
>>23794138Anyone read Lorenzo da Ponte’s Memoirs? I’m wondering if it’s similar to Casanova’s, who da Ponte happened to know, as well as people like Mozart who he worked with. Reviews online are split and polarizing, some dislike it, some have high praise. I’ve always liked memoirs or autobiographies that give a good idea of past settings and cultures
Anything for medieval Japan
>>23815190bro....>>23807461>>23807456>>23807471
Bump
What are the essential books of what is called the "Lost Cause" school of Civil War history?
>>23794231
>>23816859Is Odd Arne Westad worth looking into?
>>23816839Shelby Foote is where to start. I’ll have too look for more later.
>>23813666Ok thank. I guess these two books by Thomas Asbridge are also the same, just a new edition was retitled for some reason, but changed none of the content.>The Crusades: The War For The Holy Land>The Crusades: The Authoritative Account Of The War For The Holy Land
>>23804113Are there similar charts about other grand historical events, like American Civil War or French Revolution + Napoleonic Wars?
>>23817136
>>23817136>>23817151
>>23817151I recommend Nature's God. A book I didn't read not remember the author but I'm sure it's one of the greatest.
Is The Pacific War Trilogy by Ian W. Toll the best narrative history about the Pacific Theater of WW2?
French Revolution books that detail the war of ideas and the factions in great detail?
>Christopher Clark’s book on the 1848 revolutions is still $32 paperbook and not at my local library yet Goddamn it. Is it worth it, if anyone’s given it a read so far?I’ll buy it eventually but still.
>>23818250I have the kindle version but I haven’t pilfered through it yet
>>23794138At Dawn We Slept
>>23818250It’s like $20(paperback) to $22(hardcover) on Amazon right now
>>23816984>Shelby FooteFoote is unfathomably based when it comes to Civil War history. In light of all the "muh Confederacy statutes" screeching, it's a shame SJWs are still trying to tarnish Foote's reputation.
>>23794138Best Lord Byron Biography?
I'm looking for a good biography about Joan of Arc if anyone knows one. I'd also be interested in a book that acts as something of a primer for all/the main catholic saints
>>23804831It's pretty pro Hamilton and strawmans his enemies a bit but by and large it's pretty good. Hogeland's book is good too
>>23819153Is Chernow worth reading in general? I was eyeing his George Washington book. For such a legend I know little about the actual man
What's a based, yet neutral biography of Julius Caesar?
>>23819363>based, yet neutralIs this really possible given most of Roman history comes down to a handful of authors usually writing hundreds of years after it happened? Like the whole problem of whether Nero was really nuts or not.
>>23819209Yes. Read Titan recently and it's awesome.
>>23816859Add the devils chessboard.Great biography of Dulles and history of early CIA.
I just realised that the holy Roman empire was not actually Roman. I feel betrayed.
>>23796003This counts as environmental history although most of it is about the various wars and revolutions that occurred as a result of the little ice age rather than about the ecological or economic effects
>>23818250I pirate all books that are not cheap.
>>23814864Procopius' history. Polybius, Thucydides, Arrian's Alexander, Ammianus Marcellinus, Diodorus of Sicily, espacially books 16-20. >>23815097Medieval is far harder since there are a lot more sources but not so many great ones as you'd find in Antiquity. Anna Komnene's Alexiad and Gregory of Tours are probably up to standard of what you'd expect from Antiquity but I always feel like Medieval authors let me down a bit. Other authors like Asser and Einhard's Charlemagne are short but I still enjoyed them. If there is any particular place and period in England, Byzantium or Germany you are interested I might have something but it's probably not going to be as good as what you might expect.
>>23819696I actually own it but thanks anyways
Best history of cultural criticism?
Does anyone can please recommend book about the history of Switzerland? I found it interesting and I want to know more about how the confederation came to be.
Any recs on the history of socialist Yugoslavia? Not the stuff about the 1990s wars, but some reviews of its politics, economy and culture.
>>23819681It owned Rome, its Emperor was crowned by the Roman Pontiff in Rome and it was the only logical moral political and cultural successor state of the Roman Empire. You cant get more Roman than this. Keep seething, Greekchud
Recommend me some good narrative history books about cities. I'm particularly interested in Victorian London.
Want to practice German by reading history. Topic doesn't really matter, but ideally something a bit page-turner-ish and originally written in German. Best of all if it's not yet translated into English (but still worth reading).
>>23821526On libgen or anna's archive you can find books by C. H. Beck publisher (just search by publisher's name). The have popular history books, written mainly by academia. Try these (epubs, you can find pdf there also):Ulrich Herbert - Geschichte Deutschlands im 20. Jahrhundert (they have a series "Europäische Geschichte im 20. Jahrhundert" with books about other European countries)https://annas-archive.org/md5/75b05c596f0ae18b30d8fb6716eebf0dKlaus Mühlhahn - Geschichte des modernen China. Von der Qing-Dynastie bis zur Gegenwarthttps://annas-archive.org/md5/cb1e2705549cc21d42e77d4ed8262702
>>23821526If you want more serious stuff, you can try books by Oldenbourg publisher. For example, these series:https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldenbourg_Grundriss_der_Geschichtehttps://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enzyklopädie_deutscher_Geschichte
>>23819140I like John Nichol's life of Byron. It was written in the 19th century, is extremely unacademic and probably contains a lot of bullshit (Nichol was Scottish, and they can't be counted on to be impartial when talking about Byron, or anybody else, for that matter). But its an engrossing read. Nichol later wrote popular biographies of Carlyle and Burns.
>>23821372"The Power Broker" by Robert Caro. A biography of Robert Moses, who moved mountains to shape NYC into the sprawling and unyielding metropolis it is today.
>>23804831>>23819209I just ordered Chernow’s Washington and Grant books since they were buy 2 get 1 50% on Amazon
>>23794138In lieu with of the thread about Caro’s LBJ series, good meta-biographies?
>>23822527wtf I fucked that sentence up
>>23821372Nature's Metropolis: Chicago and the Great West - William Cronon>In this groundbreaking work, William Cronon gives us an environmental perspective on the history of nineteenth-century America. By exploring the ecological and economic changes that made Chicago America's most dynamic city and the Great West its hinterland, Mr. Cronon opens a new window onto our national past. This is the story of city and country becoming ever more tightly bound in a system so powerful that it reshaped the American landscape and transformed American culture. The world that emerged is our own.
>>23822431There are free epubs, my guy.
>>23822735I don’t care
>>23819515Based choice.
>>23822735I don't have a printer, though.
>>23823696Reading print doesn't make you less of a faggot.
>>23822527Nobody?
>>23794138Any books about the general history of Rhodesia/Zimbabwe?
>>23824735Baxter - Rhodesia, a history 1890-1980
>>23825226*a complete history
>>23796003The Little Ice Age-Brian FaganI recently finished it. It is about environmental history from the 1300s to the 1800s.
Any good (preferably 1 volume) book on Early Christianity, Gnosticism and Jewish sects (Dead Sea scrolls, etc)? Like 200 B.C.-600 A.D.
>>23825769Thanks
>>23794138What’s the best overview of the turbulent 1960s that exists?
>>23804113Would've been a better list if it dropped Poilu and replaced it with There's A Devil in the Drum. If you want a WWI memoir that offers a different perspective from Storm of Steel, that one's a much better pick than the memoirs of some commie hypocrite.
>>23828562https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960s#Further_reading
Waiting for this to release next week. I've enjoyed his other books on the Mongols.
>>23828799>emperor of the seas>fails in all his seaborne campaignsI see we have another "hit" from Jack weatherford
>>23829490Thanks for the input, fag.
>>23829501>dude genghis khan practically wrote the constitution Retard
>>23829524....huh?
>>23828799>dude genghis is the reason smartphones exist>the renaissance that was the mongols>europeans just rode the wavesJack weatherford is the biggest pop history fraud out there
>>23829530Did you say you read his other books?
>>23829538You seem upset.
>>23829543Of course I will call out shitty books
>>23829555Surely the Mongolian empire had no real effect on the world. You're just another one of those European exceptionalismfags that infest every single /lit/ thread that has anything to do with Asia/ChinaSlot yourself, fag.
>>23829524>>dude genghis khan practically wrote the constitutionLol is that actual argument he makes? What’s his logic?
>>23829585No, the faggot is overgeneralizing because the concept of a Pax Mongolica hurts his fragile little white ego.
>>23829585>>23829601The inside literally says Thomas Jefferson ripped off Genghis Khan. Jack Weatherford really does mean modern world. It's not just hyberbole. The book is filled with similar bullshit claims >>238296010/10 bait
>>23829558That's rich coming from the book that claims the modern world is literally due to the mongols
>>23829558>>23829601You seem upset
>>23828786Mediocre selection imo
>>23829618Yup, literally no one ever contributed anything other than whites, you're right. I'm sure you're not just arguing off of the title of the first book alone you fucking cumstain.
>>23829585>In Eastern Europe, the Mongols united a dozen Slavic principalities and cities into one large Russian state.>In eastern Asia, over a span of of three generations, they created the country of China..." >"As the Mongols expanded their rule, they created countries such as Korea and India that have survived to modern times in approximately the same bordersNevermind the fact that all these kingdoms already existed. Also nevermind the fact that mongols didnt even conquer india and only had some parts of the indus for a few years.. This is the kind of stuff you'll see in this book. To give weatherford credit he doesn't hide the fact that he's a mongolboo
>>23829632I'm literally pointing out shit in the book. You're the one crying like a bitch
>>23829601>>23829632You come off as very insecure. Maybe you should go cool your heels off at r/asianmasculinity or something.
>>23829585He outright says the renaissance is an acheivement of the mongols
>>23829637>>23829642Ummm, excuse me, but have YOU ever been aware the The Order of the Polar Star, the highest honor a particular country has to bestow? I didn't think so, quiet down there little men.Mongols were based. Simple as.
>>23829648seems sort of a dumb thing to say
>>23829648>>23829612No fucking way. I need to see some excerpts. That’s just too absurd.
>>23829650Dude is an unabashed mongolboo. I would actually recommend his books just to see the lengths he goes to to simp for them. He's so obsessed he went to live in mongolia. He's living his dream you have to give him credit for that. He also found a pretty good niche. I gurantee no one knows about the books on natives he wrote before
>>23829654There are some here>>23829637
The Mongols literally GAVE us religious freedom chud. Get over it.
>>23829669Based Genghis
ghengis christ
>>23829654>In nearly every country touched by the Mongols, the initial destruction and shock of conquest by an unknown and barbaric tribeyielded quickly to an unprecedented rise in cultural communication, expanded trade, and improved civilization. In Europe, the Mongolsslaughtered the aristocratic knighthood of the continent, but, disappointed with the general poverty of the area compared with theChinese and Muslim countries, turned away and did not bother to conquer the cities, loot the countries, or incorporate them into theexpanding empire. In the end, Europe suffered the least yet acquired all the advantages of contact through merchants such as the Polofamily of Venice and envoys exchanged between the Mongol khans and the popes and kings of Europe. The new technology, knowledge, and commercial wealth created the Renaissance in which Europe rediscovered some of its prior culture, but more importantly, absorbed the technology for printing, firearms, the compass, and the abacus from the East.>Seemingly every aspect of European life—technology, warfare, clothing, commerce, food, art, literature, and music—changed during the Renaissance as a result of the Mongol influence. In addition to new forms of fighting, new machines, and new foods, even the most mundane aspects of daily life changed as the Europeans switched to Mongol fabrics, wearing pants and jackets instead of tunics and robes, played their musical instruments with the steppe bow rather than plucking them with the fingers, and painted their pictures in a new style. The Europeans even picked up the Mongol exclamation hurray as an enthusiastic cry of bravado and mutual encouragement.>Under the widespread influences from the paper and printing,gunpowder and firearms, and the spread of the navigational compass and other maritime equipment, Europeans experienced a Renaissance, literally a rebirth, but it was not the ancient world of Greece and Rome being reborn: It was the Mongol Empire, picked up, transferred, and adapted by the Europeans to their own needs and culture.
>>23829585>In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated merchants or wealthy planters, had been founded by one of its illiterate slaves, who, by the sheer force of personality, charisma, and determination, liberated America from foreign rule, united the people, created an alphabet, wrote the constitution, established universal religious freedom, invented a new system of warfare, marched an army from Canada to Brazil, and opened roads of commerce in a free-trade zone that stretched across the continents. On every level and from any perspective, the scale and scope of Genghis Khan’s accomplishments challenge the limits of imagination and tax the resources of scholarly explanation>Although he arose out of the ancient tribal past, Genghis Khan shaped the modern world of commerce, communication, and large secular states more than any other individual. He was the thoroughly modern man in his mobilized and professional warfare and in his commitment to global commerce and the rule of international secular law. What began as a war of extinction between the nomad and the farmer ended as a Mongol amalgamation of cultures. His vision matured as he aged and as he experienced different ways of life. He worked to create something new and better for his people. The Mongol armies destroyed the uniqueness of the civilizations around them by shattering the protective walls that isolated one civilization from another and by knotting the cultures together.Dude thinks everyone was isolated until daddy genghis forced everyone together
No need to derail the thread
>>23829685ok i could see it. I always though the start of accelerationism into modern society and runaway capitalism was around that time anyway and was trying to find triggers. I mean obviously discovery of a new continent, etc. but infusion of culture from mongolia a little earlier also fits
>In conquest after conquest, the Mongol army transformed warfare into an intercontinental affair fought on multiple fronts stretching across thousands of miles. Genghis Khan’s innovative fighting techniques made the heavily armored knights of medieval Europe obsolete, replacing them with disciplined cavalry moving in coordinated units. Rather than relying on defensive fortifications, he made brilliant use of speed and surprise on the battlefield, as well as perfecting siege warfare to such a degree that he ended the era of walled citiesHe really hates knights. and the ending siege warfare remark is so retarded not to mention the 2nd mongol invasion was turned back to due to castle building
>>23829703>ok i could see itit's bullshit though. The European Compass and Printing Press was nothing like the chinese ones. The chinese literally adopted the european compass when they came across it. The european printing press was superior to other methods as well
>>23829694>Genghis Khan’s empire connected and amalgamated the many civilizations around him into a new world order. At the time of his birth in 1162, the Old World consisted of a series of regional civilizations each of which could claim virtually no knowledge of any civilization beyond its closest neighbor. No one in China had heard of Europe, and no one in Europe had heard of China, and, so far as is known, no person had made the journey from one to the other. By the time of his death in 1227, he had connected them with diplomaticand commercial contacts that still remain unbroken.I'll stop now
>>23829625I don't think that you find better. There is no The Cambridge history of the 1960s on 1500 pages.You can check some literature on the protests of 1968 also.
>>23830043Ah, damn
Throwing this out there to bump. I recently finished this very pop history book on the Basques. Despite being very pop history, I thought it was a quite interesting intro to Basques. It probably talks them up a lot, but I really had no idea that the Basques did as much as they did nor that they were committing terrorism in the 90s. Pretty interesting. It makes Spain look like assholes and kind of third world-esque in their human rights violations, but this book is probably very biased.
Ordered today
>>23832093This was one of those millions of titles that I purchased for Nook and read maybe six chapters and then completely lost interest in and then deleted to make space for other shit.
>>23794138Best biographies of Jimmy Carter, William McKinley, Woodrow Wilson and Herbert Hoover?
>>23829685I've heard similar in pop history.I think its broadly acceptable that the mongols, by conquering half the world, were a one-century period of cultural exchange (of the half that survived).I would not lay the renaissance at their feet, but I'm not an expert. I feel like>the Italians were developing rapidly into territorially small independent trading empires>this happened just after the mongol conquests>they traded with areas that the mongols conquered>the mongols did thisIs the heights of silly revisionism.At best they indirectly moderately accelerated a process that was already on rails for a few generations.
>>23829585>mongols wrote the constitutionI prefer the view that the cross pollination with native confederacies and highly independent cultures like the Iroquois inspired a more radical approach to politics, as revisionist claptrap.But of course just being so distant from the mainland, a frontier society, and POd with the established ideology and order from the start explains much of that. And it was very much a continuation of centuries of British political evolution and revolutionary zeal.Were the mongols the cause of the magna carta too?
>>23832995>I think its broadly acceptable that the mongols, by conquering half the world, were a one-century period of cultural exchange (of the half that survived).I think it's all bullshit because these people attribute things to the mongols they never did or were done by previous empires. I mean pax mongolica couldn't exist as the unified empire lasted like 20 years before you had 4 warring states.
>>23832544>William McKinley,Not a bio, but if you're at all interested in politics I highly recommend Realigning America: McKinley, Bryan, and the Remarkable Election of 1896. It's one of the best books on political history I've ever read.
>>23794138Picked these up for $4, anyone familiar with them?
>>23796003There's a book about environmental history of the civil war. I found that entertaining.
>>23808680Mutts did not even defend their country in WW2. They always served only money. Imagine going to war because a bunch of faggots get killed because their overlords needed a bait to go to war.
i really liked Richard W. Condom stuff, highly detailed and really got me into the nitty gritty details of war and campaigns
>>23833251I've only read The Guns of August, and it's a classic, pretty much the progenitor of modern works on the start of WW1. It's still solid, just note that the historiography has kind of moved on since then, particularly on the question of who is to really blame for the war.
>>23833777>Dick Condom
Any thoughts on Anthony Beevor’s work? I don’t normally read about WW2, but one of his books caught my eye. Something on the Battles of Stalingrad and Berlin would be interesting and he seems to have books on both.
>>23834399He's ok. Gets the essential information across without being too dry, but his writing isn't nearly as riveting as other ww2 author's I've read. Ian Toll's Pacific trilogy is the best imo. But Beevor is solid if you want to read "Stalingrad"
>>23834399His book on the spanish civil war was good
>>23834399Beevor is hit-or-miss for me, but this is the book that made him famous so it’s probably good. I liked his book on World War II, which brought attention to the lesser-known campaigns like Burma and didn’t just treat China as a footnote, etc. But then I picked up his newest book on the Russian civil war and it was a slog to get through - too much military autism that I didn’t care for (“the 345th Demi—brigade of the Second Corps of Kuban Cossacks of the Southern Volunteer Army attacked the 116th Regiment of the Cavalry detachment of the Third Bolshevik army and lost 40 casualties after a skirmish”). Too few maps. Had trouble connecting the different frontlines together. Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I was more knowledgeable of the geography of Russia because I had to consult a map every new paragraph.I was expecting something like Alistair Horne’s “A Savage War of Peace” on the Algerian war but it was decidedly not that.
>In the Days of McKinley is a book by Margaret Leech published in 1959 by Harper & Brothers Publishers which won the 1960 Pulitzer Prize for History. It is a Biography of the former American President William McKinley.
>>23833632I know, because I own. Thanks, though>>23833117I’ll look that up
>>23833636>in todays episode of /pol/tard revisionism…>>23834385Lol
>>23835001I’ll pick this up too
Nero: The End of a Dynasty>Survey of Nero's reign incorporates both a chronological account, as well as an analysis of the reasons for Nero's collapse under the pressure of his role as emperor.
Any good WW2 books that uses lots of letters, and notes from soldiers or interviews? ive read band of brothers and anthony beevors books and liked that style
>>23834399Stalingrad and battle of berlin were really good books from him. I've read them three times.>>23834945I had the same thoughts about the russian revolution book
The Korean War: The West Confronts Communism - Michael Hickey>Set in the midst of international power politics alongside fears of a worldwide conflagration, the Korean War at its height involved rapid, large-scale troop movements over long distances as each side experienced both outstanding success and disaster. In addition to covering the dominant American involvement, Michael Hickey also sets in context the contributions many of them quite out of proportion to the size of their contingents of the other nations that answered the U.N. call and sent troops in response to the North Koreans surprise attack. Along with American troops, troops from Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Turkey, and elsewhere joined the effort, working together despite problems of culture and logistics. The Korean War recounts such masterstrokes as MacArthur’s landing behind the enemy lines at Inchon, the drama of the glorious Glosters episode, and both collaboration and mutiny in the prisoner-of-war camps of either side.https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9165124-the-korean-war
>>23835519Glad I’m not the only one. I wonder why he dropped the ball. Maybe the setting just doesn’t lend itself to “narrative history”. But I really thought the publisher cheated out on maps. There’s only about 4 in the entire book, even though the fighting spans almost of Russia and you’ll be constantly forgetting where the Don river or the Tobol river or the Ob river is. Not to mention there’s an endless number of specific Cossack groups like the Don Cossacks or Kuban Cossacks or Orenburg Cossacks that are constantly blending together because there was no map to distinguish them for you. Man, I really struggled with that book. You probably need to speedread over a week, otherwise the Russian names will blur together.
>buy book about the battle of Kursk>a third of the book isn’t about the battle of Kursk it’s just a summary of the events leading up to the battle of Kursk.I hate this shit. I already know what happens before I want an in depth summary of the battle of kursk
>>23832093I read this, enjoyed the hell out of it.
>>23819140I’m kinda interested in Trelawney’s account of his brief time with Byron and Shelley partially because he was a hanger-on and charlatan. Factually a lot of people question his accuracy and biases but there is something appealing about a man who can attach himself to two vastly more famous and interesting figures, write a book about his time with them, yet make the book largely about himself, even continuing the book after both men die. Not sure if there has even been something like that before
>>23794138Shelby Foote or Bruce Catton for their trilogies? What are the merits of each writer?
>>23835688Forgot to also ask:For Henry Adams, is his Jefferson or Madison history better? Both are absolute behemoths
>>23794138Any interdisciplinary works that blend history with anthropology?
>>23835549I wish listed that. My grandpa fought in that war.
>>23835810Don't know if I would really call this anthropology, but it's definitely interdisciplinary:>War Before Civilization - Lawrence KeeleyAnother title that comes to mind is>The Art of Not Being Governed: An Anarchist History of Upland Southeast Asia - James ScottThe title spells out Scott's bias, but it's solid.
>>23835845Would be nice to get more
>>23835810Sea People: The Puzzle of PolynesiaThe Dawn of Everything: A New History of the WorldEmpires of the Word: A Language History of the WorldThe Language Puzzle: How We Talked Our Way Out of the Stone Age
>>23836014I have one of those, I’ll check out the rest.
>>23796003Two good quasi-environmental books, one is half economic and the other half religiousNature's Metropolis by William Cronen is about the environmental consequences of the growth of Chicago on the American Midwest, focusing on grain, livestock, and timber. The Reformation of the Landscape by Alexandra Walsham is about how Protestant theology reshaped how British people saw nature and the landscape. Protestantism draws a harsher line between the divine and the material than Catholicism, so nature lost much of its spiritualism and mysticism (e.g. belief in fairies, "faire folk", healing wells, etc.) Explains why Tolkein, a Catholic Englishman, could still appreciate these things.
>>23836237That latter one I’m having a hard time finding, you know of any book that talks about the same or similar subject?
>>23836245Its on internet archive here, if that helps:https://archive.org/details/reformationoflan0000wals/page/n5/mode/2upFor other books, the closest I know is "Religion and the Decline of Magic" by Keith Thomas. Not really environmental history, but about how Britain transitioned from a folk-magic infused medieval Catholicism to scientific rationalism. A bit long, like Walsham's book
Is Will Durant's Story of Civilization worth reading? It's huge (11 volumes) and quite old (1935-1975). Would take me at least 3 years to read. What do I read to get a grasp on all of humanity's history? Preferably not condensed into a single book.
>>23836334>DurantIsn't history. If you want to read an out of date fantasy that represents more about a sad kleine-burger attitude to the 1950s, go ahead. In that time you could conduct a BA with a double History major in the Australian system, or a BA History with a second major in a language, equipping you for serious research. You could also do a BA Classics Greek / Sanskrit
>>23836297Thanks
>>23836334You might like the concept of “big history”Look that up
>>23836334>Is Will Durant's Story of Civilization worth reading? You can try it as audiobooks. I read only books, which don't have audiobook version (like The Cambridge history)>What do I read to get a grasp on all of humanity's history? Preferably not condensed into a single book.If you want a light series (but still academical), you can try thishttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Penguin_History_of_EuropeOr>The Cambridge History [1950-2019, PDF, ENG]magnet:?xt=urn:btih:300298BC8D6AFB6184C0F2C4F6D1F96F99A82AA9&tr=http%3A%2F%2Fbt4.t-ru.org%2Fann%3Fmagnet&dn=The%20Cambridge%20History%20%2F%20%D0%9A%D1%8D%D0%BC%D0%B1%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B6%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%8F%20%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%8F.%20%D0%A1%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%8F%20%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%8F%20%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%86%D0%B8%D1%8F%20%5B1950-2019%2C%20PDF%2C%20ENG%5D
If only all xenophiles, like Jack Weatherford, fled to the countries they suck off so much.
>>23836337>you could conduct a BA with a double History majorI am not studying history, but would like to know more stuff. My background – a 5-year school course with a non-existent teacher a decade ago. There's no need for me to ascend to an academic level, but rather just have a decent understanding of historical events throughout different eras, their causes and general patterns by which history unfolds. I can commit to a couple of volumes, any single book will be too shallow anyway to encompass everthing. A series seems like a better choice than random books about separate eras (to avoid overlap and keep things structured). And Will Durant was mentioned here a couple of times, that's why I asked. I need something human readable, not a textbook.>>23836402Never listened to an audiobook, apart from a few short stories. Audio is fine for fiction, but I think I'll remember more by reading.Will check out the pingu history, thanks.>>23836379>big historywhat i'm finding is "Crash course" type of material for schoolchildren, broad overviews – from big bang and planet formation to agriculture and steam. Not really sure what I should be looking at. Is this list representative of what Big History is? https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/big-historyI've read A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson, it was alright, I liked it, but it more than fullfilled my need for pop-sci and I don't crave similar stuff. "Why Nations Fail" was interesting, and Vaclav Smil is on my to-read list because someone recommended (worth or too pop?).
>>23837031Big history tends to have a pop quality to most of it. You’re not likely to find any that isn’t unless you’re looking for macrohistory which is a whole nother beast and tends more academic with some exceptions.I also wanted to note that I’m probably the only person participating in this thread who doesn’t have a formal education. There’s two reasons for that. 1) my family is a little too well off for me to qualify for a grant. And 2) since I live in the states where college isnt free personally I’m below the poverty threshold in my own community. And no, my mother will not help me she’s a filthy boomer Protestant who thinks I need to just do all the saving myself. I’m on social security, I cannot do that.Sorry for the mini rant.
Throwing this out there for the bump. I’m currently reading pic rel and it’s very interesting. The beginning of the book goes into a lot of detail about Scottish life south of the firth of forth at the turn of the 17th century. It has been a very eye-opening read on their social, political, and religious life. The effect of the Scottish reformation is equally fascinating. There’s also a lot of detail on the Ulster plantations. I hope the detail remains for the American section. It’s an older book, but I would recommend it for this subject, unless another anon can point out a book with worthwhile updates.
Give me your favorite narrative history book.
>>23835497>interviewsThe Good War
>>23796084>one about bunker hillPhilbrick's book was pretty good. https://www.goodreads.com/series/314440-american-revolution
This is seriously amazing. I know everything about the Russian Revolution because of it
>>23838679Hoping to cop this soon
>>23838675I’ve read Philbrick’s Mayflower and it was pretty good. I like him as an author.
>>23838679Glad to hear this is a good one. I’ve got it on my list.
Reading this right now, and I'm prob gonna read Uncertain Partners: Stalin, Mao, and the Korean War by Sergei Goncharov, John Lewis, and Xue Lital next if I can fucking find it
>>23838083Anything by Pierre Berton.>The Klondike Fever: The Life and Death of the Last Great Gold Rush>For the steamer Portland bore two tons of pure Klondike gold. And immediately, the stampede north to Alaska began. Easily as many as 100,000 adventurers, dreamers, and would-be miners from all over the world struck out for the remote, isolated gold fields in the Klondike Valley, most of them in total ignorance of the long, harsh Alaskan winters and the territory's indomitable terrain. Less than a third of that number would complete the enormously arduous mountain journey to their destination. Some would strike gold.
Any suggestions for the European middle ages that are not related to the crusades? I love castles, monasteries, and courtly activities. But I'm glad for just any recommendation.
>>23794138I have an outside of the box ask: any books on the history of hangsmen, headsman, and executioners?
>>23836334A few big picture sources I've enjoyed, though I'm not sure they all are high quality:>The history of the ancient world, Susan wise BauerRecent, not totally eurocentric like older works, benefits from newer research and translations into non-euro history (mostly nonexistent in midcentury stuff), and she has volumes on later ages.>A world history, McNeillStandard issue.>a couple UK documentary series from late 1950s and 1970s I can't remember the names of, but pictures are nice.
So is Nathaniel Philbrick worth reading? One one hand he wrote a lot of books about America’s early history so he knowledgeable and there is a lot of good to eat. He also likes Moby Dick so maybe he’s a bit literary? On the other hand he seems really popular. That could be good or bad
rec me some books that ARE NOT dry reads
Books on Georgian or Regency era Britain?
>>23838971A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbara TuchmanThe Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century by Ian Mortimer>>23838976What era? Something like thishttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasily_Blokhinor older?Anyway, you can try something about Reign of Terror, Great Purge, Nazi extermination camps, etc.
>>23839049>Susan BauerWas just looking at her Goodreads page yesterday and decided to skip her>author, instructor of writing and literature... Has books on education and series of books on writing. Doesn't seem like a historian, but I checked reviews and downloaded her History of Ancient World to see for myself. It's written in human language, easy to read, she's a decent storyteller. But a historian? The book is filled with biblical stories and other myths, which are treated as a sufficient gap-filler for the lack of better historical data. And she treats some of them as a historical fact (jew exodus from Egypt). Not serious history, but a book written to fit and complement her idea of homeschooling (see The Well-trained mind: a guide to classical education at home). Seems very accessible, but I'm also not sure about the quality, anon.
>>23838976If you read German I highly recommend van Dülmen, Theater des Schreckens on the whole phenomenon during the Early Modern period including light shed on the practitioners. Another suggestion is Harrington (transl.), The Executioners Journal, which is a first hand journal of an executioner from Nuremberg, Frantz Schmidt (1554-1634). The source material is translated and it comes with a handy introduction! As I'm more of an cultural historian I'm more interested in the practices surrounding executions. If you're interested in this, too, maybe have a look at McIlverna, Singing the News of Death. It's more scholarly, but still very readable for my taste.
>>23839474Thank you for these recommendations!>>23801809>>23806944>>23804898Do you, or does any other of the medieval bros have more like these with a focus on the the period between 1150 and 1300?I enjoyed De Hamel, Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts a lot. It has its shortcomings, like simplifying some aspects, cutting discussion of some of his not generally accepted hypotheses, and just a bibliography instead of proper foot- or endnotes. Yet, it's been an enchanting read.
>>23838971Yale Kings for any English King and the period they lived in. A good intro to the high middle ages is 'Two Houses, Two Kingdoms: A History of France and England, 1100-1300'
>>23839878There are many medieval books in The Cambridge history series >>23836402The New Cambridge Medieval History, books about medieval science, philosophy, political thought, etc.
>>23794160How does this differ from the Wedgewood book?
>>23839881But England was ruled by a different house in 1100, another in 1150 and a third in 1200 or 1300.
>>23834385>Dick W. CondomSubtle, but important distinction
>>23831917>nor that they were committing terrorism in the 90sETA has given the spanish politicians much to complain about, much to their delight. For they can, even know, chalk anything the opposition does to "Its ETA/they are working for ETA". And not wanting to go too in depth, the left spanish goverment at the time did also created their own (GAL) as did the spanish right wing partiesPolitics are a shitshow
>>23835576That tank barrel is so directly at the camera that I fear for the cameraman's safety.
I could not recommend this enough. Hilarious, fun, super good, best summation of the Bloody Baron I’ve ever read. Actually skipping the story (just go read Hopkirk if you want it) and going into the WHY and WHAT and HOW…brilliant. The stuff about Roerich and the weird early Soviet whackjobs…what a banger. I come away smarter and more informed having read it.
>>23840736I think that’s the back of the tank turret.
>>23840736that's a machine gun retard
>>23838971Too add to the others.Blood and Roses, H CastorThe Medieval Life in a xxxx series (castle, village, city)>>23839723Sweeping histories tend to be low quality. I bought it for my wife, who had almost no world history taught to her and wanted something light and narrativized, essentially a sort of home schooling I guess. I got what I expected, and it's fine to rec for someone looking for a similar basic primer to self learn.If you're more serious, you know you have to go into more fine detail for proper historians, and you can spend several thousand pages learning about singular decades.
>>23840047I wouldn't call him a great historian or the works of highest quality, but Dan Jones has a few books on the various houses that are easy reads, not too long, and good starting points for further, more serious study.>Richard, earl of whatever killed Edward, claimant to the throne, after Gloucester and Salisbury plotted to overthrow someone named Henry or also Edward, in league with Somerset or a king of Scotland, and some guy named Louis or Charles was a pain in the ass or sent them a huge chunk of livres for a generation. Also some French lady with Holy Roman friends married in and complicated everything, probably named Margaret or Eleanor.There you go, I shortened the 12th-15th centuries.
