What history books should I be reading?
I find myself intensely interested in history lately. Although I’ve been exposed to the basics throughout my education I’ve never had such an intense desire to dive into it. I’m especially interested in the development of monetary systems, general U.S. history, and WW2 history. Anything with a P.O.V. that’s out of the norm would be very interesting to me as well (for example a book written from the P.O.V of Hitler). There’s a lot of stuff to dig through but I’m looking for the most accurate, researched, and unbiased info I can find. What are your favorite history books?
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If you are interested in the mind of Hitler, you might read Mein Kamph (do not know if that is spelled correctly or not, but Hitler wrote it & it is German for My Struggle). Most libraries have at least one copy of this book.
This isn’t a history book, but a novel. But if you’d like to to relate to both sides, Jeff Shaara writes some great novels. The Steel Wave is very good.
I am a big fan of Thomas Cahill, and the unique topics he dives into. The following are the titles in his “Hinges of History” series, which explore the evolution of the modern mind:
How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland’s Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe (1995)
The Gifts of the Jews: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels (1998)
Desire of the Everlasting Hills: The World Before and After Jesus (2001)
Sailing the Wine Dark Sea: Why The Greeks Matter (2004)
Mysteries of the Middle Ages: The Rise of Feminism, Science, and Art from the Cults of Catholic Europe (2006)
Was it Stephen Ambrose that wrote D-Day? Omaha Beach was one nasty place in that.
I forget the name of the book, but there was an alternate history written about D-Day in which the invasions failed. It is surprising how slender the margin of victory actually was.
The one I read was cowritten by a British and a German historians.
The decline and fall of the Roman empire – Edward Gibbon.
Gibbon (b. 1737, d. 1794) Gibbon was one of the leading figures of the Enlightenment,.
The sheer dimensions of this book mean that it is seldom reprinted in entirety anymore but if you know where to look you can find complete unabridged audiobook versions on the internet.
http://www.his.com/~z/gibbon.html
I’d second A People’s History and if you’re interested in Latin America: The Open Veins of Latin America by Eduardo Galeano
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Veins_of_Latin_America
Also, although the content is quite dry, Eric Hobsbawm’s work is unfailteringly fascinating. Look for ‘The Age of’ series, starting with Revolution. Capital is particularly good.
I’m reading about Magna Carta at the moment – a fascinating tale of old age lore, the entrenchment of individualistic and monarchic ideals parralelled by the institution of democracy and marginalisation of the commons. Start here: http://www.ucpress.edu/book.php?isbn=9780520260009
There, that should last you a lifetime. Provided you follow the footnotes and sources.
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