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[BorkBork]

Stemming from this, I recently went to a talk by Ian Morris where he talked about his book, Why the West Rules for Now - The Patterns of History, and What they Reveal About the Future

I haven't picked it up yet, but he was a very very good speaker, and it's very similar to Guns, Germs, and Steel in that broad, big picture approach it takes to discussing history. It's supposed to be an easy and engaging read too. Maybe worth checking out?

 

[Duki]

some of his overall arguments are a little full of shit

but its rly rly good

 

[HarryHengst]

Joseph Tainter - The Collapse of Complex Societies
A scholarly version of Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs and Steel.

Carlo Ginzburg - The Cheese and the Worm
An excellent example of microhistory, describing the ideas and worldview of a 16th century miller as found in records of the inquisition.

Destiny Disrupted - A history of the world through Islamic Eyes
To combat the Western view we normally only read and hear about.


Tony Judt - Postwar: Europe since 1945
Excellent book.

 

[Witchfinder General]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0871138549/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Forget about the movie. This is an amazing account of a war not many are too familiar with yet in many ways it laid the foundation for the current war in Afghanistan.

 

[OttomanScribe]

An excellent example of microhistory, describing the ideas and worldview of a 16th century miller as found in records of the inquisition.

+1, I read this in a European History class, was great. Where would history of the period be without the inquisition's records!? Sure they were torturers... but what good record keepers!

 

[Kabouter]

Guns, Germs and Steel


Good book that i have seen recommended on Gaf multiple times, take that as you will

If you're into that type of book, I would also recommend David S. Landes' book 'The Wealth and Poverty of Nations'. Rather than the geographical explanation for differences in prosperity between peoples, he provides an explanation that includes culture to a great degree. Overall, I thought the case he made was more convincing than that of Diamond.

 

[Mgoblue201]

.

 

[justin.au]

Perhaps The House of Rothschild belongs here, but any other Niall Ferguson, no.

 

[Kola]

http://www.amazon.com/Little-History-World-H-Gombrich/dp/030014332X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1299062265&sr=8-2

quite a classic

 

[leroy hacker]

Here's a short one (only 160 pages) I've enjoyed that seems pretty timely right now:

Shah of Shahs by Ryszard Kapuscinski

This book is about the final shah of Iran and the 1979 revolution. There are many negative reviews on Amazon, with the main criticism being that the portrayal of the Shah is too negative-but none identify any actual mistakes or falsehoods in the book. I suspect the one star reviews come from either former loyalists or those whose ideology prevents them from imagining that Iran had problems before the Islamists took over. Anyway, this book focuses on the brutalities and excesses of the shah's dictatorship and the early days of the revolution. The account of what the shah did with his oil money is astounding.

I definitely shouldn't have forgotten this one in my last post.

 

[Sealda]

Its like 1000 pages and its the best book i read on history ever. If you want to know 20th century history in one book and really fucking great and exciting storytelling. Buy this book.

The guy basically in 2000 travelled through all of europe to all kinds of "historical" sites of the 1900s and tells the stories from when that particular place was the center of attention mixed with how the place is today.

AH, its so good.

 

[Mgoblue201]

What really struck me was how accurately Civ games simulate his assertions. Where effectively, the treatise to most people's games comes down to 2 words

'Starting Location'

This was very true in Civ3 when the book first came out. Since then, Successive games have made the starting location less powerful. But still, it's pretty amazing.

Civilization gets many things right: geography, population density, etc. However, if it truly followed the lessons of Guns, Germs, and Steel, then there would be massive balance issues. For example, Diamond claims that civilizations in Mexico had invented the wheel but found it virtually useless because of the lack of large domesticated animals. The efficacy of agriculture, too, plays a large role in the technological determinism. Civilization is generally designed to give everyone an equal chance at advancing. If they could take the lessons of Civ and somehow design a game that replicates history, then that would be fascinating.

EDIT: Diamond's thesis, as far as I can tell, explains the ancient world quite well. Once rationalism began to take hold and man could begin anticipating his own development, then it's not quite as applicable, but Diamond mostly focuses on the inventions of agriculture, writing, animal husbandry, and other things that couldn't be anticipated initially, so that isn't much of a problem.

 

[RustyO]

Anyone have any recommendations on history books of India / the subcontinent?

Would also be intrested in a solid, yet accessible tome that delves into myth and legend.

 

[Maklershed]

Great thread. Bookmarked for future reference. And here are my suggestions:


1776 by David McCullough

The book Band of Brothers is based on ...

Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest by Stephen E. Ambrose

This one is fiction but its incredibly detailed with historical facts

Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae by Steven Pressfield

 

[Dmncnby2k9]

I dunno about recommending certain books but here is my current load Im reading for school:

University of Chicago Readings in Western Civilization, Volume 7: The Old Regime and the French Revolution
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0226069508/?tag=neogaf0e-20

University of Chicago Readings in Western Civilization, Volume 9: Twentieth-Century Europe
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0226069540/?tag=neogaf0e-20

The Retail Revolution: How Wal-Mart Created a Brave New World of Business
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312429681/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Adam Smith and the Origins of American Enterprise: How the Founding Fathers Turned to a Great Economist's Writings and Created the American Economy
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312325762/?tag=neogaf0e-20

The Use and Abuse of History
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1453753389/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Evolution of American Urban Society
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0131898248/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Robber Barons
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1412811252/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Plus other books, but business history and European enlightenment philosophy history is boring


Reading for fun, havnt started but recommended from a teacher, warning they are looong:
The Coming of the Third Reich
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143034693/?tag=neogaf0e-20

The Third Reich in Power
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143037900/?tag=neogaf0e-20

The Third Reich at War
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143116711/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I took a Third Reich class Freshman year. Interesting books. Im taking a Arab-Israeli Conflict class and i read 1948, Palestine Complete. Really good book on Palestine during the British Mandate.

 

[coldvein]

i often feel that i should know more about history but i usually don't go for non-fiction. good historical fiction reccomendations?

 

[Chairman Yang]

Surprised nobody's mentioned this one yet:

A History of the World in 100 Objects is easily digestible (each discussion of the history behind an object is a few pages), extremely accessible, superbly-written, and has a very broad scope. It's great for beginners and more experienced readers alike.

It's also based on a BBC radio series; you can download episodes for free if you want to get a taste (or even if you want to just listen to the whole thing).

 

[WrathOfOtaibah]

I second Nixonland. Probably the best book I've read that explains modern American politics and why people believe what they believe. Not much has changed since Nixon's rise through the ranks.

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

A supposed classic I haven't gotten around to reading yet is Wedgwood's The Thirty Years War.

Very good book, not only for the time period covered, but also insight into post-WW1 European intellectual society, the rise of the modern military, and the rise of the State as we know it.

 

[Gruco]

For anyone who is interested in American political history:

Cadillac Desert - Mark Reisner
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0140178244/?tag=neogaf0e-20

This is abut water reclamation in the West - town going to war to protect water rights, public fights to divert water to the desert to boost land values for crop irrigation, and the turf wars between the major bureaucracies responsible for damming , and the influence they held over Congress.

The Power Broker - Rober Caro
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0394720245/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Robert Moses's rise to having a nearly untouchable level of Power in New York for 40-off years, and countless stories of the relentlessness with which he used it, and the helpless of everyone else trying to balance his influence in the city's development, from Mayors to Governors to FDR.

Master of the Senate - Robert Caro
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0394720954/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Ultra in-depth look at LBJ's senate years, and the taming of the most un-tamable institution in American politics.

Can't recommend these enough.

 

[Edmond Dantès]

Crusades: War for the Holy Land by Thomas Asbridge.

http://www.history.org.uk/resources/general_resource_3474_23.html

 

[Chairman Yang]

Anyone have any specific recommendations for military history? I'm looking for something that gets into the nitty gritty of tactics, strategy, and logistics. Like I want to know specifically how they work, preferably with lots of examples.

 

[Dresden]

Fun read. About the history of various 'taboo' foods - pigs, bugs, the greatest game, etc.

 

[Frester]

I can also vouch for Evans' Third Reich trilogy. I read them to get ready for my undergrad thesis (Christianity in the Third Reich essentially) and, while they're looooong, they're very accessible and thorough.

Another I would recommend that I read in my historiography class is Edward Said's Orientalism.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/039474067X/?tag=neogaf0e-20

An interesting read about how the West views the Orient and fails to see it on its own terms. He's been criticized for characterizing "the West" as he claims Westerners do to the Orient (he was Palestinian), but still an important book. I also watched this interview with Said as a part of the class: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwCOSkXR_Cw

 

[Witchfinder General]

Anyone have any specific recommendations for military history? I'm looking for something that gets into the nitty gritty of tactics, strategy, and logistics. Like I want to know specifically how they work, preferably with lots of examples.

On War - Carl Von Clausewitz

The Art of War - Sun Tzu

The Accidental Guerrilla - David Kilcullen

 

[rodvik]

Anyone have any specific recommendations for military history? I'm looking for something that gets into the nitty gritty of tactics, strategy, and logistics. Like I want to know specifically how they work, preferably with lots of examples.

I just finished paddy griffith's "the Viking way of war"

its very specific about the vikings, from top to bottom pretty good.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1932033602/?tag=neogaf0e-20

If you want something more about modern warfare then Dunnigans "How to make war" remains really good and is pretty exhaustive on all the topics you mentioned.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/006009012X/?tag=neogaf0e-20

For books by generals then there are two stand outs

First is "Infantry Attacks" by Rommel , very specific about his experience in WW1
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0760337152/?tag=neogaf0e-20


second is "defeat into victory" by General Slim
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0815410220/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[Misanthropy]

.

 

[Frester]

Anyone have any specific recommendations for military history? I'm looking for something that gets into the nitty gritty of tactics, strategy, and logistics. Like I want to know specifically how they work, preferably with lots of examples.

In terms of the European front in WWII, Why The Allies Won by Richard Overy.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/039331619X/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Read it for a class that only focused on the military and revolutionary history of Europe from the French Revolution through WWII.

 

[Salazar]

Barry Strauss's The Battle of Salamis is terrific.

And I would reiterate my recommendation of Lane Fox's Alexander book. It's quite detailed on the formation and exertion of his tactical genius.

 

[m3k]

hello history buffs lol

not everyones cup of tea but im going through some ancient roman histories... theyre not necessarily written in an easy to read manner but i like books written at the time something happens, less reliable sometimes in someways but i still find the it more believable

procopius- secret histories
procopius
he was an assistant to a great military leader under justinian the 1st of byzantium/constinople/new rome around 500 ad.... anyway this is his secret histories that he wrote on the ceasar and all the other major figures in court... unlike any other ancient history ... short book too

12 caesars
12 caesars
major history of ancient rome written by an official historian who had access to all the official documents of the major caesars in history, which gives some account of what they were like... written around 100 ad and fairly balanced, the good stuff... caesar was a bad gambler! also the source of reference to jesus and nero, and the best info on caligula

 

[Weenerz]

http://www.britannica.com/

 

[Kagari]

and

 

[Qwomo]

Anyone have any specific recommendations for military history? I'm looking for something that gets into the nitty gritty of tactics, strategy, and logistics. Like I want to know specifically how they work, preferably with lots of examples.

This isn't exactly what you're asking for -- it doesn't perfectly detail battle formations and logistics and such, and deals with classical warfare -- but it definitely gets down into a lot of specifics of the era, from equipment to even the mentality of a soldier. It's more of a history book than a reference book on warfare.

It's been a while since I've read it, but it is hands-down my favorite nonfiction book I've ever read. It is, in a word, gripping.

 

[Neato_Jinkins]

excellent biography, and it provides some insights into the era

interesting and engaging

slightly more dry than the previous two, still good

in-depth analysis of post-war japan. might be a little too myopic if you prefer broader overviews before delving into the details

human misery freight train comin through choo choo chofuck

i'd second (or third, or whatever) the recommendations for king leopold's ghost and richard evans' third reich series, both are awesome. if you're really brand new to history reading, that tom holland book is a fantastic place to start. i'd also recommend biographies because they can be a bit more lively than straight-up history and might pique your interest in certain eras, etc.

 

[Caerith]

Anyone have any specific recommendations for military history? I'm looking for something that gets into the nitty gritty of tactics, strategy, and logistics. Like I want to know specifically how they work, preferably with lots of examples.

I've heard good things about Osprey books when it comes to warfare... but here's some of my personal recommendations for war in history:

The Art of Renaissance Warfare: From the Fall of Constantinople to the Thirty Years War - This explores the evolution of offensive/defensive tactics as gunpowder made its way onto the scene, starting with the Ottoman capture of Constantinople. It doesn't go much into politics or names and dates and kings, but details various battles and how technology and tactics were used to win them. This book taught me that John Smith (from the Pocahontas story) was pretty much the original MacGuyver.

Greek Fire, Poison Arrows, and Scorpion Bombs: Biological and Chemical Warfare in the Ancient World - This is an interesting look at the various ways people have been "cheating" in warfare since the dawn of time. Goes into some fair detail too.

Medieval Warfare Source Book: Warfare in Western Christendom - This is pretty much an encyclopedia of the evolution of arms and armor. For instance, knights began using helmets that cover the face as a response to the rise of crossbows (which primarily shot people in the face).

And one that's not about war:

Life in a Medieval City - This, like any of the "Life in a Medieval X" books by Gies & Gies, provides an in-depth look at what things were like in 1450 Troyes. It goes into great detail about everyday life, rituals, customs, etc. These books are a must for understanding medieval life.

Oh, and of course there's one history book about warfare that's about as gritty as it gets:

Rough and Ready - Time-traveling Navy SEALs and vikings.

 

[Melhisedek]

*wanted to post a new topic*

 

[bengraven]

 

[Guerrillas in the Mist]

Hobsbawm's stuff about later periods is also worth a read. Worth pointing out that he's a Marxist, but it's still an essential book if you're looking into European history during that time period.

 

[Guerrillas in the Mist]

Also, Antony Beevor's books on WW2, the Spanish Civil War etc are excellent. He effortlessly moves between what was happening on a strategic or political level, and individual accounts.

 

[Maklershed]

Can add a new recommendation since my last post in this thread ...


Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson

Thoroughly enjoyable and very detailed account of John Wilkes Booth's 12 day attempt to flee to the Confederate south and his subsequent capture/death.

 

[On The Edge of Insanity]

Can anyone recommend any books about Pinochet's Chile and the direct aftermath?

Currently looking at the following:
Ricardo Lagos - The Southern Tiger: Chile's Fight for a Democratic and Prosperous Future
Heraldo Munoz - The Dictator's Shadow: Life Under Augusto Pinochet: Life Under Augusto Pinochet - A Political Memoir
Mary Helen Spooner - Soldiers in a Narrow Land: The Pinochet Regime in Chile; and The General's Slow Retreat: Chile after Pinochet

Any comments on those, plus further recommendations would be much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[sans_pants]

Anyone have any specific recommendations for military history? I'm looking for something that gets into the nitty gritty of tactics, strategy, and logistics. Like I want to know specifically how they work, preferably with lots of examples.

you should check out john keegan books.

this is his only book that ive actually read http://www.amazon.com/dp/0140048979/?tag=neogaf0e-20

gives a good overview of 3 different medieval battles. he was also the editor on this series: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0060891955/?tag=neogaf0e-20 which is kinda dry but includes lots of color photos and maps to help you visualize what you are reading about,

for a more specific recollection of a historical moment, I'd like to recommend Red Bread, by Maurice Hindus. It's about a journalist from Russia who goes back after they begin collectivization and he gets a first hand account of what it was actually like and its effects on their culture

 

[Lionel Mandrake]

I need to get an American History book for a Christmas gift. Can anyone recommend anything recent in-line with Edmund Morris's books on Roosevelt?

 

[SmoothCB]

I've recently become curious with the rise an fall of 'enlightenments' and would like to read more.

Ideally, I'd like a sort of pop history book that covers Ancient Greece/Rome, China, Islamic Golden Age and the current Enlightenment. I'm mostly curious about 'the why' of each of their rises and then falls.

One book would be great but a couple works too.

 

[sphagnum]

 

[TestMonkey]

I'll throw out a couple of books.

The Nuremberg Interviews by Leon Goldensohn.Since there have been several pro-Nazi posts already I'll suggest the anti-Nazi books. Direct psychological interviews with the top Nazi brass at Nurenburg by the Army psychiatrist in charge of their mental health during the trial. No remorse for what they had done, only regret that they couldn't complete Hitler's vision and denial of any knowledge of things related to the final solution.

"A Problem from Hell": America and the Age of Genocide by Samantha Power. An important book. Describes how time and time again the crime of genocide has occurred but it's very existence has been repeatedly denied not because there is not enough proof of the crime but because people can't believe it. I'm not that far into the book because I have to put it down after every couple of sections because it's so disturbing.

 

[Dragonborn]

Does anyone have any recommendations for books on Europe. During the middle ages (or at least I'm interested in the area between 800-1400 AD)?

 

[ЯAW]

I would like to learn more about colonialism in Asia (including India), any good books?

 

[SmoothCB]

This is an interesting recommendation.

What I'm having the most trouble finding is info on Ancient Chinese such as info and critiques on the 100 schools of thought period. Any ideas?

 

[ScribbleD]

Does anyone have any recommendations for books on the black plague?