Bookclub Wednesday!

Submitted by AutoModerator t3_xw7hqw in history

Hi everybody,

Welcome to our weekly book recommendation thread!

We have found that a lot of people come to this sub to ask for books about history or sources on certain topics. Others make posts about a book they themselves have read and want to share their thoughts about it with the rest of the sub.

We thought it would be a good idea to try and bundle these posts together a bit. One big weekly post where everybody can ask for books or (re)sources on any historic subject or timeperiod, or to share books they recently discovered or read. Giving opinions or asking about their factuality is encouraged!

Of course it’s not limited to *just* books; podcasts, videos, etc. are also welcome. As a reminder, r/history also has a recommended list of things to [read, listen to or watch](https://www.reddit.com/r/history/wiki/recommendedlist)

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Bentresh t1_ir5x22b wrote

The recently published Weavers, Scribes, and Kings: A New History of the Ancient Near East by Amanda Podany is well worth a read for anyone interested in ancient Syro-Mesopotamian history. Though the usual kings and queens appear, she focuses on some of the less famous but equally fascinating people from the ancient Near East.

Podany’s earlier book, Brotherhood of Kings: How International Relations Shaped the Ancient Near East, also combines excellent scholarship with an engaging writing style.

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August_30th t1_ir5y4fx wrote

Some recommendations:

1493 by Charles C. Mann - this sequel to the popular “1491” is about the Columbian Exchange and its impacts on the world. It focuses on things like mosquitos and malaria, potatoes, and Chinese pirates.

American Comics by Jeremy Dauber - a nice read about the history of comics in America. It looks at 20th century American history through the lens of comic books and talks about the themes that developed. Doesn’t focus on superheroes but includes them.

Hiroshima by John Hersey - this is a short read that premiered in the New Yorker right after the nuclear bombs were dropped. It follows the stories of three people right before, during, and after the bombs dropped.

The Broken Spears - this is a book of primary sources from the fall of the Aztec Empire written by its people. We rarely get to read this from their perspective and it gives a lot of extra details. It also goes into what their culture was like.

The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston - not exactly a history book, but the author and a team of scientists trace a historical legend into the jungles of Honduras.

The River of Doubt by Candace Millard - this traces Theodoore Roosevelt’s journey through an unexplored part of the Amazon. Probably the most interesting thing a president has ever done.

Anything by Tony Horwitz, but I’ll go with Blue Latitudes. He is a journalist with a series of books involving him following historical paths on his travels and seeing their legacy. He also gives history of the areas. This one follows Captain Cook’s journeys, so the author revisits his travel path as according to his diary, says what Cook experienced and what the area was like at the time, and compares it to now. The author has a similar book for the exploration of the New World and a couple based on the Civil War.

Does anyone have any recommendations for books that give a general overview of the 80s in America?

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SamOnTheeLam t1_ir66h5k wrote

I’m looking for a book that has a fair and balanced perspective on the Cuban revolution

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dropbear123 t1_ir6dwfm wrote

Finished The Great Game: On Secret Service in High Asia by Peter Hopkirk

>3.75/5

>The writing is good. The book focuses mainly on the stories of the British and Russian agents in central Asia. Not that much perspective from the natives. Covers the entire 19th century and ends with the British invasion of Tibet in 1904 and the Russo-Japanese War . Good if you want a history book that feels like a narrative but if you want an academic view of the period I would look elsewhere.

Now reading a book I bought very recently (rather than having it for ages before reading it) - Crucible: The Long End of the Great War and the Birth of a New World, 1917–1924 by Charles Emmerson. Really enjoying it so far but it is an unusual style for a history book. Each chapter is a year with the subsections being seasons (winter 1917, summer 1919 etc). About 200 pages (out of 600 or so) and it is up to the winter of 1918-19. Jumps around a lot and covers the events as they happened, rather than covering something like the Russian Civil War all in one go. When I say it jumps around I mean it will be something like 'Russia - The Czechoslovak Legion falls out with the Bolsheviks' then 'Washington - Woodrow Wilson begins planning his outline for his peace plan and comes up with his 14 points' (obviously in full paragraphs and more detail than I did but that is the basic style, I think the Amazon storepage for it has a look inside if you want to see what I mean). Focuses a lot on famous people, Lenin, Hemmingway, Rosa Luxemburg etc.

Sidenote - Emmerson's 1913: The Year Before the Great War is very good if you are interested the culture/society/life of pre-WWI world without the focus on international relations.

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_Paolo_432 t1_ir708r0 wrote

I’m looking for a book (or any academic works) about how WWII are represented in videogames. It is connected with memory politics. In general,symbolic politics.

I will be so glad if someone can help me.

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setPHASER2wumbo t1_ir77w0j wrote

New to the sub but I’ve always been a fan of history. Can anyone recommend a good book on The Northern Ireland Conflict (AKA the troubles)?

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Tetrix121 t1_ir7dvml wrote

Any recommendations for a comprehensive book about the habsburgs from rise to fall?

Also whats the recommended book about the franco-prussian war?

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getBusyChild t1_ir7t8wf wrote

Are there any good books on what happened to the English Fleet that went to attack Spain? As well as the aftermath?

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Robbobin t1_ir8c9ok wrote

I'd love some recommendations for books/biographies surrounding the French revolution and its aftermath.

I'm reading the Black Count by Tom Riess and enjoying it so far.

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No-Strength-6805 t1_irasyzw wrote

Replying to Robbobin (#41,241)

"Hero of Two Worlds " by Mike Duncan Lafayette and both French and American Revolution

"Fatal Purity" by Ruth Scurr about Robespiere

"The Long Affair " by Conor Cruise O'Brian about Jefferson

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harethrayner t1_ireoe0a wrote

Can anybody recommend any books on Ögedei Khan and/or The Mongol Empire 1227-1242?

His life as the Supreme Khan is written in the final chapter of 'The Secret History of the Mongols'. However it is fairly brief, and I was wondering if there are any, more detailed books about his life and that time during the Mongol Empire.

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ottolouis t1_irjg70t wrote

Best memoir of naval aviation in WWII? Or just book about naval aviation?

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htgrower t1_irjs84a wrote

Can anyone recommend me any good books/articles about how wide streets/avenues were used to stop the public from rebelling? For instance in the french revolution there was a wide street constructed that went right through a rebellious neighborhood in order to break them up, and today Egypt is building a new administrative capital to insulate it from the growing population of poor and unhappy people in Cairo. Are there other instances in history like this you know of and any good books that might compare them? thanks

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un_ballo_in_maschera t1_irqikl4 wrote

Does anyone know of any books or articles about the history of makeup/cosmetics? Especially in ancient societies around the world?

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throwingthings05 t1_irwuode wrote

Looking for a book like Tony Judts Postwar, but about the US

I’ve read the perlstein quadrilogy, but I’m looking for something either 1945-1965 or present, or a little earlier to around 1965, but just mostly focused on domestic history.

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