Good History Books

[theoldnorthstate]

History of the English Speaking Peoples by Winston Churchill. Then settle in on times from that you enjoy most and seek out books on those time periods. and what you like. Art history, military history, dynastic history, political history, sociology legal, religious, ancient, roman, chinese, etc.


Sometimes a good novel is informative, sometimes it isn't. Nonfiction can be interesting and informative but can bog down. It can be entertaining. just depends

Usually when I meet with historians, it tends to get argumentative amongst them (in a collegial way). Everyone has what they believe with supporting evidence. So even the academic writings can be slanted toward that a belief.

Good luck in your search.

[SunGrins]

I just started a biography of Robespierre and I'm partway into a book on Magellan's voyage around the world. Robespierre is a very interesting character -- more than the maniac that is commonly portrayed.

[rjshae]

For the American Civil War, I don't think you can go to far wrong with Shelby Foote's extensive trilogy.

[2x3x29x41]

Originally Posted by hunterseat

I love historical fiction and have learned a lot about stuff I didn't pay attention to in school. Yes, it's fiction but it's normally historically accurate.

That's the relevant part about historical fiction. The stories? Made up. The details? Made up. The dialogue? Made up. A historical backdrop doesn't change the fact that it's mostly made up.

I recently watched HBO's Chernobyl. I absolutely loved it. It's fantastic entertainment. And when I watched, I wanted to be entertained, not educated... because it's fiction. There were a number of things historically incorrect about the series. There's nothing wrong with that. The purpose is to entertain, so we have composite characters and changes made for dramatic effect. It's all good.

That is, it's all good until people start thinking that they're learning about history.

Originally Posted by rjshae

For the American Civil War, I don't think you can go to far wrong with Shelby Foote's extensive trilogy.

Foote sold a lot of books. And he was a lousy historian. He sold a lot of books because he was a Lost Cause romanticist, and there's a big market for that. That he was a Lost Cause romanticist is also the reason he was such a poor historian.

James McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom is the definitive one-volume history of the Civil War.