Need some history book recommendations - Page 2

HarryT · 08-16-2009, 07:44 AM

T.E. Lawrence's ("Lawrence of Arabia") "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom" is a great read. I'm pretty sure it's here on MR. Certainly on PG Australia.

Patricia · 08-16-2009, 08:54 AM

I know that you also like romance, Lilac.
Have you thought about Lady Antonia Fraser's biographies?
Her life of Mary, Queen of Scots, or her biography of Marie Antoinette might just appeal to you.

lilac_jive · 08-16-2009, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patricia

I know that you also like romance, Lilac.
Have you thought about Lady Antonia Fraser's biographies?
Her life of Mary, Queen of Scots, or her biography of Marie Antoinette might just appeal to you.

I'll check them out. I haven't read a good bio in a while.

I've also had "Pillars of the Earth" on my TBR list for a while, just haven't gotten around to it yet.

lmarie · 08-16-2009, 03:31 PM

Some of my favorites in the famous disasters genre, not necessarily ebooks:

1) And the band played on by Randy Shiltz. I remember when I read that I couldn't put it down -- stayed up for two or three days in a row! (The beginnings of the AIDS epidemic.)

2) One of the early Galveston hurricane books was great -- I can't remember which one, but on this list
(http://earlytexashistory.com/Pomeros...galvbooks.html)
many were written before 1910 so may be public domain and thus available as ebooks

3) A night to remember Walter Lord, 1955. Not public domain yet, but a really good one about the Titanic.

4) Alive! The story of the Andes survivors Piers Paul Read, 1974. A little gory, but gripping.

5) History of the Donner party by C.F. McGlashan (late 1800's) is available at PG

HistoryWes · 08-16-2009, 03:39 PM

I liked The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey by Candice Millard.

geneven · 08-16-2009, 06:24 PM

I think Four Days in November qualifies. It was great, and available for Kindle.

I think my favorite history book of all time is Cabeza de Vaca's Adventures in the Unknown Interior of America. I don't know if it's Kindleized. Various translations are available; some don't look as fun as the one I read.

Memoirs of George Kennon is another favorite. Probably not Kindelized.

ErwinOtten · 08-17-2009, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lilac_jive

I'll check them out. I haven't read a good bio in a while.

I've also had "Pillars of the Earth" on my TBR list for a while, just haven't gotten around to it yet.

As you can see, I just finished ' Pillars' ....... A good book, but not a superb one.. I was al little bit disappointed by it, the ending saved a great deal though, he knows to knit it all up together rather well...

Elsi · 08-17-2009, 06:15 PM

Simon Winchester has gotten a LOT of positive reviews of his historical books.

The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary
The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary
The Man Who Loved China: The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom
A Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906
The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology
Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883

And he's got a couple of travelogues as well.

The River at the Center of the World: A Journey Up the Yangtze, and Back in Chinese Time
Outposts: Journeys to the Surviving Relics of the British Empire
Korea: A Walk Through the Land of Miracles
Pacific Rising: The Emergence of a New World Culture

lilac_jive · 08-17-2009, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elsi

Simon Winchester has gotten a LOT of positive reviews of his historical books.

The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary
The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary
The Man Who Loved China: The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom
A Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906
The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology
Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883

And he's got a couple of travelogues as well.

The River at the Center of the World: A Journey Up the Yangtze, and Back in Chinese Time
Outposts: Journeys to the Surviving Relics of the British Empire
Korea: A Walk Through the Land of Miracles
Pacific Rising: The Emergence of a New World Culture

I looked all over my parent's house for "Crack in the Edge of the World" to no avail (which means its in my boxes at my house...ugh). I have never seen his travel books though, have you read any of them?

Elsi · 08-17-2009, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lilac_jive

I looked all over my parent's house for "Crack in the Edge of the World" to no avail (which means its in my boxes at my house...ugh). I have never seen his travel books though, have you read any of them?

Nope -- the only exposure I've had to Winchester is the sample I downloaded of The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary, based on a recommendation from someone in my book-swapping group.

lilac_jive · 08-17-2009, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elsi

Nope -- the only exposure I've had to Winchester is the sample I downloaded of The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary, based on a recommendation from someone in my book-swapping group.

It's a darn good book too. Did you read "Devil in the White City?" I read them around the same time and they have a similar vibe.

Elsi · 08-19-2009, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lilac_jive

It's a darn good book too. Did you read "Devil in the White City?" I read them around the same time and they have a similar vibe.

Nope, haven't read it, but I'll check it out.

Mason · 08-21-2009, 09:22 PM

O Jerusalem! is a great book written by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins. It recounts the events leading up to the creation of the state of Israel from both Jewish and Muslim perspectives ( it leans pro-Israeli, but it doesn't leave out cases where Israel was in the wrong ).

It's an interesting read, it'll make you look at the current situation a little bit differently.

zerospinboson · 08-24-2009, 10:12 AM

While it's not entirely accurate, try 1491?

BenG · 08-24-2009, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mason

O Jerusalem! is a great book written by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins. It recounts the events leading up to the creation of the state of Israel from both Jewish and Muslim perspectives ( it leans pro-Israeli, but it doesn't leave out cases where Israel was in the wrong ).

It's an interesting read, it'll make you look at the current situation a little bit differently.

Their book about Gandhi and the creation of an independent India and Pakistan, Freedom at Midnight, is also excellent.

08-17-2009, 06:15 PM	#23
Elsi Wizard Posts: 2,366 Karma: 12000 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Texas, USA Device: Kindle; Sony PRS 505; Blackberry 8700C	Simon Winchester has gotten a LOT of positive reviews of his historical books. *The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary* *The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary* *The Man Who Loved China: The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom* *A Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906* *The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology* *Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883* And he's got a couple of travelogues as well. *The River at the Center of the World: A Journey Up the Yangtze, and Back in Chinese Time* *Outposts: Journeys to the Surviving Relics of the British Empire* *Korea: A Walk Through the Land of Miracles* *Pacific Rising: The Emergence of a New World Culture*

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08-16-2009, 07:44 AM	#16
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	T.E. Lawrence's ("Lawrence of Arabia") "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom" is a great read. I'm pretty sure it's here on MR. Certainly on PG Australia.

08-16-2009, 08:54 AM	#17
Patricia Reader Posts: 11,504 Karma: 8720163 Join Date: May 2007 Location: South Wales, UK Device: Sony PRS-500, PRS-505, Asus EEEpc 4G	I know that you also like romance, Lilac. Have you thought about Lady Antonia Fraser's biographies? Her life of Mary, Queen of Scots, or her biography of Marie Antoinette might just appeal to you.

08-16-2009, 03:31 PM	#19
lmarie Dilettante Posts: 153 Karma: 500 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Philadelphia area Device: EB1150, Cybook Gen3, Kobo Touch, Kobo Glo, Kobo Clara BW	Some of my favorites in the famous disasters genre, not necessarily ebooks: 1) And the band played on by Randy Shiltz. I remember when I read that I couldn't put it down -- stayed up for two or three days in a row! (The beginnings of the AIDS epidemic.) 2) One of the early Galveston hurricane books was great -- I can't remember which one, but on this list (http://earlytexashistory.com/Pomeros...galvbooks.html) many were written before 1910 so may be public domain and thus available as ebooks 3) A night to remember Walter Lord, 1955. Not public domain yet, but a really good one about the Titanic. 4) Alive! The story of the Andes survivors Piers Paul Read, 1974. A little gory, but gripping. 5) History of the Donner party by C.F. McGlashan (late 1800's) is available at PG

08-16-2009, 03:39 PM	#20
HistoryWes Teacher/Novelist Posts: 632 Karma: 2274466 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Nevada Device: Nook STR, iPad	I liked The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey by Candice Millard.

08-16-2009, 06:24 PM	#21
geneven Member Retired Posts: 124 Karma: 340 Join Date: Aug 2008 Device: Nokia N800, N810, Kindle 2	I think Four Days in November qualifies. It was great, and available for Kindle. I think my favorite history book of all time is Cabeza de Vaca's Adventures in the Unknown Interior of America. I don't know if it's Kindleized. Various translations are available; some don't look as fun as the one I read. Memoirs of George Kennon is another favorite. Probably not Kindelized.

08-21-2009, 09:22 PM	#28
Mason parce qui c'est amusant! Posts: 20 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: United States Device: none	O Jerusalem! is a great book written by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins. It recounts the events leading up to the creation of the state of Israel from both Jewish and Muslim perspectives ( it leans pro-Israeli, but it doesn't leave out cases where Israel was in the wrong ). It's an interesting read, it'll make you look at the current situation a little bit differently.

08-24-2009, 10:12 AM	#29
zerospinboson "Assume a can opener..." Posts: 755 Karma: 1942109 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Local Cluster Device: iLiad v2, DR1000	While it's not entirely accurate, try 1491?

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