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The History Bookshelf

• Message 1.Β 

  Posted by Thomas_II (U14690627) on Tuesday, 12th April 2011

  I thought to give some space on these boards where people can exchange opinions about history books.
  
  I leave it to everybody whoΒ΄s interesting and start to talk about such books that had inspired or even bored while or after reading.
  
  IΒ΄ve recently started to read "The KingΒ΄s Speech" by Mark Logue and Peter Conradi, which is based on the recently discovered diaries of Lionel Logue. ItΒ΄s not a book about the recent film, but the film has been made upon this book and that film inspired me to read that book to get a bit more informations about that story.

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• Message 2

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  Posted by shivfan (U2435266) on Tuesday, 12th April 2011

  "Rough Crossings" by Simon Schama. It opened my eyes to an aspect of American/British/Sierra Leone history that I knew next to nothing about. It was about the black ex-slaves who fought alongside the Loyalists in the American War of Independence, about Granville Sharp's courageous fight against slavery when it was not in vogue to do so, and about the involvement of Sharp and the Clarkson brothers in the novel venture to set up a colony in Sierra Leone where these black soldiers formed the core of that colonial makeup.
  
  "A Short History of Byzantium" by JJ Norwich. An interesting read, which exploded a lot of myths in my mind that the Byzantine empire had any more intrigues than medieval Europe at that time.
  
  "Edward I" by Michael Prestwick. A comprehensive and critical look at the reign on Longshanks. Difficult to plough thru in parts, but very interesting....
  
  "A History of West Indies cricket" by Michael Manley. My favourite history book....

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  Posted by Thomas_II (U14690627) on Tuesday, 12th April 2011

  In reply to shivfan:
  
  "A History of West Indies cricket" by Michael Manley. My favourite history book.Β 
  
  That brings me to consider which history book is the favourite of mine. I canΒ΄t say it at the moment, shivfan. Among those about Irish or British history, there might be some favourites, but I think I canΒ΄t tell just about a single one at all.

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  Posted by shivfan (U2435266) on Tuesday, 12th April 2011

  Here's one that's made me laugh quite a lot....
  
  "An Utterly Impartial History of Britain or 2000 years of Upper Class Idiots in Charge" by John O'Farrell.

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  Posted by Tas (U11050591) on Tuesday, 12th April 2011

  Hi Shiv,
  
  I have been reading about the Black regiments that fought in the American Civil War.
  
  Here are some pictures of them from the Civil War, and also other historical photos of that period.
  
  
  
  Tas

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  Posted by somewhatsilly (U14315357) on Tuesday, 12th April 2011

  An unusual book and, as long as you enjoy the style, fascinating, The Secret Life of Buildings by Edward Hollis. It's a biography of famous buildings from the Acropolis to the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas.

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• Message 7

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  Posted by Catigern (U14419012) on Tuesday, 12th April 2011

  I really liked John Keegan's 'The Face of Battle', which looked at Agincourt, Waterloo and the Somme. As a rule, I reckon the best history is written by those who master the context, rather than those who pursue the theme, so, eg, I'd rather read summat about Agincourt by a 15th century specialist than a military historian, but Keegan has done a wonderful job of analysing each of these three big battles, successfully tackling specialist debates about narrative detail as well as exploring the participants' perspectives.
  

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  Posted by alanpatten (U1866183) on Tuesday, 12th April 2011

  1066 and all that.
  
  Regards.................Alan

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• Message 9

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  Posted by Caro (U1691443) on Wednesday, 13th April 2011

  I think the best history book I have read in recent years is Agincourt by Juliet Barker. It wasn't just an account of the battle or even of the people involved, but went through the lead-up, the financial arrangements, the religiosity of everyone, and ensured that assumptions a modern-day reader might make were analysed and explained. I think she has written another one on Henry V after that.
  
  I like books that explore a theme (and I only read popularish history writing now, thoughtful and academic to some degree, but not beyond the understanding of someone like me with only limited knowledge), so I enjoyed one called Necropolis which explored the death practices of London throughout the ages, and Mauve, about the history and science of colour and the people involved, and one on the plague I read a few years ago.
  
  And ones on NZ history, its wars, PMs and settlement.
  
  Since I also like novels and other non-fiction the time for reading history is limited.
  
  Cheers, Caro.

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  Posted by Silver Jenny (U12795676) on Wednesday, 13th April 2011

  Caro, for similar reasons I like Lisa Picard's books. She brings London to life for readers like myself without scholarly historical knowledge.
  
  Restoration London [yet to read that one.]
  Dr. Johnson's London
  Victorian London.
  
  

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