Recommend me a Book!

Now that I managed to finish my APUSH textbook three months before I was supposed to, I've realized I have a lot of downtime in school between classes and such. And after a couple weeks of spending that time aimlessly wandering the internets, I've decided to put that time to good use and actually read up on some history, rather than just peruse Wikipedia articles.

And so, what better place to start than with the Mongol conquests of the 13th century? I've always found that 100 year period extremely interesting, and well, I'd love a much more in depth look at it than just the Wikipedia article.

But rather than just diving in (and end up reading some pop-culture drivel er something), I thought it would be a good idea to ask some people a bit more, well, knowledgeable about this/experienced in this area, i.e. you guys.

So, to start off, I thought it would be good to read a book that gives a nice overview of the conquests in general (thought not too general, I'm looking for something a bit deeper than Wikipedia), just to give myself a bit more grounding in the subject; then I can move onto more specific topics and such.

Anyone got any good books that fit that description? Thanks in advance

Eh. The Mongols don't get interesting until after 1368. :3

With that said: even though I've got a pisspoor understanding of early Chinggisid literature, there are three books you should probably try. The newest is Jack Weatherford's book, Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. Over the top title, and dubious attention to detail (or perhaps a lack of interest in historiography?), but a decent starting point. Ratchnevsky's Genghis Khan: His Life and Legacy is better in most respects, albeit not as recent and certainly a bit more difficult to read. Morris Rossabi has done some of the more useful stuff on Chinggis' successors, especially Khubilai, but again, more 'scholarly', less of an easy read.

I don't mind if its a bit tougher of a read, a challenge is good

But out of the bunch, I'm liking the look of Jack Weatherford's book, just because of it's scope. Ratchnevesky's books seems to be more concerned with the man himself, which I'm not as terribly interested in, but whatever. As a second book, it doesn't look too bad.

Thanks for the response

Dachs said:

Eh. The Mongols don't get interesting until after 1368. :3

With that said: even though I've got a pisspoor understanding of early Chinggisid literature, there are three books you should probably try. The newest is Jack Weatherford's book, Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. Over the top title, and dubious attention to detail (or perhaps a lack of interest in historiography?), but a decent starting point. Ratchnevsky's Genghis Khan: His Life and Legacy is better in most respects, albeit not as recent and certainly a bit more difficult to read. Morris Rossabi has done some of the more useful stuff on Chinggis' successors, especially Khubilai, but again, more 'scholarly', less of an easy read.

Click to expand...

Wasn't 1368 the year the Mongols got kicked out of China by the Ming?

Yep. Who cares about Khubilai Khan when you can read about the Four Oirats, Esen, and Mandukhai?

So you can better deal with the Byzies that according to your sig permeate strategy gaming, perhaps Norwich's Byzantium series?

So you can better deal with the Byzies that according to your sig permeate strategy gaming, perhaps Norwich's Byzantium series?

Click to expand...

Norwich, Nicol, etc. For Byzantine culture, see Averintzev and Kaldellis (the latter one being prone to extrapolation - I don't think that Byzantium was a nation-state, as he suggests, for instance - but still a good read).

Ew. Avoid Norwich, acquire Treadgold.

Best Byzantinists in English these days are Treadgold, Kaegi, Magdalino, Cameron, Mango, Holmes, Whittow, Haldon, and I'm probably forgetting a lot of people. Nicol is good but old. Norwich is literary.

Hey, Norwich has given me enough background knowledge for a non-scholar. Better some understanding then no understanding.

Yeah, well, if you want to learn more, move on.

It seems I forgot James Howard-Johnston and Michael Angold in my list of awesome Byzantinists

On a Mongolian note, Weatherford seems to me to be a bit too sympathetic to Genghis and his empire.

Yes. Weatherford has a lot of problems. Unfortunately, I didn't know about anything newer and better.

Ferget books. Go see the John Wayne movie.

Lone Wolf said:

On a Mongolian note, Weatherford seems to me to be a bit too sympathetic to Genghis and his empire.

Click to expand...

Dachs said:

Yes. Weatherford has a lot of problems. Unfortunately, I didn't know about anything newer and better.

Click to expand...

So, would reading Weatherford be detrimental to my understanding of the conquests? Or is it still decent enough to act as "background" for better books on the period?

BuckyRea said:

Ferget books. Go see the John Wayne movie.

You will believe a boy can fly.​

Click to expand...

Hot damn! You saved me from a trip to the library!

I found the Face of Battle by John Keegan to be an interesting book. It'd apply only for its description of the Battle of Agincourt (you said you liked the 100 years war).

It should be easy to find in a public library or used bookstore.

anything for economic history? I need for history purposes mainly, not for economics class. I got the ascent of money by niall ferguson but that's not much.

also, anything about 1500-1600s Europe? I guess something about the religious stuff mainly. I think I got my bases covered on the nordic countries history but I'd like get a good view on the European situation.

anything for Russia's eastward expansion?

anything for 1800s USA?

Laurwin said:

anything for economic history? I need for history purposes mainly, not for economics class. I got the ascent of money by niall ferguson but that's not much.

Click to expand...

Power and Plenty by Findlay and O'Rourke is very good.

Laurwin said:

also, anything about 1500-1600s Europe? I guess something about the religious stuff mainly. I think I got my bases covered on the nordic countries history but I'd like get a good view on the European situation.

Click to expand...

For a general overview, try The European Dynastic States by Richard Bonney. For more topical stuff...uh, well, depends on the topic.

Laurwin said:

anything for Russia's eastward expansion?

Click to expand...

The most comprehensive account is Fred Bergholz's The Partition of the Steppe: The Struggle of the Russians, Manchus, and the Zunghar Mongols for Empire in Central Asia 1619-1758: A Study in Power Politics, but it's slightly defective and it's not properly up with recent historiography on the Zunghars. Use Peter Perdue, China Marches West: The Qing Conquest of Central Eurasia as a corrective.

Popular accounts are also available in Benson Bobrick, East of the Sun: The Epic Conquest and Tragic History of Siberia and W. Bruce Lincoln, The Conquest of a Continent: Siberia and the Russians, neither of which is as good as the previous two.

Laurwin said:

anything for 1800s USA?

Click to expand...

Also extremely broad!

Dachs said:

Power and Plenty by Findlay and O'Rourke is very good.

For a general overview, try The European Dynastic States by Richard Bonney. For more topical stuff...uh, well, depends on the topic.

The most comprehensive account is Fred Bergholz's The Partition of the Steppe: The Struggle of the Russians, Manchus, and the Zunghar Mongols for Empire in Central Asia 1619-1758: A Study in Power Politics, but it's slightly defective and it's not properly up with recent historiography on the Zunghars. Use Peter Perdue, China Marches West: The Qing Conquest of Central Eurasia as a corrective.

Popular accounts are also available in Benson Bobrick, East of the Sun: The Epic Conquest and Tragic History of Siberia and W. Bruce Lincoln, The Conquest of a Continent: Siberia and the Russians, neither of which is as good as the previous two.

Also extremely broad!

Click to expand...

thanks for suggestions

heh good thing I actually had bought that European Dynastic states book, ordered earlier from UK and fetched it from the store yesterday.

Question: do you think that World Economic History: (or something along those lines) by Rondo Cameron is worth a damn? I looked for it at the bookstore, out of print, so I guess I'd need another opinion on this, since it's recommended reading for a course I'm about to attend. If its any good I guess I could check the library, or failing that order it from UK amazon or something

I really think I could really use something for 19th century USA. Yes, it's got a lot of stuff in it. Mainly I think I would need to focus on American diplomatic and political history, those would be my weakest points, especially political.

Social, economic, and military history I guess I can get something from any of my existing books, though in this category the economic history would again be the weakest link.

Honestly speaking, I'm a little bit lost on the 19th century American history, I couldn't get to a history course about American history at school because there was some ******** rule that you could either pick a Russian or American history course. And, there was the added benefit of actually visiting St. Petersburg with the history class so naturally I took that option

Laurwin said:

Honestly speaking, I'm a little bit lost on the 19th century American history, I couldn't get to a history course about American history at school because there was some ******** rule that you could either pick a Russian or American history course. And, there was the added benefit of actually visiting St. Petersburg with the history class so naturally I took that option

Click to expand...

I think it's pretty much the Antebellum period, the Civil War, Reconstruction/Jim Crow and "Manifest Destiny"