Historical Book Recomendation Thread

[cybrxkhan]

I'm looking for stuff on Pre-Islamic Arabia, as well as Pre-Dynastic or Early Dynastic Egypt; anybody have suggestions for books that focus specifically on those two, or at least have a reasonably comprehensive section on them?

So far I'm reading Robert Hoyland's Arabia and the Arabs: From the Bronze Age to the Coming of Islam, which seems to be one of the few books out there focused solely on Pre-Islamic Arabia, and for Pre-Dynastic/Early Dynasty Egypt I'm reading Douglas Brewer's Ancient Egypt: Foundations of a Civilization. I couldn't find anything else too promising (there was one book about the Ghassanids, but the writing style was... odd, to say the least).

 

[Ajidica]

Pre-Islamic Arabia is a very difficult topic to learn about, given that historians don't know all that much about it.
IIRC, most of what we know about Pagan Arabia is from their architecture, you might want to try looking in the archaeology areas.

 

[cybrxkhan]

Pre-Islamic Arabia is a very difficult topic to learn about, given that historians don't know all that much about it.
IIRC, most of what we know about Pagan Arabia is from their architecture, you might want to try looking in the archaeology areas.

Yeah, it's true that there isn't a lot of info out there, although if I remember correctly according to the book I'm reading now, the author says that's partially because of the heavy focus on Islamic times, even though there has been research in Pre-Islamic Arabia. (The author is an archaeologist, I think, by the way.)

Thanks for the tip, anyhow.

 

[Dachs]

Irfan Shahid's put out several books that purport to be about "Byzantium and the Arabs" (or "Rome and the Arabs" as it were) but end up doing an overview of basically all of the relevant pre-Islamic Arabian history into the bargain.

 

[History_Buff]

Anyone know a good book on the German economy, from say 1815-1870 and forward? Anything that covered 1900-2000 would probably be good.

I'm curious to see a detailed analysis on why their economy has been so darn resilient. I imagine human capital is the reason, but that's not very specific.

 

[Ajidica]

If you really want to annoy historians, just claim it is the Protestant Work Ethic.

 

[Phrossack]

Anyone know a good book on the German economy, from say 1815-1870 and forward? Anything that covered 1900-2000 would probably be good.

I'm curious to see a detailed analysis on why their economy has been so darn resilient. I imagine human capital is the reason, but that's not very specific.

That's what I've been wondering as well. How the hell did Germany recover economically from WWII after millions of its people were dead, its cities were often just rubble, and the Allies actively dismantled its industries?

 

[Antilogic]

That's what I've been wondering as well. How the hell did Germany recover economically from WWII after millions of its people were dead, its cities were often just rubble, and the Allies actively dismantled its industries?

Well, post-WW2 there was significant foreign investment in consumer-focused industries. Only the military was completely dismantled.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Anyone know a good book on the German economy, from say 1815-1870 and forward? Anything that covered 1900-2000 would probably be good.

I'm curious to see a detailed analysis on why their economy has been so darn resilient. I imagine human capital is the reason, but that's not very specific.

It's the answer I've always been given.

 

[carmen510]

Anyone know a good book on the German economy, from say 1815-1870 and forward? Anything that covered 1900-2000 would probably be good.

I'm curious to see a detailed analysis on why their economy has been so darn resilient. I imagine human capital is the reason, but that's not very specific.

If you don't mind a more limited economic period, The Wages of Destruction by Adam Tooze is an excellent review of Nazi Germany's economy from 1933 to 1945. It also covers much of the Weimar Period, especially from the Dawe's Plan (1924) onward.

 

[civ_king]

Where do I find a book on the Maratha Navy?

 

[Icaria909]

I'm looking for a good book about the reign of Franz Joseph I and a few books about the development of the Austrian/Austrian-Hungarian economy from 1815-1918. Also, I'm looking for a book about about World War I from the Austro-Hungarian perspective and its affect on Austria-Hungary during the war. Does anyone have any good suggestions?

 

[History_Buff]

If you don't mind a more limited economic period, The Wages of Destruction by Adam Tooze is an excellent review of Nazi Germany's economy from 1933 to 1945. It also covers much of the Weimar Period, especially from the Dawe's Plan (1924) onward.

Well, if anything, I'm more interested in the economy between the wars, and then following '45, but I'll check it out, thanks!

 

[_random_]

Is How the Irish Saved Civilization worth reading? I had a history teacher who doted on it a lot, but history teachers can be pretty dumb sometimes.

 

[ParkCungHee]

No, it is not. You'd be better off reading almost any text on early medieval Ireland, which will make you aware of the same facts, without the ridiculous hyperbole.

 

[_random_]

Any in particular you'd suggest?

 

[ParkCungHee]

How much are you looking to read?

 

[_random_]

Nothing too long. About 350 pages or less maybe?

 

[Dachs]

I'm looking for a good book about the reign of Franz Joseph I and a few books about the development of the Austrian/Austrian-Hungarian economy from 1815-1918. Also, I'm looking for a book about about World War I from the Austro-Hungarian perspective and its affect on Austria-Hungary during the war. Does anyone have any good suggestions?

Holger Herwig wrote a decent book on Germany and Austria-Hungary in the First World War. It's a little bit behind current scholarship but it's a decent overview.

 

[Huayna Capac357]

Are there any good and reasonably neutral books on the feminist movement i.e. not the women's suffrage movement?