The book recommendation thread

[Atticus]

"Some books are to be tasted, others swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested."
-Francis Bacon

Greetings! Here are probably many of us who read history just for fun, and who have little knowledge about the credibility of different books. I thought this could be a thread for asking advices on books: what attitude you should have towards them and what books you should read if you're interested on some subject.

I'll start with Stalin : a Political Biography by Isaac Deutscher and The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon. What do you think about them?

edit: It seems that people have understood this post quite differently from what I meant, which doesn't bother me at all, but I'd like to hear your opinions about the books I mentioned, not recommend them. I haven't even read them, partly because it's good to know how reliable they are while reading.

 

[Emperor2]

If you haven't read Leo Tolstoy's WAR AND PEACE, you have got to read it.
Kremlin Rising-Can't remember who wrote it, but it's a great book about the situation in modern Russia
The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith- Reading it now, very good book.

 

[GigaNerd]

I recommend Great Lives: World Government by William Jay Jacobs! It has biographies about everyone from Napoleon Bonaparte to Mikhail Gorbachev in it!!

 

[Verge]

I just finished Strange Defeat by Marc Bloc, an account of how France fell during World War 2. Bloc was a historian when the war began who died in 1942 while resisting the Nazis. Very interesting stuff, and a quick read, so it's an easy recommendation.

I've just started reading Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World by Mark Kurlansky. First few chapters are very good, so it's definitely a promising start.

 

[cybrxkhan]

Read the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Thuogh not 100% history, its still arguably one of THE best historical fiction/non-fiction books East Asia has produced.

 

[Cuchullain]

I would recommend Henryk Sienkiewicz's Trilogy (With Fire And Sword, The Deluge, and Fire In The Steppe). Though these three works are historical fiction, they do provide a little insight into Polish life during the period of The Polish - Lithuanian Commonwealth.

 

[JJ Boston]

Sorry I'm not familiar with the first two writers mentioned, but I have to comment on a writer someone else brought up. I think Mark Kurlansky is an incredible writer. Someone already mentioned Cod, which I haven't read, but I have to recommend another book he wrote, The Basque History of the World, which focuses on the Basques in Spain, who are unfairly known most by the terrorist group ETA. He is as talented as a writer as he is as a historian, so it's a very enjoyable read. It was good to see such a honest portrayal of the basques too.

 

[Huayna Capac357]

Read 1421: The Year China Discovered America (It's called 1421: The Year China Discovered the World if you're British) by Gavin Menzies. Even if you don't agree with the theory, it really is a great read.

Also, read Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond. Another great read about a historical theory. He really makes it make sense.

Even if you disagree with these theories, read! You may be convinced .

 

[Huayna Capac357]

Also, read the Bible, by God .

 

[Emperor2]

Adam Smith - Wealth of Nations
REALLY good. Have to get the modern library edtion to understand a good portion if you aren't fluent in 1776 scottish.

 

[Julian Delphiki]

Almost anything written by Fernand Braudel is worth a look, his magnum opus being three-volume Civilization and Capitalism.

I think Mark Kurlansky is an incredible writer. Someone already mentioned Cod, which I haven't read, but I have to recommend another book he wrote, The Basque History of the World, which focuses on the Basques in Spain, who are unfairly known most by the terrorist group ETA. He is as talented as a writer as he is as a historian, so it's a very enjoyable read. It was good to see such a honest portrayal of the basques too.

He seems bit obsessed with Cod, doesn't he ? I've read Salt: A World History by him, which was OK.

 

[Verge]

He seems bit obsessed with Cod, doesn't he ? I've read Salt: A World History by him, which was OK.

Yeah, every Kurlansky book I've read mentions cod, salt, and the Basque at least once. Salt: A World History is one of his weaker books, overall.

 

[Evie]

Also, read the Bible, by God .

Bah. I'm sure he got someone to ghost-write it.

Plus, the main character(s) is/are Mary Sue(s).

 

[Kan' Sharuminar]

Excellent idea! Does anyone have any recommendations on books that are solely interested in Britain during the Second World War? Am needing a few to get some inspiration

 

[Ambidexter]

A good British book about WW2 is The Wizard War by R.V. Jones. He was the RAF's scientific intelligence officer. At the beginning of the war, he was involved in development of countermeasures for German electronic navigation. He also spent time with V1 and V2 missile intelligence and intelligence about German nuclear weapon development.

 

[JJ Boston]

I read an interesting World War II book that focused on Churchill/FDR/Stalin's interactions and decisions called The Conquerers by Michael Beschloss. It's a very good read, Beschloss has a great writing style.

 

[Traitorfish]

Adam Smith - Wealth of Nations
REALLY good. Have to get the modern library edtion to understand a good portion if you aren't fluent in 1776 scottish.

Actually, it was always written in English- it's actually seen as something of a landmark within Scottish linguistic history because of this.

 

[ohcrapitsnico]

Also, read the Bible, by God .

The bible wasn't written by God it was inspired at most. Numerous people wrote it, most through word of mouth centuries after the events.

 

[Traitorfish]

The bible wasn't written by God it was inspired at most. Numerous people wrote it, most through word of mouth centuries after the events.

And many more edited it along the way. After all, it's not even possible to translate directly from ancient Hebrew into English, so to claim it as the word-for-word word (too much "word") of God is simply absurd.

 

[RoboPig]

Read India after Gandhi by Ram Guha.

Incredible history of contemporary India.