Who's your favourite historian?

[Mark Young]

Mine is Josephus. Only because he is the only one that I have read so far.
I like it because it adds a bit more of a definition of things in the old testament, plus it is good to read the pre new testament stuff regarding the greek and the roman occupations as well.

 

[Stefan Haertel]

Herodotos and Suetonius (if he can be called that). I haven't read any history books lately, but I have enjoyed Plutarch, Arrianus, Curtius and Xenophon too.

 

[puglover]

That would be the Biblical Joshua. Or whoever wrote his book.

 

[thedirk]

Mine is George Marsden. He writes mostly about American religious history.

 

[Xen]

Xenophon

 

[Mark Young]

How about some elaborations and decriptions about why you like them versus other historians that you may have read?

I have only read Josephus so I dont know of any others but I would like to know what others do or dont like about the historians that they have read about.

 

[jack merchant]

The late great Barbara Tuchman, but that may have more to do with her writing than with the merits of her work (which, lacking a historical degree, I cannot judge). Georges Duby wrote a few very interesting books as well (Montaillou, Le dimance de Bouvines and Guillaume le Maréchal among others).

 

[Serutan]

Bruce Catton. Although not a PhD, he researched well, but just as importantly, his writing really brought the American Civil War to life for me.

 

[trevor]

John Keegan, a great british military historian. He really goes in -depth when writting and researching a topic.

 

[Case]

I'm rather fond of Correli Barnet - he writes well, and his work generally includes top-knotch criticism and analysis, things which are sadly rare in most historical writings.

 

[Richard III]

Jack, thanks for the caution, because Barbara Tuchman sucks. Writing good, research good, analysis horrible and tunnel-visioned.

Me, it'd be a toss up between two Britons: Linda Colley (Britons, Captives) and Niall Ferguson (The Pity of War, Empire). Both are a rare sort in this day and age: iconoclasts who take deliberately provocative angles but actually back them up with solid primary research instead of just bulls***, speculation and theory.

Honorable mention to Hugh Thomas, who can be far too thorough - and great because of it; read one of his books and you get everything on the subject in a thick meaty package.

R.III

 

[jeriko one]

Shelby Foote. I watched The Civil War documentary this summer.(by Ken Burns) he seems to know everything about the American Civil War.

 

[SGI Butch]

Who ever invented the history channel is great. Also R. Lee Ermey from mail-call

 

[Sodfather]

Plutarch - gotta love the Iulius Caesar.

 

[Archer 007]

The guy who wrote the History of Britain. Those were very artful books.

 

[Eurocentric.org]

Tacitus

 

[Nixnutz]

Stephen Ambrose, because he wrote about the average soldier, sailor or airman.

 

[brandon749]

Francis Fukuyama (if you consider him a historian).

 

[addiv]

Herodotos, because he was the first (and he writes quite well too )

 

[Pangur Bán]

Herodotus is definitely the most fun