Post by Shockprowl on Jan 26, 2019 10:02:40 GMT
Read any good history books recently?
Which are your favourite history books that you've read?
Could anyone recommend a single volume history of World War Two?
I'm currently reading 'The First World War' by Hew Strachan. Widely regarded as the best single volume history of World War one. A compelling read, even if the subject is obviously quite shocking at times.
I was given 'Napoleon: A Life' by Adam Zamoyski for my last birthday. Not started it yet, due to my current interest in the First World War. But this looks like an involved read. The book's enormous and is the author's life's work. It is apparently the most scholarly of all the books on Napoleon. So looking forward to giving it a go.
In terms of favourites, the 'Times Atlas of European History' is an amazing book. This single book is responsible for getting me heavily into history. I've mentioned this book before. Each page has the same map of Europe. As you explore the book you get to watch countries and empires wax and wane. It's fascinating to 'see' history in such a geopolitical way. The text purposefully doesn't go into great depth of events, because that is not what this book's about. But this book, coupled with JM Roberts' 'A History of Europe' (Roberts is a famous and very readable history writer), are all you need to get a really good grasp of the basics of the vast subject of European history.
Going back to World War one, I have to mention 'The Sleepwalkers' by Christopher Clark. This is another monster of a book (in a good way) which focuses on how the war began. It's incredibly involved, a real scholarly masterpiece. I started reading it, but found it too in-depth, I needed to go back to a more general history first (Strachan). I will go back to this work later.
A history writer I find very readable is Simon Schama. You can often find him on the telly. I have his three volume 'A History of Britain'. Only read volume 2, 1603 to 1776, so far, but it's a very good read.
I couldn't start this thread without mentioning Prussia. The tale of this intriguing country is a favourite of mine, especially in connection with world War one. Sebastian Haffner's 'The Rise and Fall of Prussia' and FW Longman's 'Frederick the Great and the Seven Years' War' are what I've read so far, both good reads. I've also dipped into a book by Nancy Mitford on Frederick, which is a good book focussing less on his military exploits. I've also bought but not read yet what is apparently the best book on Frederick, by Tim Blanning. Christopher Clark has done a book that I plan to get at some point, 'Iron Kingdom, The Rise and Downfall of Prussia', which is hard to find in hardback (and expensive), but is well regarded.
Finally I want to mention one of my favourite history writers, Geoffrey Wawro. I read his account of the 1866 Austro-Prussian war when I was younger (must read that again), and I own, but have not read yet, 'A Mad Catastrophe' in which he examines the causes and beginning of the First World War from the point of view of Habsburg Austria. His favourite book of mine, however, is 'Warfare and Society in Europe 1792 to 1914', which is a brilliant overview book of the 'long nineteenth' century.
Which are your favourite history books that you've read?
Could anyone recommend a single volume history of World War Two?
I'm currently reading 'The First World War' by Hew Strachan. Widely regarded as the best single volume history of World War one. A compelling read, even if the subject is obviously quite shocking at times.
I was given 'Napoleon: A Life' by Adam Zamoyski for my last birthday. Not started it yet, due to my current interest in the First World War. But this looks like an involved read. The book's enormous and is the author's life's work. It is apparently the most scholarly of all the books on Napoleon. So looking forward to giving it a go.
In terms of favourites, the 'Times Atlas of European History' is an amazing book. This single book is responsible for getting me heavily into history. I've mentioned this book before. Each page has the same map of Europe. As you explore the book you get to watch countries and empires wax and wane. It's fascinating to 'see' history in such a geopolitical way. The text purposefully doesn't go into great depth of events, because that is not what this book's about. But this book, coupled with JM Roberts' 'A History of Europe' (Roberts is a famous and very readable history writer), are all you need to get a really good grasp of the basics of the vast subject of European history.
Going back to World War one, I have to mention 'The Sleepwalkers' by Christopher Clark. This is another monster of a book (in a good way) which focuses on how the war began. It's incredibly involved, a real scholarly masterpiece. I started reading it, but found it too in-depth, I needed to go back to a more general history first (Strachan). I will go back to this work later.
A history writer I find very readable is Simon Schama. You can often find him on the telly. I have his three volume 'A History of Britain'. Only read volume 2, 1603 to 1776, so far, but it's a very good read.
I couldn't start this thread without mentioning Prussia. The tale of this intriguing country is a favourite of mine, especially in connection with world War one. Sebastian Haffner's 'The Rise and Fall of Prussia' and FW Longman's 'Frederick the Great and the Seven Years' War' are what I've read so far, both good reads. I've also dipped into a book by Nancy Mitford on Frederick, which is a good book focussing less on his military exploits. I've also bought but not read yet what is apparently the best book on Frederick, by Tim Blanning. Christopher Clark has done a book that I plan to get at some point, 'Iron Kingdom, The Rise and Downfall of Prussia', which is hard to find in hardback (and expensive), but is well regarded.
Finally I want to mention one of my favourite history writers, Geoffrey Wawro. I read his account of the 1866 Austro-Prussian war when I was younger (must read that again), and I own, but have not read yet, 'A Mad Catastrophe' in which he examines the causes and beginning of the First World War from the point of view of Habsburg Austria. His favourite book of mine, however, is 'Warfare and Society in Europe 1792 to 1914', which is a brilliant overview book of the 'long nineteenth' century.
