The history books thread.
 

The Forth Turning looks like nonsense. And all those 'generations' look like AfD fodder.

Originally posted by Sandman
AfD fodder. http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...s/confused.gif

-"Who Murdered Chaucer" by Terry Jones (yes that Terry Jones). It's about the politics of England during the reigns of Richard III and Henry IV. The general idea is that Richard fostered a court was much more favorable to the gentry (whom he invited to his inner circle), and less favorable to the aristocracy (he opposed the war with France, and held a court more centered on culture than the military) and the Church (he opposed burning heretics and supported vernacular works) than Henry's regime. So folks like Chaucer, a civil servant from the gentry, were key supporters of the Ricardian regime. When Henry took power (with the help and to the benefit of these disaffected parties), he seemed to have crushed dissent and rewritten history quite methodically. And immediately after the coup, Chaucer dies and it seems like references to Chaucer dissappear (despite being considered a great poet during his lifetime).

-"Bury the Chains" by Adam Hoschild (the "King Leopold's Ghost" guy). It's about the movement to abolish slavery in the British Empire.

-"American Democracy" by Sean Willentz. It's about the fight for an expanded notion of democracy between the Jefferson and Lincoln eras.

-"Voices of Protest" by Alan Brinkley. It's about the nature of the movements Huey Long and Father Coughlin created.

I want to read "The History of Ecthy, and Where He's Been for the Last Few Weeks" http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ilies/wink.gif

Originally posted by Sandman


It's short for Articles for Deletion. It's excessive to have a seperate Wikipedia article for each and every one of these contrived 'generations'. How are the generations contrived?

Wikipedia is at its worst when it comes to historical articles (and basketball players' biographies). I'd never advise anyone to use it for learning history.

Originally posted by Odin
How are the generations contrived? Let's see... the entire concept is cloaked in mystical language, the 'Anglo-American' thing is preposterous, sweeping generalizations are made about each generation and large chunks of American society weren't born there.

Originally posted by VetLegion
Wikipedia is at its worst when it comes to historical articles (and basketball players' biographies). I'd never advise anyone to use it for learning history. http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...lies/sleep.gif Every source is biased, wikipedia is biased at every direction. I absorb facts, not spin and weasel words which indeed are exceptionally common at Wiki's historical articles.

Don't get me wrong, I don't only use Wikipedia... I use Wikipedia and Google. No, really.

I couldn't rely Google for effective summaries, though, so I still needed to browse history books before Wiki.

Sound like some good books, I'll keep an eye open next time I get to used book store. As for "Little Drummer Girl" spy novels aren't my thing but I remember repeatedly passing it over for action films when I went to the neighborhood video store as kid, so I'll throw Le Carre a bone and Netflix it.

Currently reading "The Causes of War" by Geoffrey Blainey.

Six Frigates, by Ian W. Toll - will be my next read

US Naval history

The Prize by Daniel Yergin.

It's a history of oil. Halfway through and I like what I've read so far.

Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age by Kevin Boyle. Terrific book (so far) which uses a racially charged murder trial in 1920's Detroit to talk about race, urbanization, the Black migration to the North, and a host of other issues. Won som big prize -- National Book or Pulitzer, IIRC -- and seems to have deserved it.

while I cant say that the history of furniture fascinates me, if thats your thing, why I see nothing wrong.

Ive finished "The Russia House" (and no, I didnt particularly care for the ending, though it was pretty typical Le Carre)

Ive put the Scholem and the Bloch aside.

Ive read another couple of Pages of Braudels "Civilization and Capitalism Vol II" (a book I can only read in small doses, Im afraid.

But Im reading and enjoying "Paris 1919" by Margaret MacMillan, about the Paris peace conference.

I'm reading "Here Be Dragons," in which there ain't no dragons at all http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...s/confused.gif.

It's the first book in an historical novel trilogy. I thought the trilogy was going to center on the conflict between King John and Prince Lewellyn of Wales, but i'm 500 pages in, and King John has just croaked. So now, I don't know what the trilolgy's about.

Ive just picked up "Path between the Seas" the book by McCullough on the Panama Canal

I recently watched 300 and Braveheart.

Braveheart sucked, though; they should have had him rescued at the end.

I'm reading April Blood about the assassination attempt on Lorenzo the Magnificient and also Thomas Paines' Common Sense and other writings.

I just read Rubicon by Tom Holland, about the fall of the Roman Republic. It chronicles Rome from Sulla to Octavian, explaining about Roman social and cultural ideals throughout and how they had a role to play as well. Very well written and moves as quick as a novel (well, the events of the time period moved quick as well http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...es/biggrin.gif). I recommend.

I most recently finished Bernard Lewis' excellent The Muslim Discovery of Europe Right now I'm halfway through some history of Freemasonry, mediocre enough to forget the author. Oh well.