[GaxyGroordrep]

Well a good history book I just read was David McCulloah's (spelling?) "1776". A very good and succint account of the first year of American independance, from right after Bunker Hill (which was in 1775) all the way to January 1777, with the Battle of Trenton and Battle of Princeton (and the importance of it to the cause).

It really goes into the personalities involved (General George Washington, Brigadier General Nathanael Greene, Colonel Henry Knox, Major General Charles Lee, etc.) and the problems Washington had to deal with, especially the issue of undisciplined troops who only had very short terms of duty. And also details how on a number of occasions Washington escaped by the skin of his teeth or in the dead of night (which was impressive in itself as the Brits a few times were astonished that an entire army could vanish in the way that it did). The book also goes into the possibility of Washington losing command and Lee being given it until Lee's capture in late 1776.

Just a great read of that first year of the American Revolution.

[prkddfokic]

If you can bring yourself to try Oxford, I'll recommend Frank Stenton's "Anglo-Saxon England". It's one of the greats.

[carletoxtrs]

I'll throw out the inspiration for my username:

The Anabasis Alexandri by Arrian of Nicomedia (Lucius Flavius Arrianus). Sure, he had a case of hero worship for Alexander, but he still does a pretty good job of telling the story, and considering various sources.

-Arrian