History Book Recommendation Thread

[Almalexia]

So after a brief search through the search engine, and some internal debate about whether to post this here or in the Sage's Guild, I figured it was about time a thread was created so forumites can recommend books on one historical period or region or another. Frequently when I attempt to find a decent history book, I have to struggle through reviews to find a balance between something that isn't mired in academia and can be related to, while avoiding books that are too basic or pedestrian.

To start! I've asked a couple members from Taleworlds already, but I was hoping for some recommendations on books on the Inca Empire, and beyond that, something of a grand view of Andean civilization, or of South America even, before the coming of the Spanish. Typically what I look for in history books is a good balance between the political history and something that relates to what culture and life was like, through the changes of time and the differences of regions.

But beyond that, feel free to ask for recommendations of interests of your own! I may be able to help in regards to a few time periods at least.

 

[Vieira151]

We talking historical fiction or reference books?

 

[Almalexia]

Reference books was my intention, but either works imo.

 

[Patchouli Knowledge]

Anyone even vaguely interested in the Napoleonic Wars simply has to read Swords Around a Throne by John R. Elting. There isn't a better book about Napoleon's army and campaigns.

 

[Captured Joe]

Anyone even vaguely interested in the Napoleonic Wars simply has to read Swords Around a Throne by John R. Elting. There isn't a better book about Napoleon's army and campaigns.

It's a bit simplified if you're into the German states though, and there's not much about the Scandinavian armies either. Still, a very good book indeed, especially if you're (relatively) new to the Napoleonic wars.

 

[Anarion]

Guns, Germs and Steel. 
Actually, it's not as bad as some people think. I also recommend the book 1491. I think it has a chapter or two on the Andes actually.

 

[Dystopian]

Guns, Germs and Steel. 

Saw that in a book store last time I was there, but I picked up Rome's Revolution by Richard Alston instead. Its a pretty in depth look at what led to the assassination of Julius Caesar (more about the Gracchus brothers and Rome's recent history of political violence) to somewhere during Tiberius' reign (Second Emperor of Rome). I haven't read it all yet, but what I have read is very interesting if your into that period.

 

[Temuzu]

"The Human Web" by McNeill & McNeill [NO RELATION] has some good info about the "American Web" I think they called it in the book. They argue there were basically three webs, the Old World web which obviously had Eurasia and all that, then the American web, with North, Central and Southern Americas in it, and later, uh, I cant remember the name, Togo web or some **** consisting of the smaller islands in the Pacific. Gives a good overview as to why the Americans (And everyone else outside the Old World web) never advanced at a rate similar to the Old World. And why the Old World nations succeeded for that matter.

 

[Kentucky 『 ＨＥＩＧＵＩ 』 James]

The Crusades: The War for the Holy Land by Thomas Asbridge. He gives an entertaining and in-depth overview of the entire levantine crusader period, and discusses the historiography in a way most other writers on the crusades don't. He dips into stereotypes every so often, and has a very, very slight tendency to get all postcolonial and whatnot, but these are minor autistic nitpicks on my behalf. It's the most mainstream crusader history book and focuses primarily on a chronological narrative.

The Crusades: Islamic Perspectives by Carole Hillenbrand is less mainstream, but goes more in-depth with stuff like equipment, ideology, societal clashes (or lack thereof), and overall puts the crusades into local context. Very interesting stuff lad.

 

[Swissky]

Any books about Moorish Iberia?

 

[FrisianDude]

A history of the modern world by Palmer, Colton and Kramer. Not necessarily very indepth but it covers a lot. As in; my copy is in two separate books (though apparently oyu can get it in one) and reaches 1100 pages. And then come some suggestions for further reading.

 

[Dystopian]

The Gothic War: Justinian's Campaign to reclaim Italy
-By Torsten Cumberland Jacobsen

Its a very comprehensive history of the Eastern Roman Empires wars and internal struggles from the late 5th century until the end of the Gothic War in the 6th century. It covers wars with the Sassanids, Persians, and Armenians as well as the origins of the Visigoths and Ostrogoths. The author goes over how awkward the Eastern Roman military had become with Roman provincials being very adamant that they did not want to serve in the army. Therefore it was made up of Persians, Goths, Germans and even Vandals. The book goes in depth about Belisarius' operational plan to take Italy (with an army of seven thousand men) as well as several in depth descriptions of major battles and sieges. His own generals showed great insubordination towards him, as well as Justinian fearing that he would try to overthrow him (as shown by the long line of ill-fated successful generals trying to become emperor.) Overall its a very good book, and well written I never found a section that was a struggle to get through.

 

[Temuzu]

"The Gothic War" sounds like some 40k ****.

But yeah, Belisarius was a badass.

 

[Almalexia]

Alright, so I've been getting into the history of Russia a bit more lately. And while history courses and some general overviews focusing on the Romanovs have given me something to work with before, I'd really love something truly in depth, particularly on the early periods from perhaps the Migration Era up to the end of the Rurikids. Just looking at the Wikipedia articles has given me links to a ton of stuff I never even knew about, but lack the organization to help me ground myself in the history, so if y'all can recommend any good books on Russian history so I can scratch this itch, that'd be fantastic!

 

[kurczak]

Nikolai Karamzin

I still like to randomly open one of his books and read just for fun every now and then.

 

[Almalexia]

For the Romanovs it would be hard for me to stray from the author Robert Massie, who's book Nicholas and Alexandra is probably one of my favorite history books of all time, but I might give that one a shot sometime soon. Have you had a chance to read that one yet?

 

[crodio]

posting for random recommendations that I will probably never follow.

 

[omzdog]

Zen at War.
A book about how Buddhist monks of Japan utilized the outwardly peaceful religion to justify national warmongering.

It has some crazy stuff in it, such the justifications similar to Zizek's criticism of Buddhism where he says something along the lines of:

One does not kill the opponent,
one simply finds that a material which has been crafted from Earth enters into the body of another (bullet, bayonet)
and although his life ends,
one has not violated the adherence to Buddha for Japan is saving the barbarians etc etc...

The author received apologies from current Zen Masters. Great book.
Namaskar.

 

[Almalexia]

Does anyone have any recommendations for a solid, comprehensive book on the French Revolution, and perhaps another on the Ancien Regime from Louis XIV to the Revolution?

 

[crodio]

I was recommended Georges Lefebvre's books on Napoleon and the French Revolution, although I only read some of the Napoleon one