History authors

[shaitan]

Have you read Battle cry for Freedom by James McPherson on the Civil War? Thought it was great. About 950 pages but then you had the era in one book.

That has to be one of the best history books I've ever read.

 

[shaitan]

I'm in sweden so it might be difficult. I have always liked to mix my reading experiences. Some histories that take the overview look and connect the dots in a way that no participants could have done. And some histories that are based on participant experiences. If you like personal experiences you must read In Beauty And In Sorrow: An Intimate History of the First world war by Peter Englund. Entirely made up from letters, diaries from soldiers and other participants on every front. The result is different but no less true than other histories. Great book.

I'll pick a few of the better ones and list them here.
BTW, Sweden's Minister of Foreign Affairs could greatly benefit from reading a history book or two. So would a bunch of our own politicians here, I guess...

 

[RichardX]

Robert Caro's books on LBJ are outstanding.

 

[GNTLGNT]

 

[staropeace]

I know, read some of her stuff as Elisabeth Peters. It is not that common that a good egyptologist actually can write well. Thats probably why her factbooks are easier to read than others.

I love AmeliaPeabody.

 

[skimom2]

Applebaum's book is fairly decent, don't get me wrong. It's just a handful of misconceptions, that are prevalent among authors who write about Russia/USSR, but don't speak the language and have never lived there. Just doesn't sit well with me, being a little pedantic and all.
I'm a big sucker for personal accounts of wars by soldiers themselves. If you're interested, I can get you the names of the books or ISBNs. Hell, if you're in tri-state area, you're welcome to borrow them.

If you're interested in personal accounts and are at all interested in the American Revolutionary period, you should read Private Yankee Doodle (J.P. Martin). It is interesting in that it's a personal account from an ordinary soldier of the period. In any U.S. war prior to WW II, those are fairly rare. It's usually officers who took the time to write a memoir.

 

[skimom2]

Probably one of his on Lincoln. He wrote one on Jefferson Davis too but havent read them.

I went hunting, and my son has a kids' book by him--lol. Fields of Fury. I knew I recognized the name! Now I'll have to hunt up some of his adult books

 

[Kurben]

I went hunting, and my son has a kids' book by him--lol. Fields of Fury. I knew I recognized the name! Now I'll have to hunt up some of his adult books

Ah..... The Civil War for 12 year old or so. But I have heard the pics included can be rather horrifying, showing death on the battle field and all. Contemporary pics. Photos mostly. Havent read but heard about it.

 

[Kurben]

Since i write articles about history it is important to read not just one authors view of a subject but many. You might agree more more with one than the other but it is the differences that really are interesting and can illuminate a periods history. And they can start from the same facts or sources, if the historians are close to good they are usually agreeing till that point. Then the fun begins. To take one extreme example the historical study of the so called 'historical Jesus'. That is the jesus before his death. We have two extremes in N.T. Wright that practically argues that all the miracles happened the way the bible says. So far very few others are willing to go. The other extreme is researchers like Alvar Ellegard, G.A. Wells and Burton Mack that cast big doubts upon Jesus existence as a person. Very few authors go that far and lie somewhere inbetween.

To write about a subject you should be aware of the different approaches different researchers have made. In most periods you have more facts which make the range that the theories lie in less wide than in Jesus research. Researchers you like, that write and argue well are not enough to give a balanced view of whatever period it is. They might also be wrong, no matter how good their books is.

I remember an archaeology professor... Boring man. His books were very boring and his lectures too but his ideas were sound. He couldnt have made a good argument that was readable to someone who did not know as much. I mention him to explain my idea that probably many are like him, they cant get their ideas across which does not mean that they are faulty. To read one book on a subject, or one author, and think you get a full picture is wrong. For myself, on any subject i start to read on i read at least three books from different authors. If it is a subject im really interested in usually more.

 

[doowopgirl]

Alison Weir i my favorite history writer. Mostly 12th or 13th century English monarchy. She just makes it so alive.