(Immediate Post-WWII). An excellent introduction to the topic of historical studies. Now, because he is deliberately constructing a comprehensive world for readers he is having to fill in quite a few gaps, and in my opinion not always correctly. 7 Actually Interesting History Books Every Single American Needs To Read. Gaddis sums up what it means to think like a historian. Edit: I'd like to add that I don't think that any of these books would be over an average, educated readers head. The best books we reviewed in 2018. Author Yang Jisheng is determined to change that with his book, Tombstone No two oak trees will look the same (though they will look similar), so how does the artist draw it so that it can be easily recognized in real life by referencing the atlas? Eckstein chose to explain it in modern Realist terms of political relations and alliances, rather than the raw brutality and tendencies towards violence which characterized the period - something he argues was not unique to Rome at all, nor were they "better" at it than anyone, as was the prevailing theory. It's a very accessible introduction to Chinese history for general readers. River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze (P.S. He also has a follow-up book, 1493, which covers interactions between Europeans and Native Americans post-contact. Some 'popular' history books for general readers. Trust emerges as a critical element in the production of scientific knowledge, and Shapin demonstrates that what we assume to be objective in science often rests on this foundation of trust in the scientist (as it does in every academic field). Cod and Salt by Mark Kurlansky are similar to Bryson - both use a somewhat obscure but still fascinating subject matter to narrate the rise of America (among other things). Again, this is another work that unpacks the social networks that undergird(ed) scientific study. Imagined Communities by Benedict Anderson - One of the most influential treatises on the origins of nationalism, this book explores the relationship between nationalism and the rise of capitalism and print media. Covers all the bases. UPDATE: After we posted this article, Times readers weighed in with their favorite books on the Vietnam War. He also provides a strong line in the sand between historical inquiry and the social sciences and I personally enjoyed him sort of tearing into the objectivity and the 'scientific' approach that social scientists shroud themselves in. Not formative or revolutionary in its approach, but a comprehensive look at the entire war. Rise and Fall of Egypt by Toby Wilkinson It's very well written with a superb narrative style and from an academic perspective its predominantly spot on. It discusses both North and South America. As We Saw Them by Masao Miyoshi is a highly readable account of the first Japanese mission to the west. Suitable for in-depth study or just looking at the pictures. These 10 books, in addition to the ones below, were recommended multiple times. Indians have fantastic senses of humor, and this book really shows it. Shows how unique the Canadian west is, and much like Quebec, how it has its own distinct history. Mediterranean Anarchy, Interstate War, and the Rise of Rome by Arthur Eckstein: I'm probably biased because Dr. Eckstein is one of my professors, but this book brought up an idea of why Rome came to be the preeminent Mediterranean power that hadn't really been explored extensively yet. China's Cosmopolitan Empire: The Tang Dynasty by Mark Edward Lewis: Divided between sections on history, geography, the economy, society, and culture, this book is comprehensive without being overloaded--whether your interests are agriculture, the status of women, or the nature of the poet in society you will find information here. Taking my theory/historiography class next semester, thanks for these. By RADM Dr. S. Kulshrestha (Retd. The Tomb in Ancient Egypt by Salima Ikram: which is comprehensive and full of beautiful pictures to properly track evolution of funerary culture. But don't be fooled, this is mainly focused on the invasion of Canada and what would become the Midwest and the immediate aftermath. While mostly a collection of photographs, there is a very nice preface that discusses the adoption of photography by newspaper companies. "This is an extremely engaging book, lively, enthusiastic and highly readable, which presents some of the fundamental problems of historical writing in a lucid and accessible manner. A Brief History of the Late Ottoman Empire M. Şükrü Hanioğlu, because none of the other synthetic histories of the late Ottoman Empire are as brief or succinctly worded as this one. The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Gerrard: This is a first hand account written by one of the scientist on the expedition to the South Pole. Thundering Zeus: The Making of Hellenistic Bactria, by Frank L. Holt (1999): It's quite a current book, it's well researched, it's a great introduction to Bactria and to Central Asia as an entity. The Twilight of Ancient Egypt by Karol Mysliwiec. Mayflower Bastard - An interesting book, about a young boy on the Mayflower, and his life afterwards up to and including the Salem Witch Trials. Great Britain offered a huge cash prize to anyone able to work out a way to find longitude. Read this for the same reason you would read Gibbon's decline and fall. Particularly great at juxtaposing Adams's vanity with his genuine belief in the ideas of the American Revolution. Modern South Asia by Sugata Bose and Ayesha Jalal: A very concise (less than 200 pages of narrative) history of South Asia from around 1600 CE onward. Turkey: A Modern History by Zurcher. Just to add that it's also pretty readable. He treads a middle line between empiricism and idealism. The Search for Modern China by Jonathan Spence. As Agentdcf pointed out, we don't want this turning into the "History" section at the Barnes & Noble, but also bare in mind that these works should be accessible both in terms of content and in terms of availability. Read Alfred Crosby's Ecological Imperialism instead. What are good books about the history of science? Although, this might sadden a great deal of Jackson lovers. The suggested reading at the end of each chapter provides a wonderful selection of equally readable texts (at least among ones I've read). Thanks! Unbiased Youth. Its less a true 'historiography' in that it doesn't get into method or theory and is more a history of history. They were used in my introductory course of historiography, I wonder how they hold up in your view. Again I will quote a far more able reviewer. As an invitation to the study of history it should be difficult to resist." New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the AskHistorians community. By E. Ce Miller. All nine texts introduced below are appropriate for someone brand new to Taoism, and most have a kind of "timeless" quality that makes them valuable also to the most … At Kobo, we try to ensure that published reviews do not contain rude or profane language, spoilers, or any of our reviewer's personal information. To quote from a review 'Arguably the central ideas in the book constitute today's mainstream thinking on British historical practice'. One year on, a resolution is still … Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World: Entertaining, interesting and good for history geeks and the general population. E-commerce Website. *Did God Have a Wife *by William Dever. We should obviously justify the inclusion of any book, but if we prioritize books for a general audience, we are essentially reproducing the history section at the local bookstore. Its extremely eloquent and flat out beautiful in its prose at times. Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, The Romanovs. - Jack Granatstein. The author is making an argument against nationalistic retention, but still provides a very good overview.