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Allison
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Aug 06, 2009 06:11AM
Have any non-fiction favorites to recommend? Any time period goes in here!
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Elizabeth The Queen - Alison Weir, and pretty much all her historical biographies
The Last Duel: A True Story of Crime, Scandal, and Trial by Combat in Medieval France by Eric Jager is the best non-fiction history book I've read in a while. It's an interesting and entertaining look at France in the Late Middle Ages (1380's) through the lens of one specific judicial duel that took place then. It was apparently the last one (though unofficial duels took place after that, of course).
The best non-fiction that I have read recently was Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace... One School at a Time by GREG MORTENSON & DAVID OLIVER RELIN. Mortenson is an amazing man. He wins the trust of the locals and then tries to help rather than sweeping in with an knowing attitude and expecting others to be so grateful. He is so deserving of a Nobel Peace Prize.
Allison wrote: "Have any non-fiction favorites to recommend? Any time period goes in here!"One of the most interesting non-fiction books I ever read is Law, Sex, and Christian Society in Medieval Europe. I will warn you, it is a rather large book but worth it. Another good one is Splendid Slippers: A Thousand Years of an Erotic Tradition which is about foot-binding in China. A Delusion of Satan: The Full Story of the Salem Witch Trials is the best one on Salem that I've read thus far. There are a few good ones on Elizabeth Bathory as well if you like reading about the insane.
Tom HollandTom Holland books are interesting. Specifically for me;
Millennium: The End of the World and the Forging of Christendom
I also love the; Domesday Book
Danielle, All those books you mentioned look very good but I have to say I am still laughing at your last sentence! Thanks!
Danielle, on the theme of insanity, check out The Royal Physician's Visit. Here we have the insane King Christian VII. This is historical fiction, but the facts are correct. The question is - was Christian MADE insane by the Danish court ..... It is really very gripping. I love the characterisations.
The two which I felt were not only informative and interesting but really brought a historical figure and their world to life were:Cleopatra: A Life
Mistress of the Vatican
I read a lot of non-fiction for research purposes, and only a little for pleasure. I have Schiff's Cleopatra: A Life on my TBR shelf and am looking forward to it. Recently I've read The Spartacus War by Barry Strauss which I very much enjoyed. Also At Home: A Short History of Private Life by Bill Bryson which is fun and quirky.
Historical Fictionistas
Books mentioned in this topic
Cleopatra (other topics)The Spartacus War (other topics)
At Home: A Short History of Private Life (other topics)
Mistress of the Vatican: The True Story of Olimpia Maidalchini: The Secret Female Pope (other topics)
Cleopatra: A Life (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Bill Bryson (other topics)Barry S. Strauss (other topics)
Tom Holland (other topics)
David Oliver Relin (other topics)
Eric Jager (other topics)
