Historical Fictionistas discussion

At this point, we've all been stuck in our houses for what seems like forever, so let's do a bit of traveling via books.
November's theme will be non-fiction books about historical places.


A PROPER NOMINATION MUST INCLUDE:
Title and author - You don't have to link the book but you do have to include both title and author for members who might want to look up the book.
Location- What historical place are we visiting?
Genre- Remember we're looking for non-fiction books
LEAVING ANY OF THESE THINGS OUT DISQUALIFIES THE NOMINATION.

REMINDERS
*NO SELF NOMINATIONS - These will be deleted without notice and members may also be deleted without notice.
*If it is a book in series, the series needs to be read in order- Ex. You can't nominate book 5 in a series if the group hasn't already read 1-4. Please don't tell me a book in a series can be read as a stand alone novel. It doesn't matter. We go in order.
*All members get ONE nomination and ONE second - Please clearly state which one you are doing. The thread can be easily clogged up which leads to the mods missing things.

The full nomination process/rules thread can be found here - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Previous group reads can be found here - https://www.goodreads.com/group/books...

Nominations will close on Sept 21st.

The Battle for New York: The City at the Heart of the American Revolution by Barnet Schecter, a non-fiction history of New York City and its environs during the Revolutionary War.

I read it back in May, but it’s really good - it’s “The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Family & Defiance During the Blitz” by Erik Larson. It’s about Winston Churchill and England in WWII.

I'll nominate Dismembering Lahui: A History of the Hawaiian Nation to 1887 by Jonathan Kamakawiwo'ole Osorio, which covers the history of the Kingdom of Hawaii from the onset of constitutional government in 1840 to the Bayonet Constitution of 1887, per the synopsis.

I nominate The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914, by David McCullough.

I nominate The Fires of Vesuvius: Pompeii Lost and Found by Mary Beard. We are visiting Pompeii.

I second The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal 1870-1914, by David McCullough.

I nominate Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time by Mark Adams, for a trip to Machu Picchu in Peru.

I nominate The Golden Maze by Richard Fidler visiting Prague during the time of the Velvet revolution with an Australian comedian in 1989, plus going further back in time to discover old Czechoslovakia in fairy tale wonder. Featuring Slavs and Bohemians.

I nominate A Short History of Byzantium by John Julius Norwich. The city is now known as Istanbul and I've been there twice.

Eileen wrote: "I nominate A Short History of Byzantium by John Julius Norwich. The city is now known as Istanbul and I've been there twice."

I'll second that book--it's been on my to-read shelf for some time!

In honor of Thanksgiving, I would like to nominate:
Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War by Nathaniel Philbrick
The story of the Mayflower and the settlement of Plymouth

I nominate The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown. 1936 Berlin Olympics.

I nominate The Island of the Giants by Marc Houser. The place Easter Island

I second The Boys in the Boat by James Brown

I nominate Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing.
Location: 1914 South Pole
Genre: Non-Fiction Historical Adventure

I'd like to nominate High Road To Tibet by John Dwyer

"He starts out in China, where we visit the Great Wall and the clay army, travel to Tibet, Nepal and end up our journey in India."

Genre non-fiction/travel/memoir

I second Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War by Nathaniel Philbrick. I bought a copy at least a year ago and haven't gotten around to reading it yet.

I nominate Peacemakers: Six Months That Changed The World by Margaret MacMillan. It's about the details that reshaped nations during the Paris Peace Treaty in 1919, the consequences which are still be felt today.

I'd like to nominate Danubia: A Personal History of Habsburg Europe by Simon Winder

Setting: Austro-Hungarian Empire
Genre: History - Non-fiction

A review says:

‘There is travelogue here, with vivid descriptions of Ukrainian towns, and Transylvanian villages. There are snatches of autobiography too, often anecdotal and whimsical, but sometimes filled with passion about his discoveries of art or music. The main quality of this book, however, is its humour, which sets it aside from the standard histories."

I nominate The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

I second the nomination for: Enduranceby Alfred Lansing.

Up to message 27-

Nominated and Seconded:
The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz- 2 second
The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914- 1 second
A Short History of Byzantium- 1 second
Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War- 1 second
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage- 1 second



Nominated
The Battle for New York: The City at the Heart of the American Revolution
Dismembering Lahui: A History of the Hawaiian Nation to 1887
The Fires of Vesuvius: Pompeii Lost and Found
Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time
The Golden Maze
The Island of the Giants
High Road To Tibet
Peacemakers: Six Months that Changed the World
Danubia: A Personal History of Habsburg Europe



Not Counted:
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics- missing author & location
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America- missing location

I second the nomination for The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz

Maureen wrote: "In honor of Thanksgiving, I would like to nominate:
Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War by Nathaniel Philbrick
The story of the Mayflower and the settlement ..."

Is it Jamestown? I thought it was Plymouth.

William wrote: "Maureen wrote: "In honor of Thanksgiving, I would like to nominate:
Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War by Nathaniel Philbrick
The story of the Mayflower and..."

I do not know where I got Jamestown from I think I must have been looking at another book. The description should be Plymouth.

I will second the Splendid and the Vile

I edited my post up to message 27.

I'll second Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War.

I second The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914 by David McCullough

I nominate Island of the Lost: An Extraordinary Story of Survival at the Edge of the World Location is Auckland Island off of New Zealand

I nominate The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown. 1936 Berlin Olympics.

I will second The Fires of Vesuvius: Pompeii Lost and Found.

The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis

Up to message 38-

Nominated and Seconded:
The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz- 2 second
The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914- 2 second
Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War- 2 second
50 Years of Silence- 1 second
A Short History of Byzantium- 1 second
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage- 1 second
The Fires of Vesuvius: Pompeii Lost and Found- 1 second
The Golden Maze- 1 second


Nominated
The Battle for New York: The City at the Heart of the American Revolution
Dismembering Lahui: A History of the Hawaiian Nation to 1887
Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time
The Island of the Giants
High Road To Tibet
Peacemakers: Six Months that Changed the World
Danubia: A Personal History of Habsburg Europe
Island of the Lost: An Extraordinary Story of Survival at the Edge of the World
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics


Not Counted:
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America- missing location
The Lions of Fifth Avenue- classified as historical fiction

Jackie wrote: "At this point, we've all been stuck in our houses for what seems like forever, so let's do a bit of traveling via books.
November's theme will be non-fiction books about historical places.


A PRO..."

I nominate
Fifty Years of Silence by Jan Ruff-O'Herne

WWII Dutch Civilians POW to the Japanese in Java I think it's in Indonesia 1941-45

Kim wrote: "I nominate The Golden Maze by Richard Fidler visiting Prague during the time of the Velvet revolution with an Australian comedian in 1989, plus going further back i..."

I'll second this nomination.

I second Herman's nomination Fifty Years of Silence by Jan Ruff-O'Herne

I updated my last post up to message 38.

Jackie wrote: "The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America- missing location"

This is about the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and how serial killer H.H. Holmes took advantage of it (though most readers felt there wasn't a strong connection between the two and it reads more like two different books on two different subjects).

I nominate The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America. Fascinating account of New Amsterdam (now Manhattan) and how it became a world trading center and early model of equity in a racially diverse settlement.

I second The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America by Russell Shorto.

I’ll second Fires of Vesuvius.

I would like to nominate For All the Tea in China: Espionage, Empire and the Secret Formula for the World's Favourite Drink by Sarah Rose. It tells the story of a British adventurer who travels secretly through China in the mid-nineteenth century to steal tea plants and the secret to tea manufacturing.

I second Island of the Lost: An Extraordinary Story of Survival at the Edge of the World

I third or am I fourth..(? agree with) the nomination of The Splendid and the Vile.

i second For All the Tea in China: Espionage, Empire and the Secret Formula for the World's Favourite Drink

I would also 2nd Mayflower a story of courage, community, and war
by Nathaniel Philbrick

Up to message 48-

Nominated and Seconded:
The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz- 3 second
Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War- 3 second
The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914- 2 second
The Fires of Vesuvius: Pompeii Lost and Found- 2 second
50 Years of Silence- 1 second
A Short History of Byzantium- 1 second
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage- 1 second
The Golden Maze- 1 second
For All the Tea in China: Espionage, Empire and the Secret Formula for the World's Favourite Drink- 1 second


Nominated
The Battle for New York: The City at the Heart of the American Revolution
Dismembering Lahui: A History of the Hawaiian Nation to 1887
Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time
The Island of the Giants
High Road To Tibet
Peacemakers: Six Months that Changed the World
Danubia: A Personal History of Habsburg Europe
Island of the Lost: An Extraordinary Story of Survival at the Edge of the World
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics


Not Counted:
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America- Read 2015
The Lions of Fifth Avenue- classified as historical fiction
The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America- missing author

Robin wrote: "Jackie wrote: "The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America- missing location"

This is about the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and how serial killer H.H. Ho..."

Robin- in an effort to make things fair to the nominators that nominated correctly the first time, can you please edit your original nomination to include your description in message 40? Let me know when you do it and I will add it to the list.