History: Actual, Fictional and Legendary discussion

This is a place to let the rest of the members know what your favorite books are. You can break them down into different genres, if you wish. You can also say a few words as to why it's one of your favorites. Given the theme of this group, I would hope at least one of your favorites would be in the history or historical fiction genres.

Please use the "book/author" feature so people can go directly to the book or author without having to use the search utility.

ADVENTURE
Classic: The Endurance, Heart of/the Sea, Kabloona

BIOGRAPHYS / Politicia
Classic: Benjamin Franklyn, Contemp: Taking Charge

NATURAL SCIENCE:
Classic: Guns Germs & Steel, Fatal Shore, Contemp: Short History of Everything

NATURAL SCIENCE: Natural Disasters
Classic: Johnstown Flood, Contemp.: Crack at the Edge of the World

NATURAL SCIENCE: Evolution
Classic: The Reluctant Mr. Darwin, Contemp: Greatest Show on Earth

HISTORY / Inventions
Classic: Nothing Like It In The World, The Great Bridge, Contemp.: Rocket Men

HISTORY: WAR
Classic: Gulag Archipelago, Contemp.: The Things They Carried

Why are they your favorites, Dave?

Do you mean in general or in the history category?

if in history
the rise and fall of empires

sorry
it called
the rise and fall of the great powers
by paul kennedy

Serina wrote: "sorry
it called
the rise and fall of the great powers
by paul kennedy"

Serina wrote: "sorry
it called
the rise and fall of the great powers
by paul kennedy"

Hi Serina,

You do not have to limit yourself to history books.

It is very helpful if you use the "add book/author" utility when talking about a book so those of us who are interested can easily access the link. I've done so for your suggestion, below.

The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers by Paul Kennedy

Some of my favorites (think I'll stick to history, as that's what I'm thinking about just now):


The Histories, by Herodotus
Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare, by Stephen Jay Greenblatt
Mornings on Horseback, by David McCullough
Inside the Victorian Home: A Portrait of Domestic Life in Victorian England, by Judith Flanders
The Edwardian Turn of Mind: First World War and English Culture, by Samuel Hynes
The Making of the Atomic Bomb, by Richard Rhodes
Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America, by David Hackett Fisher
Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic, by Tom Holland
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, by Doris Kearns Goodwin
The Guns of August, by Barbara Tuchman
A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century, by Barbara Tuchman
What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848, by Daniel Walker Howe
Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era, by James McPherson

Oh, Susanna ~ I loved Team of Rivals! Haven't read any of the others you listed but have Albion's Seed in my library which I use for reference. Rubicon looks especially good as I'm going through a long-lived phase of Roman history/historicals.

Some of my favorites off the top of my head are the aforementioned Team of Rivals and The Devil in the White City Murder, Magic, Madness at the Fair that Changed America, and Caesar: Life of a Colossus for non-fiction.

For historical fiction, I love Edith Pargeter's A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury and The Heaven Tree, The Sunne in Splendour by Penman and Lindsey Davis's The Course of Honor.

For series I love Susanne Alleyn's Aristide Ravel mysteries set in Paris just before and just after the French Revolution, C.J. Sansom's Matthew Shardlake mysteries set in England during the Tudor Reformation, and The Masters of Rome series by Colleen McCullough. I also enjoy the Falco, Gordianus, Corvinus, Pliny the Younger, Gaius Petreaus Ruso and Decius Caecilius Metellus mysteries. (As I mentioned before, I am an afficianado of all things Roman.)

There are more, but I don't want to take up the entire page. :)

Susanna, I too adored Mornings on Horseback, although I read it ages ago! I recently purchased McCulloughs book on the Panama Canal -and also about Teddy Roosevelt.

By Goodwin I loved No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II but still haven't read the one your speak of about Lincoln.

I simply cannot list favorites. I have too many. Favorites depend upon the mood you are in on the day you make the list. Today I feel like mentioning Saints and Villains b/c it compares so favorably to the book I am currently reading about WW2.

FYI: Chrissie got me thinking so I've decided to add authors to the Favorite Books topic.

The new title is "Favorite Books and Authors".

I'll find my old reviews and post them to my shelf (or write anew). When I accomplish this, I'll invite you to browse! Or just gather them all up and shoot them to you. In general the way a history book makes it to the top of my list is this.

1. Competently tells a personal story within the context of history

2. Expands on the subject to dovetail with the context of time, place, history, discovery, etc.

3. Incredible prose with a personality

4. A subject I'm interested in

Hi Chrissie, I saw your post. I'm a big fan of McCulloughs also. I noticed we had 80 some books in common and sent through a friendship request. You have a block-on, which I entirely respect! I just thought I'd explain my interest. Have a great day Best, Dave

Serina wrote: "sorry
it called
the rise and fall of the great powers
by paul kennedy"
Thanks!

Ed wrote: "Serina wrote: "sorry
it called
the rise and fall of the great powers
by paul kennedy"

Hi Serina,

You do not have to limit yourself to history books.

It is very helpful if you use the "add book/..."

Thanks!
I will do it next time!

Sassana you limit your reading to American and English history, try to read about far and middle east and the south american dystanies
IT may be fun!

I read about lots of fields of history, Serina. Those books listed are just some of my favorites, that I feel are well-written and open to reading by a wide audience.

Holy cow! I can't believe I forgot to mention Isabel Allende's amazing historical fiction, especially my personal favorites of hers Inés of My Soul and The House of the Spirits (Thanks for reminding me, Serina.)

Mary, I adored The House of the Spirits. That is my all time favorite by Allende. I also like her ones about her daughter. However I detest the newer books. The House of Spirits was THE BEST!!!

The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien
The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
The Jewel of Seven Stars, Bram Stoker
The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
The Phantom of the Opera, Gaston Leroux
The Good Earth, Pearl S. Buck
The Silver Wolf, Alice Borchardt
The Year of the Angry Rabbit, Russell Braddon
The Secrets of Jin-shei, Alma Alexander
Gracie: A Love Story, George Burns
The Thirteenth Tale, Diane Setterfield

I loved Isabel Allende's Zorro. I have not read The House of the Spirits even though it has been recommended to me many times.

Moony, I'm glad to find another fan of The Secrets of Jin-shei. I also loved The Silver Wolf.

Shomeret, do read "The House of Spirits"! It is really wonderful.

The reason why I never did read The House of the Spirits is because no one ever told me why I should read it. I always need more than a recommendation. For the first time I went to the book's page on GR and read the reviews. I finally found one that told me enough about the book so that I finally understood why people were recommending it to me. The one that did that was a negative review, but I pay more attention to what a review reveals about a book than the reader's opinion. So I put it on hold.

Shomeret, I read this ages ago. It has magical realism at its best. The characters come alive and you learn about the history of a well known Chilean family. All the magical parts are easily digestible. If I think of a book that has the best magical realism - this is it. The "magic" seems completely believable. Nothing else compares.

Shomeret wrote: "The reason why I never did read The House of the Spirits is because no one ever told me why I should read it. I always need more than a recommendation. For the first time I went to the book's pag..."

I feel the same way about all of Allende's books.

Concerning The House of the Spirits, the quirky characters are so real. Nobody would imagine such people if they were writing a totaly fictitious novel. Real people are stranger than fake ones. You learn about Allende's parents and grandparents. Clara Truebas in the novel is built upon Allende's memories of her grandmother. The magic isn't magic at all, but based on real people. Allende's grandmother was clarvoyant. Since Allende has real people in her mind when whe writes the novel, you feel the truth and fullness of the characters. Well, that is how it struck me. I read it ages ago; maybe my opinion would be different now. That is how it is stuck in my head.

The House of the Spirits now sounds wonderful, Chrissie. I may be a while getting to it because I have so many other things to read that are due sooner plus group challenges and books for the F2F book group that I attend. I am currently reading Heresy, a historical mystery with Giordano Bruno, one of my favorite historical personages, as the investigator. He's in Elizabethan England and has been secretly requested to investigate by Sir Francis Walsingham. So if we do the Tudor focus on this group, this book might count for discussion.

Shomeret, just keep it in a prominent place so you don't forget it! I NEVER think people should pick a book to read until they REALLY feel for it at that moment.

Chrissie wrote: "Mary, I adored The House of the Spirits. That is my all time favorite by Allende. I also like her ones about her daughter. However I detest the newer books. The House of Spirits was THE..."

I haven't read Paula or any of the books about her daughter (I assume this is one of those) or any of her novels after Ines of My Soul, so I can't comment either way on those. I have read (I think) all of the histories she's written about Chile and loved them all. The depth of her characters and breadth of her stories are nothing short of magical, whether the stories have magical elements in them or not.

Mary, don't you think that when an author writes about what lies closest to their heart, that is when they write best. That is why the books about her daughter are also good. I gave Paula 4 stars, but House of Spirits 5!

I have to say my fave books:
The Silver Wolf
Wolfskin
Son of the Shadows
Into the Wilderness
The Fiery Cross
The Bookseller's Daughter
Fallen Angels
The Spanish Bride
The White Dragon
Belgarath the Sorcerer
Polgara the Sorceress
The Other Boleyn Girl
Pride and Prejudice
A Midsummer Night's Dream
King Lear
Fleur De Lis

Authors I have love:
Jacqueline Carey
Jane Austen
William Shakespeare
Georgette Heyer
Alice Borchardt
Sara Donati
Diana Gabaldon
Karen Marie Moning
Bernard Cornwell
C S Lewis
David Eddings
Raymond E. Feist
Anne McCaffrey
Juliet Marillier
Homer
Patricia Briggs
Mercedes Lackey

My favourite history books:
The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century- as its name suggests, a travel guide to medieval England (from sights to smells!)
England Under the Tudors - series of essays on Tudor period. Good for people wanting to move away from individual monarchs.
Catherine of Aragon: The Spanish Queen of Henry VIII - Catherine of Aragon is often overlooked or bundled in a Six Wives of Henry VIII book. This excellent biography redresses the balance.
My Heart Is My Own: The Life of Mary Queen of Scots - probably the best biography of the fascinating Mary Queen of Scots.
Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne- charts Elizabeth's path to the throne. Starkey's a great storyteller.
The Victorians - good one-volume book on this period. Wilson describes the themes and personalities very well.
Europe's Last Summer: Who Started the Great War in 1914? - good countdown to WWI-type book. Short, easy read.
Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World - describes the characters involved in the Treaty of Versailles very well. Reads like a novel.
Albert Speer: His Battle with Truth - – interviews/biography. Tries to answer the question of why Speer joined the Nazi party and followed Hitler to the end. More enlightening than Speer's own book.
The Nazis: A Warning from History - interviews with former Nazis. Similar to the book above – tries to explain the rationale behind people’s actions. Laurence Rees’ other books are also very good.
Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943 - history of the German/Soviet war. Well-written, but the subject matter makes it quite a difficult read

I may have missed it as I scanned the previous comments, but I didn't see any mention of the novels by Jack Whyte, which are among my favorites. He has written one excellent series build around the legend of Arthur. Now, before you roll your eyes and lapse into a stupor, give me a chance. Yes, many people have murdered Arthur in poorly written books and the ones who have done justice to the legend seem to have played it out. But none did it like Jack Whyte. He intermixed the history of Britain during the time when Rome withdrew and the legend, to create a series that is believable as history and exciting as fiction. Please, do yourself a favor and check it out.

Also, he has done great justice to the history of the Knights Templar in his second fictional series. Again, history is interlaced seamlessly with fiction in an exciting set of tales.

Jack Whyte