The History Book Club discussion

This is a thread to discuss your favorite books.

Let us know which genre or area of interest that they belong to.

It would be nice to hear a little about these books and why you feel that they are tops on your list.

Since this The History Book Club and primarily a non fiction group; I hope that there will be more than a few of this genre.

Let us know what kind genre your book belongs to. Is it pure history, and/or another non fiction book, is it historical fiction, is it a novel which mentions certain events in history, mysteries, thrillers, pulp fiction, military focus, etc.

Please be sure to follow our guidelines and use the "add book/author" feature so that the powerful goodreads software can do its job. Please make sure that your adds look like the examples in post 2. Make sure to add the book cover, the author's photo if available, and always the author's link.

Regards,

Bentley

HISTORY

by Jacques Barzun

Jacques Barzun must have a brain the size of the planet. The above book was the equivalent of taking a four year college program. When you finished the book, you certainly knew of many areas that you could study further and more of what you did not know about.

HARDBOILED DETECTIVE CRIME NOVEL:

by Raymond Chandler

This book shows a master at work. It probably was the precursor of the private detective type of novel. Great plot, great character development in terms of private eye Philip Marlowe. A book that all who came after him have cited that they emulate along with Chandler himself.

Hmmmm, very hard to select favourites but the book that grabbed my attention and caused me to buy soooo many other books on the Russian Front was; "Enemy at the Gates" by William Craig. It may not be the best book on the market covering the subject now but at the time it was great and I still think it would be on the top ten of most peoples list who read about WW2.

World War Two
by William Craig

Another book that did the same thing for me covering the Great War was Martin Middlebrook's account of the Somme; "The First Day on the Somme".

World War One
by Martin Middlebrook

These both look great.

I have to add an historical fiction book which I absolutely loved - it really is a combination of an historical novel and a war novel and has a large dose of philosophy thrown in.

RUSSIAN LITERATURE - NAPOLEONIC ERA

Epic in scale, War and Peace delineates in graphic detail events leading up to Napoleon's invasion of Russia, and the impact of the Napoleonic era on Tsarist society, as seen through the eyes of five Russian aristocratic families.

Portions of an earlier version having been serialized in the magazine The Russian Messenger between 1865 and 1867, the novel was first published in its entirety in 1869. Newsweek in 2009 ranked it top of its list of Top 100 Books.

Leo Tolstoy

I would have to say the book I have read recenyly which has got me most excited is
Sarah Rose . This is one of those little gems that get me really excited, a book bought on a whim on a subject I had no real previous interest in(tea)and enthralled me. I have no doubt be boring my family and friends up the wall reciting all the interesting history I got from this book.

Oh by the way may I suugest to all that they try Big Red Robe Oolong (Da Hong Pao) tea. Check out this link and look at the price for the tea from the original bushes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Da_Hong_...

Amazing that anybody would spend that kind of money for what amounts to a cup of tea. It gives an entirely different meaning to inviting someone over to have a cup of tea.

That book though sounds great.

I would pick books that I read some while ago, their stories staying with me ever since and I would want to read over and over again.

As Bentley will have guessed I can't just pick one...
But here are a few (all fiction):

by Cormac McCarthy
To me it's unique in the way that it combines deep friendship, adventure, love of the wild and nature, really marvelous horses until you get the break with shocking violence. And back to friendship, nature etc. but the young men have changed, as will have you as the reader.

by Michael Connelly
I'm a big fan of Michael Connelly's writing. His deep sense of humanity, character building and story telling are amongst the best. I could pick any one of his novels yet decided to take this one because although you expect things to go towards Bosch finding out about the murder mystery things develop so very differently. One of my all time favorite writers!

by Paul Watkins
I'll never understand why Paul Watkins has not received more attention. A terrific writer, perfectly at home in both fiction and non-fiction. I picked this one since it is one of my favorite adventure novels. 1926 North Africa. A pilot learns about the Orteig Prize, offered to the first man to fly between Paris and New York. FABULOUS!!!!!

by Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio
Nobody can write about nature, North Africa and children's wonder like JMG Le Clézio

by Alice Sebold
a deep story about love, memory, loss, joy, heaven and healing.

Steven Pressfield
Simply historical fiction at its best. Nuff said.


Jean Giraud
Graphic storytelling can't get any better than this. The adventure, characters, the pace, the drawing - a pure delight.

Have fun!

Some of these I am very familiar with and they are terrific; but others may become new friends. Thanks Andre.

Bentley wrote: "HISTORY

by Jacques Barzun

Jacques Barzun must hav..."

Bentley,

I've never read , but I love the movie with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. How do you think the movie compares to the book?

Eccentric, hilarious, witty, a little pathetic, vivid, and very entertaining. It has something of a cult following, and might be my most favorite book ever ~
by John Kennedy Toole
it has nothing to do with history unless you looking for significance in the Lucky Dog carts of New Orleans.

Thriller murder mystery, he creates tension and suspense at a whole new level. I have not liked his other books nearly as much but this one was awesome. Good twists and a bit twisted.
byDavid L. Lindsey

The beginning of a series of historical mysteries set in ancient Rome.
by Steven Saylor

This book is what started my interest in Roman history.

Chris wrote: "Bentley wrote: "HISTORY

by Jacques Barzun

Jacques..."

You know I loved the movie; but I love the book better. This book really was the Bible for everyone who came after Chandler. Chandler was amazing. I just heard Michael Chabon speaking about how much he owed Chandler. And I think this book was tops. I reread Chandler regularly.

Michael Chabon

The author that really got me interested in the Indochina War and later Vietnam was Bernard Fall, author of two classic accounts, yet to be bettered (I think):



& by Bernard B. Fall

My all time favourite book covering the Napoleonic period has to be "La Grande Armee" by Georges Blond. It may not be the most in-depth account but I found it one of the best to read, really drawing me into this period of history with all its colour, glory and history.

by Georges Blond

The one book that started my interest in the British Empire in Africa was; "The Washing of the Spears", which is still seen as 'the' book on the Zulu Wars.

by Donald R. Morris
"This book is not only a history of the Zulus, the 'Black Spartans', from their rise under Shaka to the deliberated destruction of the independent Zulu nation through the war forced on them by Sir Bartle Frere, but also a full-scale immensely knowledgeable account of the British Colonial and military policy in relation to Southern Africa, and of the men who carried it out." - PUNCH

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "The author that really got me interested in the Indochina War and later Vietnam was Bernard Fall, author of two classic accounts, yet to be bettered (I think):



[bookcover:Street Without Joy:..."

Interesting. Fall helped bring Senator Edward Kennedy to change his thinking about the Vietnam War.

If not at the top of my list of favorite books, then in the top three actually has a historical setting. It is by This novel of World War II knocked by off my feet when I first read it in college in the 1960s and still does every time I re-read it.

John wrote: "If not at the top of my list of favorite books, then in the top three actually has a historical setting. It is by This novel of World Wa..."
Great book. Don't forget the author link in addition to the cover and author photo. Great add John.


by Joseph Heller

John wrote: "If not at the top of my list of favorite books, then in the top three actually has a historical setting. It is by This novel of World Wa..."

I concur. It's alternately hysterically funny and heartbreaking.

The book that I would recommend to anyone overall would be by Ralph Ellison. I read this book in 8th grade and it has profoundly changed my perception of the world and my place in it ever since.

From Don:

I always enjoy reading history books that reveal new information that is different than the prevailing version of history. Three books I would recommend include FDR's Deadly Secret by Eric Fettmann, a convincing argument that Roosevelt did not die from cerebral hemorrhage, but rather cancer that began as melanoma. Robert B. Beginner's Day of Deceit: The Truth about FDR and Pearl Harbor examines evidence that suggests Roosevelt knew about Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor beforehand. He let it happen so that America would enter the war and help England. Civilization One: The World Is Not as You Thought it Was by Christopher Knight claims that there is evidence that early civilizations have a common heritage. Sorry I don't have hyperlinks for these books; I am typing this on my kindle.

What books that challenge established history do you recommend?

Eric Fettmann

Robert B. Stinnett

Christopher Knight

Not so favorite

I'll tell you one that I don't recommend. What would you think if you are a reader of the history of the Great War and the author's forward states that he doesn't know much about WWI?....and it went downhill from there.

by John Mosier

Favorite

It is impossible to name my favorite history book since there are many but the book noted below may be one of the greatest histories of Nazi Germany.

by William L. Shirer

I just finished reading “Feet First” (copyright 1971) a memoir by Ben Finney. The book in circulation for over 40 years is so obscure that I can not locate a review or even a synopsis on the internet.

The front dust jacket of the hardcover “Feet First” has a bold photo of Finney and his lifelong friend Ernest Hemmingway sitting side by side on the back of a boat with bare feet in the air. To say Ben Finney lived life in the 20th Century is an understatement as the tough nut Marine loved to party. Each tale is revealing and I will recall a few of his self professed hilarious pranks until the day I die.

The book is now one of my favorites as noted in my posted review.

by Ben Finney (no photo)

Finney is also the author of "Once A Marine Always A Marine" with the foreward by his good Friend USMC General Lem Shepherd the 20th Commandant of the Marine Corps.

Once a Marine-Always a Marine (no cover) by Ben Finney (no photo)

Oh, I didn't know about this thread! Like many people here, I've got lots of favorites but here are some:

Science Fiction

by Neal Stephenson Reading this book is like riding three express trains at once as Stephenson follows three plots on two timelines (WW II era and present day). This book reads like science fiction, but also contains a lot of history. Lots of information on codes, espionage, mining, Douglas MacArthur, the Philippines, data havens and (let's not forget) the ideal way to eat Captain Crunch cereal.


by Terry Pratchett. Very hard to pick a favorite DiscWorld novel, but I think this is it. Here, Pratchett skewers fundamentalist religion. In the land of Omnia, everyone believes in Om. You'd better, or the quisition will get you. But, while everyone believes, only the hero of the book, the simple Brutha, BELIEVES. And, since Gods grow and shrink depending on the number of believers, right now Om is a small God (a turtle).

Biography

bt Rebecca Newberger Goldstein. Kurt Godel was one strange genius. Goldstein, who is both a philosopher and a novelist, captures both aspects of the man and does so beautifully.

History

by Peter Watson

This is what the subtitle says. Breathtaking in scope and erudition and also nicely written.

Great suggestions, Peter, thank you!

Some more

Young Adult/SF

by Madeleine L'Engle

When I was 10, I got sick with something or other (measles maybe?). My mother gave me this book. I read it. Then I read it again. This is the book that turned me from someone who knew how to read into a READER.

Briefly, it concerns the adventures of Meg, Charles Wallace, Calvin and several strange women as they battle "IT" - a manifestation of evil.

Philosophy ?/Computers/Math/Logic/Music

by Douglas R. Hofstadter

Nearly impossible to categorize, but this book is all about the phenomena of recursion and self-reference. Brilliant and deep.

Thrillers

by Frederick Forsyth

The first book that kept me up all night reading.

Some right wing Frenchmen, enraged by the loss of Algeria, have decided to assassinate Charles de Gaulle. They hire "the jackal" to do it. He has his wits and some money and the French leader's refusal to change his plans for security reasons. His opposition has the entire legal and military establishment of France.

Great suggestions Peter, Mike, Mark, Jill, Bryan, Ken, Vicki, Michael, Andre, Aussie Rick, Michael, Chris, Alisa.

Folks, keep them coming.

Fiction

Not so favorite

I hate to admit this but I just can't get into anything by Henry James. I have tried The Turn of the Screw at least three times but just couldn't get through it. He takes 5 pages to make one statement......his book are way too verbose for me but I think I am in the minority.

by Henry James

For me the books that tops my list are the Aubrey/Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian.
The first book which was made in to a popular movie was:
by Patrick O'Brian The entire series is twenty one books long and tells the story of an English sea captain and his medical doctor during the Napoleonic Wars. Beautifully written and vast in scale this series would probably be enjoyed by any fan of historical fiction.

Wow.. what a tough one to answer. I don't have one (or even a few) single favorite(s) and I don't generally re-read because there are so many books yet to be read the first time. The book that launched me on my love of history was David Halberstam's bool titled "The Fifties". Similar to many others I thought history was terribly boring because of what (and the way) I learned in HS/College. It wasn't until I was an adult I picked up that book and fell head over heels in love with History. I realized it was interesting and enlightening on so many levels.

by David Halberstam

In a similar way I fell in love with well written historical fiction reading A Voices in The Wind by Francine Rivers. It gave me a view of what History was like in the first Christian Century which launched me to then read many more books and some primary sources on the topic that rounded about my reading of the Bible.

by Francine Rivers

by, (I couldn't find an image or an author link for God) :-)

Nice, Jeannine, lol, about the Bible. You can use Goodread's default:

by Anonymous (no photo)

I've been a huge nonfiction reader for ever, but since retiring 6 years ago, I've fallen in love with historical fiction as well. Often I pair fiction and nonfiction books about a similar topic. Here's a favorite pairing:

HISTORICAL FICTION

by James A. Michener

Follows several fictional families in the Chesapeake Bay area from the 16th to 20th centuries. Each section begins with a journey. I can't see a flock of geese overhead without thinking about this book.

NONFICTION/HISTORY

by Bob Deans(no photo)

I love how this book focuses on the iconic James River and the interplay of cultures - British, African, and Native American - from early civilization to the end of the Civil War. Very beautifully written.

Donna wrote: "I've been a huge nonfiction reader for ever, but since retiring 6 years ago, I've fallen in love with historical fiction as well. Often I pair fiction and nonfiction books about a similar topic. ..."

I do this also, Donna. Great to find someone else who likes to get their history in different flavors. :-)

To Name a favorite book is a bit like naming your favorite child, when you have more than one.

I rarely read a book more than once, except for a select few:

by Harper Lee

by Anne Frank

by Chaim Potok

If I had to name a favorite author, it would be Chaim Potok. I have read all of his books, more than once.

Great choices, Karen, thank you for sharing.

Karen I love your comment. It is impossible to name just one favorite! The more I read the more favorites I accumulate. It keeps me reading more. A delicious conundrum!

I have not read a lot of baseball books, but consider myself a fan of America's great pasttime. For me, Bottom of the 33rd was a wonderful story that had a way of illustrating the quirks, rich history, personalities, and art and science of this wonderful sport.
BASEBALL
by Dan Barry (no photo)

There is something about the sports history book I find quite fascinating, and the best of these types of books weave in the history of the time as well as the dimensions of the sport. The Boys in the Boat is about an unlikely university rowing crew who competed for the Gold in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, often referred to as Hitler's Olympics. Amazing story, expertly written, could not put it down.

ROWING/OLYMPICS/HITLER'S GERMANY
by Daniel James Brown

Power and Plenty by Findlay & O'Rourke - a great book about the history of geopolitics of international trade/globalization. Highly topical issue now with the rise of China and all its consequences on the global system. One of my favourite history books recently.Power and Plenty: Trade, War, and the World Economy in the Second Millennium

Looks good, Iana, I think I will have to add this to my reading pile.

Good attempt at the citation. Just need cover and author link:

by Ronald Findlay (no photo)

Thanks to this thread, my mental TBR list is becoming even more unmanageable. And list of "favorites," almost as unmanageable. So, I'll mention a couple that I've read recently and recommend.

HISTORICAL FICTION

by Hilary Mantel

Mantel has gotten a lot of attention for her books centering on Thomas Cromwell. This earlier novel of the French Revolution, following Robespierre, Danton and Desmoulins from their childhood to the Terror, was just as compelling though less focused.

MYSTERY

by Tony Hillerman

I enjoyed all the books in Hillerman's Leaphorn/Chee series but I think this one is my favorite.

Nice, Mary Ellen, we strive to create large TBR piles here at the HBC :-)

History:

by Jared Diamond

Historical Fiction:

by Larry McMurtry

Mystery

The Rex Stout Nero Wolfe books are at the top of my list but there is another, not very well known book that is right up there too.

by Francis Beeding

Rex Stout

Morality Play by Barry Unsworth
A very special piece of historical crime fiction (which I don't usually read), but much more than that.

Isidore..........please use the book citation guidelines as noted in the link below.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Your book should look like this:

by Barry Unsworth

Isidor
If you enjoyed by Barry Unsworth
then you might like to try
by Geraldine Brooks (historical fiction) - but I see you already have
or
by Matthew Kneale
English Passengers (historical fiction) is about a 19th century ship journey to Australia.
If the Black Death itself was interesting, I recently read The Great Mortality: An Intimate History of the Black Death, the Most Devastating Plague of All Time by John Kelly, which was a fairly "light" non-fiction read, if about a somewhat gruesome topic.

Carlton wrote: "If the Black Death itself was interesting, I recently read by John Kelly, , which was a fairly "light" non-fiction read, if about a somewhat gruesome topic. "

Then you might also enjoy by Philip Ziegler

Dimitri wrote: "Carlton wrote: "If the Black Death itself was interesting, I recently read by..."
Thanks for the suggestion Dimitri. I have the Ziegler, which I started some years ago, but found it very "dry" (little human interest), which is why I later found and read

Carlton.......good recommendations.

Please put all the books you mentioned at the bottom of the post for easier reading. You also might want to visit our guidelines for book citations at: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/....

You did a great job....but one little nit. the book English Passengers does have a book cover and should look like this.

by Matthew Kneale

An historical novel that haunts me with its beauty is Colum McCann's TransAtlantic, long-listed for the 2013 Mann Booker Prize. The book weaves the stories of Alcock and Brown, Frederick Douglass, and Senator George Mitchell's leadership role in the Irish Peace process. It helps that I heard McCann speak on this book and his close relationship and respect for Senator Mitchell. This is a worthy read that captures the suspense of great historical events.

by Colum McCann