European Royalty discussion

Alrighty, here we go into expanding the group's discussion! Feel free to post any threads you want under the appropriate section. I'm just going to start each one off right now asking what people might have read recently.

The most recent American history book I've read (besides The Hemingses of Monticello which I'm currently reading) was The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan.



It's pretty much a social history about the Dust Bowl area during the Great Depression, and it's an excellent book. I recently saw it prominently displayed at Borders along with finance books, so maybe they were (sadly) creating a financial crisis / recession theme of some sort. I really want to read a book on the Great Depression that deals with the politics and economics of the time. I had started a book like that a couple of years ago, but got a little bored with it. I think a book like that which be much more interesting considering what's going on right now with the stock markets around the world going crazy.

For those who are interested on South American History, I recommend the following books:

1) One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabiel Garcia Marquez

2) The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

3) The News from Paraguay by Lily Tuck

4) Kiss of the Spider Woman by Manuel Puig

5) Conversation in the Cathedral by Mario Vargas-Llosa

6) Time and the Wind by Erico Verissimo

Thanks for the recommendations Laura! I'm really only familiar with Eva Peron (and even with her, most of my "knowledge" comes from Evita), so I'm interested in expanding my knowledge of south american history. Kiss of the Spider Woman sounds really familiar - what is it about?

The most recent books about American history that I've read are:

Copperheads: The Rise and Fall of Lincoln's Opponents in the North, by Jennifer Weber. Interesting, but reads like a Ph.D thesis, which it probably was.

The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge, by David McCullough, which I believe won the Pulitzer in '72 or thereabouts, and I recommend highly. Fascinating and well-written.

and

Nothing Like It In the World : The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad 1863-1869, by Stephen Ambrose. This was also excellent.

Has anyone read a book about New York City and/or state history (or about people from here)? I just moved here a few months ago and was interested in reading a book or two. I have Gangs of New York on my to-read shelf, but I have a friend who didn't really care for it, so I'm not sure if it's the book I should start with.

Love this new thread, I'm always looking for good historicals set in the US.

Anya Seton's The Winthrop Woman was very good, that deals with one woman's story of the Massachusets Bay Colony. She also wrote My Theodosia about the daughter of Aaron Burr. That was quite interesting there's a whole lot more to Burr's story than the duel with Hamilton.

Another author I just love is Gwen Bristow. She's got some wonderful stories set in America. Calico Palace is set in old California San Francisco and the gold fields. Jubilee Trail is wagon train to old Los Angeles. Celia Garth (being republished in December) one woman's story of the Revolution, set in Charleston. She's got a plantation trilogy that starts with settling Louisiana, the second with the Civil War and the last with WWI (haven't read that).

An author I discovered recently, while better classified as a romance author, packs tons of historical details in her novels and I loved them -- very educational and entertaining at the same time. Celeste de Blasis is her name, and the best of them is The Proud Breed and starts in old California before it was US Territory and takes the family and the dynasty she and her husband start through to the end of the 19C. Her Swan trilogy is very good, starts in England, then to Maryland and leads into the Civil War and then the aftermath.

Here's a listmania I did on Amazon for historicals set in the US, http://www.amazon.com/Historical-Fict...

Hi Sara,

A great non-fiction account is Philip Lopate's "Waterfront". He walked the entire perimeter of Manhattan and then wrote about his expereinces and the current landscape of Manhattan's waterfront and how that connects to the city's history and development. He writes from a unique perspective of the city and really focuses on the "island" aspect of Manhattan, something that never ceases to fascinate me. Reading it led me to the neighborhood where I currently live, Inwood, all the way at the northern tip of Manhattan, so this book obviously had a strong impact on me.

And just to satisfy any general curiosity about the history of New York City, you should definitely check of the Museum of the City of New York (5th Ave and 105th St) if you haven't already -- lots of fascinating stuff there!

Thanks Elizabeth! I have not heard of that museum, so I'll definitely have to check it out (and the book as well).

Metropolis by,Elizabeth Gaffney...
I couldn't remember the title at first and instead of looking endlessly thru my books I went and looked up the history of what I have bought online..and lo and behold for a well spent $1.99...I remember that this book started off slowly for me but once I was adjusted to the ways of this author I had to keep reading and I really did like this book..I loved the period facts it gave me of New York about the gang life as well as the building of the Brooklyn bridge..it was like no other book that I have read at the time.....it was entertaining and educational.


A bit from the B&N synopsis..
Epic in sweep, Metropolis follows our hero from his arrival in New York harbor through his experiences in Barnum's circus, the criminal underground, and the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, and on to a life in Brooklyn that is at once unique and poignantly emblematic of the American experience. In a novel that is wonderfully written, rich in suspense, vivid historical detail, breathtakingly paced, Elizabeth Gaffney captures the wonder and magic of a rambunctious city in a time of change. Metropolis marks a superb fiction debut.

Another really terrific book on the History of New York, which is so much the beginings of American History, I don't know if it was mentioned,I would imagine it has but a GREAT book on early New York is

City of Dreams: A Novel of Nieuw Amsterdam and Early Manhattan
by Beverly Swerling
What a GREAT book this was! Wow! At first I didn't think I liked it..hmm I am seeing a pattern here...Because, just as you start to KNOW the characters it goes to the next in line..but Swerling does a great job with all of her characters and I found myself loving them all! June of 1661 to June of 1798...over 130 years of history. The next book in the series City of Glory, was okay, however not nearly as good.(IMHO)

Thanks for all the great recommendations, I will certainly be on the outlook for these titles mentioned. I very much agree with Elizabeth on Beverly Swerling's books....City of Dreams, Shadowbrook and City of Glory. Her newest book is coming out in December...City of God, and I am anxiously awaiting its release. I always found American History kind of a bore when in school, all the memorization of people, dates and events which were soon forgotten. Swerling's books really took me to New York (Nieuw Amsterdam) and revealed to me what it was like to live in that era in a most enjoyable way.

Oh man, I'm really glad we made these new threads, but now I have a lot more books that I want to try to read! Thanks for all the great recommendations. I've got over 400 books on my to-read shelf, so I think I'm going to have to start organizing it somehow.

I recently read The Tango Singer by Tomás Eloy Martínez, which covers the history of Buenos Aires ove th elast 100 or so years and the Tango. It is a translation from the Spanish without chapters, long paragraphs, no quotation marks, so I guess it can be called "Literary" for genre.

Hi Sara:
Sorry by the delay. The Kiss of the Spider Woman is one of the best books by Manuel Puig. It tells the story of a political prisioner with his prision companion, who was accused of molesting children. However, its major feature is the story behind showing the hard time during the dicatorial period in Argentina. This books was already adapted for theatre and cinema. He wrote some other books, like Betrayed by Rita Hayworth , Boquitas pintadas (Painted Lips), which are also great books.

I just posted another Geraldine Brooks book in another thread, but March by her is an amazing book. It's written from the perspective of Mr. March from Little Women and thus is set during the Civil War. It's a really beautiful book.

Geraldine Brooks

I tweaked some of the major folder topics because I realized these threads weren't showing up anymore (goodreads must be limiting how many show up on the main page or something).

Anyway, I turned the "Other Book Discussions" into "Other Discussions" and put the general history threads under this heading. That should keep them from disappearing! If you want to post any general type of history thread, feel free to post it under this main heading.

For some more South American historical fiction I can recommend Our Lives Are the Rivers: A Novel by Jaime Manrique. It's about Simon Bolivar and his mistress who was a bit of a revolutionary in her own right. Also some of Isable Allende's books such as Daughter of Fortune: A Novel are historical fiction.

I'm just about to start Painter in a Savage Land: The Strange Saga of the First European Artist in North America. I'll let everyone know how it is.

Lea, I've wanted to read that. I look forward to hearing how you like it!

Okay, I finally realized why these history threads "disappeared" before, so I've given them their own topic again (but I combined them together under this new "General History" topic). It seems that topic headings will disappear if no new posts have been made in threads under that topic within 30 days or so (which is why the Note to Spammers isn't showing up on the main page anymore, although it does still exist if you look at the list of all threads).

I'm about half way through California Gold by John Jakes. It's not the best book ever but certainly entertaining, and he's throwing lots of movers and shakers into the storyline - Hearst, Muir, Leland Stanford.

John Jakes - is he the dude who writes (wrote??) all of those state books? You know, the ones that had "Nebraska" or "Oklahoma" or some state name plastered across the cover. He may not be, and I may not be making much sense, but some other people have to remember those books. I've never read one, but they always seemed intriguing.

Sarah, Jakes wrote the Kent family chronicles and the North and South trilogy (remember the TV mini with Swayze??) and a few others. You might be thinking of Michener with the States, he did Texas, Hawaii and I forget how many others. You have to be in the right mood to read Michener - he's got the same style as Rutherford - skipping the story ahead many generations. De Blasis' The Proud Breed is much better retelling old California history IMO.

California Gold is good but won't be quite a five star read. It might be me, I prefer female authors especially when there's a love story involved.

Sara wrote: "Lea, I've wanted to read that. I look forward to hearing how you like it!"

I'm sorry that I haven't updated you on the book yet, Sara. As I just posted to another group I seem to have reader's block. But this book is on my nightstand and I hope to get to it soon.

No worries Lea! I've got a ton of books piled up too and a to-read list with over 500 books, so I'm keeping busy. So many books, so little time! :)

I just joined this group/thread, and I'm glad I did. Thanks for all the great suggestions! I can't wait to get started.

Welcome to the group Joy! Ha ha, my to-read shelf has probably doubled due to this group and the suggestions I've gotten here.

I'm trying to get to a Great Depression book, but it keeps getting pushed off. (I mostly wrote this so the threads reappear on the home page.)

Alright, does anyone know of any good flu/disease history books? It doesn't have to be limited to north or south america (I just randomly picked this thread). I know I have a book on the 1918 flu on my to-read shelf and some others, but I haven't gotten to any of them yet. I think I'm going to try to pick one up soon.

Moloka'i is about the leper colony in Hawaii at the turn of the century. I read this for my book group and we all enjoyed it.

I found The Ghost Map The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World interesting. It's about London's great cholera epidemic in the 1850s.

A historical fiction book that I really enjoyed about the Plague is Year of Wonders. It's a quick read, too.

I am reading Gerald Kolpan's Etta and am enjoying it. Mr. Kolpan's novel is a historical fiction. No one really knows the origins of Etta Place or what became of her after 1909. Mr. Kolpan took his research and made up a story about her beginnings and ending. The time she spent with the Wild Bunch is based on fact, although some of the timelines were changed to fit the story, as noted in Author Notes. It does fragment from chapter to chapter between fictional/factual news articles, diary entries and just a story line, but it is enjoyable and interesting.

I started Henry and Clara by Thomas Mallon today (about the unfortunate couple who shared the Lincolns' box at Ford's Theatre).

Susan wrote: "I started Henry and Clara by Thomas Mallon today (about the unfortunate couple who shared the Lincolns' box at Ford's Theatre)."

That book sounds really cool! Let me know what you think.

I'm currently reading The Great Influenza The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History by John M. Barry. It's pretty good, but some parts are really dense. There is also A LOT of lead up before actually getting to stuff about the 1918 flu. I'm about a quarter of the way through, and I've learned a lot about the history of medicine, physicians, U.S. medical schools and now the U.S. policies leading up to the U.S.'s entry into WWI, but not too much about the 1918 flu itself yet.

I just started Wanderers Eastward, Wanderers West by Kathleen Winsor of Forever Amber fame. It starts in 1861 and is set in both Montana and New York City.

FYI, apparently Gwen Bristow's Calico Palace is being reissued later this year, and an excellent book for those wanting to read more about early San Francisco and the Gold Rush.

Wow, I am new to this group, and I love it. I just can't keep up with all the great reading suggestions!! So many truly intriquing books are listed here. First I have to decide which to add, and then the pleasure of reading them!

John Jakes "California Gold" is an excellent read, as is "Men to Match My Mountains" (the author's name escapes me but has Irving in it). All of Michnener's books are excellent reads and contain good historical data. Anya Seton's "The Winthrop Woman" is another very good read of New England historical data.

I am currently reading Robert McCammon's "Speaks the Nightbird" which has been in my to be read pile for way too long. It is an excellent read. The story is about a clerk (Matthew) for a magistrate that have been called to Fount Royal, North Carolina to try a witch in 1699. However, Rachel claims that she is innocent of the charge and Matthew believes her. He sets out to prove her innocence, even though everyone in the town wants her to burn. The Salem witch trials are often referred to in the story. McCammon is known for his horror stories but this one is more historical and I am really enjoying it. He continues a series about Matthew in Queen of Bedlam and Mr. Slaughter both of which take place in New York.

I can highly recommend the following books:
1. The Master Butcher's Singing Club
2. The Book of Negroes
3. The Devil in the White City: Murder Magic and Madness at the Fair That Changed America
4. The River of Doubt

These are all on my favorite shelf!
I wanted to contribute too, as a way of thanking the other members of this group for suggesting so many interesting books! I am a bit unsure about the formatting - I hope it works!

Finished The Johnstown Flood, by David McCullough, recently. Another really good read. I don't think I've read a book by him that I haven't enjoyed.

I'm reading The Colour of Lightning by Paulette Jiles, about the American West. It's brilliant. I highly recommend it.

Chrissie wrote: "I can highly recommend the following books:
1. The Master Butcher's Singing Club
2. The Book of Negroes
3. The Devil in the White City: Murder Magic and Madness..."</i>

Oh, any format works! I really enjoyed Devil in the White City too. I'm a Chicago girl, so I love reading books that take place there. I want to get around to [book:Sin in the Second City Madams, Ministers, Playboys, and the Battle for America's Soul sometime soon. Thanks for adding your recommendations! :)

Sara wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "I can highly recommend the following books:
1. The Master Butcher's Singing Club
2. The Book of Negroes
3. [book:The Devil in the White City: Murder ..."
Sara, I've lived there and NY so I really liked the bit about Olmert who planned the park layout at the fair and Central Park in NYC! Yeah, maybe I ought to read more about Olmert. Warning - I have read other books by the author of the first book in my list and I didn't like them at all. I was totally lost, understood nothing. I didn't understand what was indian legend, who was saying what.... I have suppressed the title of the book somewhere in my head. The characters in the first book listed are really wonderful and quirky.

I've just started reading Founding Brothers and General George Washington: A Military Life. Both are amazing books!

Susanna, have you read the book David McCullough wrote about the Panama Canal? I have that on my must read shelf. All of his books sound fascinating. Which did you like best? I have a hard time choosing!

David McCullough is a very good author. Have you ever read his book John Adams? They turned it into a movie.

As someone else mentioned Daughter of Fortune was fantastic. I really loved that book and then I was disappointed by the next book of Allende's (Zorro)that I started and actually did not finish it.

Hi Lena, have your read David McCullough's book about the Panama Canal? I haven't read anything by him and I am having difficulty choosing. You prefer his John Adams?

Emily, I loved Allende's earlier books, the ones's about her family,particularly House of Spirits, but I think her newers ones are totally terrible. She has gone into children's stuff. Somewhere around Zorro they started going down the drain.