Grand unified books thread

[The Minsky Moment]

Speaking of the AWI, does anybody read Charles Beard anymore?  Or is he still out of fashion?

Out of fashion for about 50 years I think.

[Sheilbh]

I didn't like the Ackroyd history of London that much. I find his prose style too ornate for a history.

I enjoyed it, but it was jarring. I think once I realised this wasn't just a mood setting introductory affectation, but a permanent one the book got a lot better.

Edit: And Hawksmoor is very similar, but obviously a novel. His 17th/18th century first person narrative sections are extraordinary.

[CountDeMoney]

Speaking of the AWI, does anybody read Charles Beard anymore?  Or is he still out of fashion?

Out of fashion for about 50 years I think.

Just never got past that whole WW1 thing.

[Sophie Scholl]

For a combo of work and mutual enjoyment I've been reading some French and Indian War/Seven Years War material.  I just finished Crucible of War by Fred Anderson, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and am now starting into The French and Indian War and the Conquest of New France by William R. Nester.  Definitely a fan of the era, but it just makes me realize more and more how fucked up Colonial Americans were.

[CountDeMoney]

Definitely a fan of the era, but it just makes me realize more and more how fucked up Colonial Americans were.

Yeah, and it's their spirit of freedomism and libertytude that conservatives insist on embracing as virtues.

[Sophie Scholl]

Definitely a fan of the era, but it just makes me realize more and more how fucked up Colonial Americans were.

Yeah, and it's their spirit of freedomism and libertytude that conservatives insist on embracing as virtues.

They would fit right in.  Christianity is incredibly important unless it contradicts the, brown people are dangerous and need to be wiped out if they can't be bought out, taxes are great as long as they themselves aren't taxed, laws are great as long as they themselves don't have to abide by them, stir up the poorest masses with distorted press and bribery to do your bidding when you can't bribe the top people, wars are great for fun and profit, every other non-WASP group is suspect and should be treated as such, the French are horrible, etc., etc.  I can definitely see why they look to them for guidance.

[jimmy olsen]

Been vaguely looking for a decent overview of early American history. Have downloaded the Wood book. Thanks for the tip off Tim.

You're welcome.

[mongers]

OK help me, I'm getting quite tempted by this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Oxford-Dictionary-National-Biography-Association/dp/019861411X/ref=cm_rdp_product


What's principally stopping me at the moment is the lack of shelf space. 


edit:
incidentally that works out at less than 2c per page. 

or enough paper in the volumes to cover more two-thirds of ManU's Old Trafford football pitch.

[garbon]

On a different note - does anyone know of any good books on the Soviet Union? I tried to do a bit of a search and it looks like most works either look at initial revolution or random events/leaders throughout its history. I was hoping to find something that covered a good chunk of time - like the early years or something like that.

You could try Orlando Fige's "A People's Tragedy" which covers 1891-1924.

He's also done a broader history 1891-1991

Robert Service has written a Penguin history from the 1890s to the present day.

Wow, Fige's book just came and it is like a brick.

[Habbaku]

It's worth the read. 

[Kleves]

Anyone have any recommendations for books on Oliver Cromwell and/or the English Civil War?

[Sheilbh]

Britain in Revolution by Austin Woolrych
God's Englishman by Christopher Hill

[garbon]

So rather than seeing the movie, I opted to read Gone Girl now. What a rather dreadful read that was.

[spoiler]I found it deeply unsatisfying as Amy was completely repugnant post the twist with no real explanation other than "she's just so psycho." The ending also made no sense whatsoever with his whole falling back in love with her and then deciding that they would raise a baby together. It felt like the author used up all of her energy in creating the minute details of Amy's plot and then sort of lost steam after that.

I did appreciate learning that every single one of the diary entries was completely faked. That was something I wasn't expecting - and I can always love a good, unreliable narrator. Shame the "good" can no longer be applied to Amy's chapters post the reveal.[/spoiler]

[Savonarola]

I finished the third book of Will Durant's story of civilization; "Caesar and Christ."  Septimius Severus would be a great name for a super villain, or maybe a rival claimant to the Cobra organization along with Cobra Commander and Serpentor.

[Syt]

I have a picture of him as my smart phone sleep screen (and Marcus Aurelius as normal wallpaper).