What books have helped you understand history?

[Bucky]

Although I've always loved history, it was after I took a deep dive with the Washington and Adams administrations in The Age of Federalism by Eric McKitrick and Stanley Elkins that I began to get a feel for how deep the historical record runs, and how these mythical figures were just people doing their best, and cutting expedient political compromises even in a high-minded age like the Enlightenment.

https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Age_of_Federalism.html?id=9RyG29bER3QC

What books have framed your understanding of history?

[yesphan]

1. Howard Zinn

A peoples history of the U.S.

Changed my life.

[pnwest]

2. I need to get that book.

[rampartc]

4. free online and easy to read

[pnwest]

5. Really?! Where can I find it free online?

[rampartc]

7. ...

http://www.historyisaweapon.com/zinnapeopleshistory.html

[pnwest]

3. Shock Doctrine

[rampartc]

6. will and ariel durant's masterpiece "story of civilization"

https://www.amazon.com/Story-Civilization-11-Set/dp/1567310230

[Aquaria]

8. Zinn's People's History would be the top choice for US history

Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond isn't a history book, per se, but it explains much of the reality of why colonialism steamrolled the "Third World" with so much success.

The Ascent of Money by Niall Ferguson reveals how money and finance shaped exploration, technology and more.

Masters of the Word by William Bernstein makes a compelling case for the power of words via correspondence, print, newspapers, and even social media to change the course of history.

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown exposes how whites destroyed the Native American tribes and cultures in the US in heartbreaking detail.

Genghis Khan by Jack Winchester erases all those tall tales in your head about the tyrant and his marauding horde, and instead reveals what an innovative leader and military thinker GK was, enough to have lasting impacts on the world and leaders far beyond Mongolia, even into the modern era.

Just about anything by David McCullough is worth the read.

[Karadeniz]

9. My parents were avid readers. As a child we had tons of adult history books, but with lots of

Photos. I didn't read them as much as look at the photos and that's what I would say sparked a deep interest in history. The set I remember most was called, I think, the Blue and the Gray. It was full of Matthew Brady Civil War photos, horrifying but real. One had to wonder how that could have happened.

[wnylib]

11. I hated history in school because it was

taught as a succession of wars and dates to memorize. Even in college there was only one history course that I liked. Didn't start to like it until I chose my own eclectic readings on American and world history, starting with fiction (Michener, Uris), then non-fiction. Due to the diversity of American society, I think world history contributes to understanding our own. Some of these books are old because I am old and read them years ago.

Rise of the West by William McNeil; The Puritan Mind by Perry Miller; The Americans, Colonial Experience by Daniel J. Boorstin; The Mayflower by Robert Greenwood; Native American History by Judith Nies; A Sorrow in Our Heart by Allen W. Eckert (Tecumseh and the War of 1812); Parker on the Iroquois by Arthur C. Parker, edited by William N. Fenton; Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown; Native American Testimony by Peter Nabokov; The Unredeemed Captive by John Demos (colonial Deerfield, MA); Captors and Captives by Haefeli and Sweeney (also colonial MA); My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglass.

Historical fiction that I found informative: Winds of War and the sequel, War and Remembrance by Herman Wouk; The Century Trilogy by Ken Follet. Also read Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin to know the characters often referenced and the book that influenced so many people of its time.

To a historian, my readings are "light" because most of them don't cover in-depth details of governmental stages. I've been mostly interested in the ideas and cultures that influenced American society and attitudes. Also in the daily lives of people who lived through various periods.

[bucolic_frolic]

12. I'll throw in a few

Last edited Fri Jan 24, 2020, 06:14 PM - Edit history (1)

War and Peace: FDR's Final Odyssey D-Day to Yalta 1943-1945 by Nigel Hamilton

The Corporate Ideal in the Liberal State by James Weinstein. How personalities, groups, events intertwine for political change. Fascinating.

FDR by Jean Edward Smith (Also wrote bio's of GWB and IKE) a really excellent biographer

Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare by Giles Milton. He makes the case for SOE guerilla tactics that altered the war by bleeding the Nazi Regime.

Rule by Secrecy by Jim Marrs. Speculative history that's a stretch, but he does connect a lot of dots.

Crises of the Republic by Hannah Arendt.

To the Finland Station by Edmund Wilson. An old time historical standard that's gone far out of favor, but tells the story of how power came to be 'in the streets' for anyone with a plan to seize.

The Anatomy of Revolution by Crane Brinton. Classic.

[oasis]

13. Great book recommendations on this thread. Thank you DUers.

[RealityChik]

14. American History via obscure events & people

I should start by saying I'm a history reading junkie. But, I HATE conventional linear-reading, timeline-driven history books. I get my American History through obscure and/or quirky events, people or things that had pivotal impact on our nation's history. There are a couple of exceptions to this, but I should preface these entries by saying I love books that contain conspiracy theories. Not for their sensational, unproven truths or falsehoods, but only for their plausibility.

The Untold History of the United States - Oliver Stone & Peter Kuznick
Very interesting read. More like a novel, thanks to Oliver Stone. Full of exaggeration (conspiracies?) and hyperbole for skeptics like me, but that's what makes it a fun page-turner. Has been a guide for more exploration, as needed for fact-checking some of the content! I also like that it "flips its proverbial nose at conventional history books. Did I mention that I LOVE snark done well!

* * * * * *
Revolutionary period: I love unsung heroes and books about REAL spies in history that changed the course of history at that time.

The Culper Ring - History of Revolutionary War's Most Famous Spy Ring - Charles Rivers?
There are several other books and articles all over the web about George Washington's First Spy Agency. Gripping story, interesting people. A couple of the members never officially identified.

* * * * * *
American Prohibition: Living here in Washington, I'm always interested in the adventures of Washington's history. One of the most engaging historical figures is Roy Olmstead, a police officer turned RumRunner who thwarted capture for years. His adventures are amazing. But the impact on US History was the trial that followed his capture. His long trial led to the wiretapping laws we have today, and resulted in the introduction of Privacy Laws in America.

Whispering Wires: Tragic Tale of an American Bootlegger - Philip Metcalfe
A real page turner. I couldn't put it down. Read it all in one sitting! May be out of print but can buy used at Amazon.

* * * * * *
Post WWII History: The story of Smedley Butler, (my all-time hero!!!) In the 1930s, there were was a group of American oligarchs, led by Prescott Bush, who tried to engineer a coup to overthrow FDR after FDR seized the ill-gotten wealth of these corporate criminals from profiteering off of Nazi Germany. They wanted to create a Nazi regime in America. They almost got away with it, but for one Army General, Smedley Butler, who could not be threatened or bribed into going along and leading the military coup. He was the man who told the truth and stopped the overthrow. Unfortunately, like George Bush Senior who covered up and/or pardoned the perpetrators of Iran-Contra, none of these perpetrators were prosecuted. Butler retired into obscurity, but it was his smoking gun proof that saved America from Nazism and corporate takeover.

Devil Dog: The True Story of the Man Who Saved America - David Talbot
Thrilling book. Written almost comicbook hero style. The story is so good and inspiring that any articles you find on the web are just as interesting. Wikipedia provides in depth exploration on the history, background and people involved in this cliffhanging event.

This is only 4 for now but I have dozens, maybe hundreds more of all kinds of quirky or unusual history. For me, it is the best way for me to study history and remember it. Build the history around a single person, group or event. The more obscure the better. I often find these gems while hunting for something else.

All of these can be found on Amazon. All my copies are used ones. I don't need new books to enjoy.