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Communism
08-22-2005, 04:10 PM
On Friday I bought a large collection of 19th Century books, manely on natural science (that is, natural science at that time, of course). Some of the books are from the 1860's, but most seem to originate from the 1870's.

Today I bought a large biography of Hitler, "HITLER". It is written by a certain Joachim C. Fest. I do not know much of Hitler, so I'll probably learn a thing or two.
Quest_techie
08-23-2005, 02:47 PM
how the irish saved the modern world (or something of that nature)

it sounded interesting, I got it, now I hope to start an obsession with irish history.....
crummyrummy
08-24-2005, 09:31 AM
Well its not exactly a history book, because it also discusses the media perception of pirates, but I got a Book by David Cordingly called "under the black flag"
REVIEW (http://www.sfsite.com/09a/flag16.htm)
I got it to read on my upcoming deployment to sea ;)
Acorn
09-02-2005, 11:09 PM
i just bought a 20th century for a dollar. its cool.
samson
09-03-2005, 01:57 PM
I have been taking in a history of the Negro Baseball League, and an old copy of "A Short History Of Mexico". I noticed I had been reading too much fiction, so this summer I made sure to take in some facts!
noland
09-07-2005, 10:36 PM
how the irish saved the modern world (or something of that nature)

it sounded interesting, I got it, now I hope to start an obsession with irish history.....You talkin' 'bout "How the Irish Saved Civilization"?
It's a good'n. Not to spoil it for you ... but they really did. Without Irish monasteries, thanks to Pat, Columba, and the guys, Europe would have never gotten out of "the Dark Ages".
helen_of_love
09-08-2005, 09:18 PM
The latest book I got was was on the History of African Magic.
hailtothekingbaby
09-09-2005, 12:23 AM
A lot of my books for college deal with the history of different places in the world, since I do archaeology. That was last year (I haven't got the money for this year's books :&).
hippypaul
09-26-2005, 10:41 AM
Not a Good Day to Die: The Untold Story of Operation Anaconda

Sean Naylor
WanderingturnupII
12-01-2005, 04:48 AM
You talkin' 'bout "How the Irish Saved Civilization"?

Read it. Liked it. Who was the author again?

Currently reading Cornelius Ryan, The Last Battle, on the final months of WWII
alex714
12-01-2005, 07:15 AM
how the irish saved the modern world (or something of that nature)

it sounded interesting, I got it, now I hope to start an obsession with irish history.....

hey, how is that book? i've heard of it
MikeE
12-02-2005, 02:35 AM
I read a book that said that the Scots were responsible for the modern world. Maybe each saved civilisation at different times.
hippypaul
12-02-2005, 05:43 PM
Social History of the Machine Gun
John A. Ellis, Foreword by Edward C. Ezell
A very good look at how social perception influenced the military. A lot of it makes you think about the mess in Iraq.
alex714
12-03-2005, 04:49 AM
I read a book that said that the Scots were responsible for the modern world. Maybe each saved civilisation at different times.
is that one about the scottish enlightenment?
Diomedes
12-04-2005, 03:43 PM
Latest would be "With the Old Breed." A personal account (quite possibly the very best) of the fighting done in the Pacific during WWII. I recommend it.
EllisDTripp
12-09-2005, 03:53 AM
First Man, the biography of Neil Armstrong....
Megara
12-09-2005, 04:55 AM
ah, i bought Caesar's commentaries and the roman revolution by Syme...ah, being a nerd rocks.
MrRee
12-09-2005, 11:41 AM
Not purely historical, but historically based, relevant, and projectional is Critical Path by R Buckminster Fuller. Just started it a few days ago ~ what a blast of a statement in the introduction.................
'All the great political, religious, and - most of all - big business systems would find their activities devestated by the universal physical success of all humanity. All the strengths of all great politics and religion and most of business are derived from the promises they give of assuaging humanity's seemingly tragic dilemma of existing in an unalterable state of fundamental inadequacy of life support."
MikeE
12-09-2005, 04:34 PM
is that one about the scottish enlightenment?
Yes
MikeE
12-09-2005, 09:27 PM
I recently read the Federalist Papers. Two things struck me.

First, things have changed dramaticaly since then. A canal was high tech.

Second, they were written to convince the normal newspaper reader. The style of languange (use of compound sentences, subordinate clauses, etc.) and the complexity of the arguments are much higher than we expect from people today.

They also trusted the reader with the truth. They did not try to hide defects or exagerate benifits. Its not surprising that they thought the public could be trusted to run a government. They thought highly of their readers and the writting showed it.
*Ewan*
12-15-2005, 08:06 PM
I'm curerntly reading revolution and counter revolution in chile.
Rael
12-27-2005, 02:33 PM
The last one I got was "The Last Samurai: The Life and Battles of Saigo Takamuri" By Mark Ravina
Rael
12-27-2005, 02:34 PM
Oh, and that book about Che Guevara's early years, "The Motorcycle Diaries", I think?
hippypaul
12-27-2005, 06:19 PM
A Crack in the Edge of the World- America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906 by Simon Winchester and Andrew Jackson by H.W. Brands
hippypaul
12-27-2005, 06:22 PM
I recently read the Federalist Papers. Two things struck me.

First, things have changed dramaticaly since then. A canal was high tech.

Second, they were written to convince the normal newspaper reader. The style of languange (use of compound sentences, subordinate clauses, etc.) and the complexity of the arguments are much higher than we expect from people today.

They also trusted the reader with the truth. They did not try to hide defects or exagerate benifits. Its not surprising that they thought the public could be trusted to run a government. They thought highly of their readers and the writting showed it.
Very well said
Wond'ringAloud
01-10-2006, 01:54 AM
Blondel's Song - The capture, imprisonment and ransom of Richard the Lionheart - by David Boyle. Christmas gift from my daughter.
Panik
02-01-2006, 06:56 PM
Most recently I came by "Homage to Catalonia" which is about the spanish civil war, george orwell's account of it. It was inspiring and I liked it a lot!

I don't ever really buy books but there are many history textbooks laying around my house because my roomate takes a lot of those classes in school. I sift through them but I really don't read as much as I should, especially for being surrounded by all this good material.
worldhealer
02-02-2006, 04:30 AM
Howard Zinn rocks . . David Halberstam's _THe Children_, about students in the civil rights movement in Nashville is brilliant and a must read for anyone interested in nonviolent struggle
DharmaBum
02-19-2006, 08:31 PM
Spartan Army; Elite S.; v.66
Sekunda, Nicholas; Hook, Richard

Expedition of Cyrus; Oxford World's Classics S.
Xenophon; Waterfield, Robin

Hannibal
Lancel, Serge; Nevill, Antonia

Looking forward to reading them all.
Weissdorn
02-20-2006, 07:57 PM
Reprint of Carl Eduard Vehse's book The Dynasties of Hessen (Kiepenheuer Verlag)


Pretty interesting. Did you know that Philipp the Magnificent of Hesse got a papal edict allowing him to have a second wife (Margarete von der Saal) on the grounds that he had two penii? He argued that his unusual bodily equipment was a justified reason, based on the Second Book of Moses, to have an additional wife to help, uh...., satisfy his extraordinary needs.