iamincontrolhere-haig Posted October 12, 2011 Posted October 12, 2011 The title says it all! What are some of your favorite history books, and why? And what are you reading at the moment? A few of mine: Odd Arne Westad, The Global Cold War: Third World Interventions and the Making of Our Times -An all around brilliant book--unabashedly presentist, but still the best kind of history Jeremi Suri, Power and Protest: Global Revolution and the Rise of Detente -Whatever its flaws, a thought-provoking reconceptualization of detente's origins Sven Beckert, The Monied Metropolis: New York and the Consolidation of the American Bourgeoisie -Economic history done right--anybody know of a similar book covering 1970ish-today? Marc Bloch, The Historian's Craft -Though it's not a work of history per se, it's always an inspiring read Currently reading David Engerman, Know Your Enemy: The Rise and Fall of America's Soviet Experts
LLajax Posted October 12, 2011 Posted October 12, 2011 I agree about Marc Bloch- always a good one to read! I enjoyed King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild (okay, maybe more journalism than history). I also love The Making of England to 1399 by C.W. Hollister (8th Edition is best!). Currently reading primary sources only for classes and purely fictional books for fun!
theregalrenegade Posted October 30, 2011 Posted October 30, 2011 The question should be what am I not reading at the moment...would be a much shorter list! ;-) But some of my favorites so far... Pleasures of the Imagination: English Culture in the Eighteenth Century - John Brewer The Island Race: Englishness, Empire, and Gender in the Eighteenth Century - Kathleen Wilson The Monk - Matthew Lewis A Turn to Empire - Jennifer Pitts Civilizing Subjects - Catherine Hall Shaftesbury and the Culture of Politeness - Lawrence Klein Ok and maybe some H.P. Lovecraft for when I just need to get out of my head.
theregalrenegade Posted October 30, 2011 Posted October 30, 2011 I enjoyed King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild (okay, maybe more journalism than history). We read Hochschild's Bury the Chains in my human rights discourse class. It was a great read!
crater21 Posted October 30, 2011 Posted October 30, 2011 The question should be what am I not reading at the moment...would be a much shorter list! ;-) But some of my favorites so far... Pleasures of the Imagination: English Culture in the Eighteenth Century - John Brewer The Island Race: Englishness, Empire, and Gender in the Eighteenth Century - Kathleen Wilson The Monk - Matthew Lewis A Turn to Empire - Jennifer Pitts Civilizing Subjects - Catherine Hall Shaftesbury and the Culture of Politeness - Lawrence Klein Ok and maybe some H.P. Lovecraft for when I just need to get out of my head. Great list! I study the eighteenth century too, and I love the Brewer and the Klein. Pitts has also been very important to me. By the way, have you read Emma Rothschild's The Inner Life of Empires? It was just published a few months ago, and it is already one of my favourite 18th century histories. If you enjoy 18th century and imperial history (as I can tell you do from your list), I guarantee you will love Rothschild.
theregalrenegade Posted October 30, 2011 Posted October 30, 2011 By the way, have you read Emma Rothschild's The Inner Life of Empires? It was just published a few months ago, and it is already one of my favourite 18th century histories. If you enjoy 18th century and imperial history (as I can tell you do from your list), I guarantee you will love Rothschild. Funny, I just saw that book advertised in the AHR and looked it up. It does look fascinating. I'll have to throw it into the mix. Thanks for the heads-up. I'm trying to formulate a master's thesis topic within 18th century imperial history - so far my advisor is steering me towards looking at ideologies of British empire and rights discourse hoping that some of the books will strike my fancy.
kenningsa Posted October 31, 2011 Posted October 31, 2011 Don Worster: Dust Bowl: the southern plains in the 1930s
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