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Meyers-Briggs Testicle posted:update: this series is good as hell, extremely dense, and avoids many purple prose pitfalls history authors can fall into Bringing this post back because it's one of my favorite book reviews. Also I finally snapped and bought the first volume, what can go wrong?
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Sep 7, 2019 16:21
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I just read Nixonland after hearing about it numerous times in this thread. I thought it was pretty amazing and will be recommending it to random people on the street. As a non American with a very sketchy knowledge of that period it went deep enough into the politics while being a pretty broad look at society, and very engaging writing, a legit page turner. Thanks thread.
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Sep 29, 2019 21:56
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Perlstein's got two more books in that series and Reaganland releases next year.
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Sep 30, 2019 00:25
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Yeah I can confirm that Perlstein's Barry Goldwater biography is absolutely fantastic as well. I haven't read "The Invisible Bridge" but I've heard it had some plagiarism issues, though.
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Sep 30, 2019 00:43
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Pretty sure that the plagiarism charges are bunk by another Reagan biographer salty that his icon was portrayed negatively, but who knows.
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Sep 30, 2019 01:10
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Pakled posted:Yeah I can confirm that Perlstein's Barry Goldwater biography is absolutely fantastic as well. I haven't read "The Invisible Bridge" but I've heard it had some plagiarism issues, though. I think I'm going to read The Invisible Bridge soon because I want the satisfaction of reading about how Nixon's second term gets compromised by Watergate and how it must have made him bitter and crazy.
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Sep 30, 2019 01:16
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Of the three Nixonland is the most fun read, but I'm looking forward to the Reagan one.
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Sep 30, 2019 04:22
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I've been enjoying Stephen Kotkin's work but every time I try to find a good audiobook on Soviet history the same pattern emerges. Book: Lenin's Tomb: The Last Days Of The Soviet Empire "This sounds interesting, let's look up the author" quote:In 2003, Remnick supported the U.S invasion of Iraq, penning editorials in the New Yorker making a case for the war.[14] In the months leading up to the war, the magazine also published numerous articles connecting Saddam Hussein to al-Qaida, often relying on unnamed sources, or simply the claims of Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld, as evidence. Remnick's editorship, and the magazine as a whole, received sharp criticism for their journalism during this period. [15] "Yeesh, let's try another one." Book: Iron Curtain: The Crushing of Eastern Europe, 1944-1956 "Wow, this sounds like the perfect followup to Kotkin, let's just see who wrote it" quote:In October 2002, Applebaum wrote that Americans "should be prepared" for a war with Iraq. She also wrote that "Although I dislike the modern tendency to compare every mad dictator to Hitler, in this narrow sense, the comparison to Saddam might be apt. Are you sure Saddam would not risk the destruction of his country, if he thought, for some reason, that he or his regime was in danger? Do you want to wait and find out?"[35] Book: The Cold War: A New History Author: quote:Gaddis is close to President George W. Bush, making suggestions to his speech writers,[29] and has been described as an "overt admirer" of the 43rd President.[30] After leaving office, Bush took up painting as a hobby at Gaddis's recommendation.[31] lmao
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Oct 1, 2019 17:03
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I actually liked the Applebaum book. But yeah, you go in knowing who she is.
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Oct 1, 2019 17:27
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Grand Fromage posted:Of the three Nixonland is the most fun read, but I'm looking forward to the Reagan one. Agreed cant wait for the 4th book
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Oct 13, 2019 23:22
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Mantis42 posted:I've been enjoying Stephen Kotkin's work but every time I try to find a good audiobook on Soviet history the same pattern emerges. I read the Gaddis book for a class. It's not good. It credits Reagan for winning the cold war.
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Oct 14, 2019 04:59
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Vasukhani posted:I read the Gaddis book for a class. It's not good. It credits Reagan for winning the cold war. You see, Reagan was a movie actor and Pope John Paul II was a theater actor. And we needed actors to win the Cold War for us Yeah, this was one of the first books I read about the Cold War and it's bad
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Oct 14, 2019 05:33
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Also, I can get advanced copies of most books, anything coming in the next 6 months that any of you are excited about? I seem to have this chronic problem where I never know what good non-fiction is on the way. I forgot the Gaddis book also strongly implies the soviet union was behind the pope assassination attempt wisconsingreg fucked around with this message at 16:22 on Oct 17, 2019 |
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Oct 14, 2019 06:24
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Just finished the Richard Evans’ Third Reich trilogy. You probably know about it because you’re in the history book thread, but anyway. It is a major work and maybe the best comprehensive look into Nazi Germany if you’re not a history scholar. The first book deals with how the Nazis came into power. The second one covers the 1933-1939 period with a really detailed exploration of nazification of the German society in every sector, from culture through industry to academia. The third part, probably my favorite, deals with the war. Of the many realizations I’ve had during the reading of this mammoth trilogy, the one that really stuck out was how easy it was to completely nazify almost the entire medical profession. Doctors and nurses were super eager to “euthanize” the undesirables, starting with the mental patients very early in the thirties and continuing with the Jews, Roma and others. I also realized that there were very few innocents amongst the German population since atrocities against Jews and others were very well and widely known by 1942 at the latest due to soldiers returning from the front etc but the majority kind of shrugged it off or even supported the thesis on the need for the preventive elimination of the Jewish race. Another good thing the trilogy does is dispel the myth of the purity of Wehrmacht, showing how the regular army took part in abhorrent atrocities, which surely is refreshing in today’s revisionist times. A strong recommendation from me, go read it goons.
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Nov 13, 2019 13:07
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Mantis42 posted:I've been enjoying Stephen Kotkin's work but every time I try to find a good audiobook on Soviet history the same pattern emerges. It's chill that basically all mainstream soviet historians are hopelessly compromised by this sort of thing.
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Nov 13, 2019 13:44
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A human heart posted:It's chill that basically all mainstream soviet historians are hopelessly compromised by this sort of thing. Applebaum’s Iron Curtain seems well researched and relies on a lot of primary research, at least seems like it to me. It shows different approaches taken in the introduction of Socialism as a political system in different countries of Eastern Europe. You don’t have to agree with the moral condemnation the author issues against Socialism, but the overview is detailed and interesting. Of course, Applebaum herself is a caricature of a neoliberal, but whatevs. The one historian that fascinates me is Figes, who is obviously approaching history from a liberal position, but then devotes most of his history of the Russian revolutions to arguments why Romanovs had it coming.
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Nov 13, 2019 14:00
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Figes is a weirdo and I wouldn't trust much he writes in general. https://www.thenation.com/article/orlando-figes-and-stalins-victims/
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Nov 13, 2019 14:24
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vyelkin posted:Figes is a weirdo and I wouldn't trust much he writes in general. Figes once blamed his wife for writing all the fake positive reviews of the whisperers, seems like a serial liar.
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Nov 13, 2019 16:30
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I still like "A People's Tragedy" because it's well written. But yeah, it's certainly not the only book I have on the revolution.
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Nov 13, 2019 16:45
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Minenfeld! posted:I still like "A People's Tragedy" because it's well written. But yeah, it's certainly not the only book I have on the revolution. Same here
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Nov 13, 2019 16:56
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Gaddis' Cold War isn't very good. Read Odd Arne Westad's The Cold War: A World History instead.
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Nov 13, 2019 20:04
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I read an ARC of S. C. Gwynne's "Hymns of the Republic" which is a pretty engrossing 300-page narrative on the final year of the American Civil War. It paints a very vivid picture of the revolutionary changes in warfare that happened in 1864-65, from the Overland campaign which became a war of steady trench advance, to Sherman's march and the idea of strategic warfare. "Spotslyvania was the first battle of it's kind, for the next 100 years, every other battle would be a version of it" was a particularly good quote. It addresses myths like the burning of Atlanta and Richmond (most destruction was from retreating confederates) to the idea of an amicable Appomattox (there was no blue and grey fraternizing). That said, I would only consider it if you can't get engaged with the longer works (team of rivals, from the red river to Appomattox) on this period. The book offers nothing new but is engaging.
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Nov 13, 2019 21:14
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Boatswain posted:Gaddis' Cold War isn't very good. Read Odd Arne Westad's The Cold War: A World History instead. Enjoyed this one, with some interesting dives into certain regions.
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Nov 14, 2019 09:13
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Boatswain posted:Gaddis' Cold War isn't very good. Read Odd Arne Westad's The Cold War: A World History instead. Thanks for this rec, got it yesterday and immediately got sucked in. The writing is really good
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Nov 15, 2019 11:38
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https://twitter.com/alloy_dr/status/1192589004232908801
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Nov 16, 2019 14:34
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Okay, weird request but I need something uplifting as I trudge through King Leopold's Ghost: are there any uplifting nonfiction books? I understand human history is a long train of people screwing each other over but surely there must be something cool to read about besides the space race.
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Nov 16, 2019 14:56
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StrixNebulosa posted:Okay, weird request but I need something uplifting as I trudge through King Leopold's Ghost: are there any uplifting nonfiction books? I understand human history is a long train of people screwing each other over but surely there must be something cool to read about besides the space race. That's a tough one. A few options: 1) 1066 And All That -- funny history 2) The Burglary by Betty Mesdger -- the story of the burglary of FBI offices by private activists which revealed the COINTELPRO program; they were never caught, but Medsger was the journalist they talked to 3) The Electric Kool Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe -- story of Ken Kesey and the birth of the hippie movement in the 1960's Other good options might be something like histories of the French Resistance in ww2, etc.
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Nov 16, 2019 15:10
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:That's a tough one. I'll look the first two up - I haven't clicked with any Tom Wolfe books yet, sadly. As for the French Resistance in WW2 I can't, I recently looked at A Train in Winter and  Also I'd say the Vintage Guide to Classical Music is uplifting, but it's slow reading because I keep stopping to listen to the music the author mentions.
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Nov 16, 2019 15:18
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Anything on the French resistance is depressing as gently caress. Those people died in large numbers and badly. Most history is pretty dismal because people are awful. That said you can find some stuff that’s misty neutral because there topic isn’t really focusing on people. Industrial history etc. If you favor labor politics and have a very long view EP Thompson’s Making of the English Working Class might hit that note for you. People get hosed but ultimately it’s about how they try to stop the loving.
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Nov 16, 2019 15:28
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It’s worth noting that all the historians I know read trashy pulp fiction to reset their brains.
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Nov 16, 2019 15:29
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If it weren't tied to the space race during the 1950s & 1960s, I'd point at the history of computing, Turing aside.
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Nov 16, 2019 15:37
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Cyrano4747 posted:It’s worth noting that all the historians I know read trashy pulp fiction to reset their brains. I've been reading a literal boatload of trashy Urban Fantasy / Paranormal Romance lately to cope with college courses + my nonfiction reading so this checks out. e: Just looked up Making of the English Working Class and I really appreciate how this thread respects me enough to rec a 800+ page chonker that does a deep dive on a subject. No pop history in here, no siree!
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Nov 16, 2019 15:42
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It’s actually really well written. There’s a lot of it but it’s not dry. Edit: it’s also a classic so you should be able to get a copy cheap used if you want to give it a shot but aren’t sure. Also every university library will have at least one copy and most good public libraries will have one in their system or be able to order it ILL.
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Nov 16, 2019 15:50
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Cyrano4747 posted:It’s actually really well written. There’s a lot of it but it’s not dry. I actually just bought it used for 6$ on ebay so it'll be here in a week or two! I've also been finding that more chonk histories are readable than you'd expect - Making of the Atomic Bomb, Hundred Years War: Trial by Battle, Religion and the Decline of Magic - these things are super dense and thick but they're not dry, you can read them without instantly falling asleep. I mean they're taking me ages to get through, but that's what you get with dense chonkers.
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Nov 16, 2019 15:55
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StrixNebulosa posted:Okay, weird request but I need something uplifting as I trudge through King Leopold's Ghost: are there any uplifting nonfiction books? I understand human history is a long train of people screwing each other over but surely there must be something cool to read about besides the space race. Read anything by Mary Roach: Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003M5IGE2/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i2 Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00421BN2C/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0 Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AN86JZ4/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i4 etc. If those land for you, look for general deep dives into some aspect of the world (Mark Kurlansky's Salt and Cod come to mind after that). Not necessarily uplifting per se, but often interesting.
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Nov 16, 2019 16:12
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StrixNebulosa posted:Okay, weird request but I need something uplifting as I trudge through King Leopold's Ghost: are there any uplifting nonfiction books? I understand human history is a long train of people screwing each other over but surely there must be something cool to read about besides the space race. Shakespeares Pub - Pete Brown - micro history of the George Inn in Southwark. The first chapter is a bit self indulgent but it's a really interesting and cozy history book The Great Wave - history of Japan and US encoutnering and bieng influenced by each other - see how the gilded age meets old japan through biographies of eccentrics from both sides of the ocean
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Nov 16, 2019 16:59
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StrixNebulosa posted:I actually just bought it used for 6$ on ebay so it'll be here in a week or two! Honestly it's down to the writer. Some historians can write engaging prose, others can't. The ones who can't really frustrate me, and it's something I've always tried to avoid myself. Your job is communicating ideas via text, and you can't do it if people are dozing off reading it.
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Nov 16, 2019 17:32
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ulmont posted:Read anything by Mary Roach: These are good suggestions, Mary Roach is great. They're not entirely depressing-free but I like books that are based around living in places and interviewing people, there are a lot of those set in China. They have depressing parts because China's 20th century history is pretty rough, but I wouldn't say they're depressing the way a lot of histories can be. Some I recommend: Peter Hessler's River Town, Oracle Bones, and Country Driving. Leslie T Chang, Factory Girls. Michael Meyer, In Manchuria. After that if you want something full of incredibly hosed up but fascinating stories, Liao Yiwu's The Corpse Walker is good.
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Nov 16, 2019 19:40
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StrixNebulosa posted:Okay, weird request but I need something uplifting as I trudge through King Leopold's Ghost: are there any uplifting nonfiction books? I understand human history is a long train of people screwing each other over but surely there must be something cool to read about besides the space race. Books about science, nature, disease, and tech are usually good. Essays, too: http://bachlab.balbach.net/basnw.html
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Nov 16, 2019 19:42
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ulmont posted:Read anything by Mary Roach: https://www.amazon.com/Seeds-Life-Aristotle-Strange-Discover/dp/0465082955 i wanted to add this one to the list.
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Nov 16, 2019 20:05
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