Some of the biggest impressions the History Reading Challenge has made on me Suggested places to look for more One winter’s day five years ago, my New Year’s resolution for 2013 was born as the History Reading Challenge blog. I promised myself one book about every two weeks, for a total of twenty-four books set […]
Summer of Blood: England’s First Revolution by Dan Jones Epic part of British history…and incidentally the best-ever argument for a boy needing a male role model 238 pages (211 pages, counting the epilogue but excluding Notes, which might be worth a look) In the summer of 1381, England faced its first rebellion (no, fellow Americans, […]
Infidel Kings and Unholy Warriors: Faith, Power, and Violence in the Age of Crusade and Jihad by Brian A. Catlos Terms like “jihad” and “caliphate” get batted around Western media; this book offers some context for those ideas 390 pages (324 without Glossary, Notes and Background Reading) Oof! This book felt dense after breezing through […]
Fortunately, it’s been a good year so far with respect to reading material. These two are the only Reject Pile candidates, and the second is a rather soft selection at that. The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, A Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con by Amy Reading 304 pages (I gave […]
Katrina: After the Flood by Gary Rivlin Alternately maddening and inspiring, the story of the American phenomenon I can only call the “clusterflood” 462 pages (419 pages through the epilogue, which is worth reading) This is a book I’ve been waiting for. Not this title or author specifically, but I’ve been waiting for years so […]
Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man’s Fight for Justice by Bill Browder Pretty much everything in every Cold War spy novel you ever read happened to this guy or someone he knows 396 pages (380 pages before Acknowledgments and Index) Bill Browder’s story appeared recently on CBS’s “60 Minutes” […]
City of Thorns by Ben Rawlence Follow nine Somali refugees and learn what a refugee camp is really like: you may be surprised 384 pages (364 pages until Notes); Read the author’s Postscript It’s been a long time since I read my last book of history in Africa, but that is in part because good […]
How to Marry an English Lord: Tales of Wealth and Marriage, Sex and Snobbery by Gail MacColl and Carol McD. Wallace Something to consider in case you need a new game plan for next Valentine’s Day 403 pages (320 pages of content until Register of American Heiresses, Index, etc.) As a Downton Abbey fan, I […]
Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly Read more about the three women focused on by the Oscar-nominated film and learn about more like them 373 pages (Acknowledgements begin about page 243) When I saw the trailer for […]
Daughters of the Samurai: A Journey from East to West and Back by Janice P. Nimura Consider this engaging narrative about three young Japanese women for your book club, even if your group usually goes for fiction 336 pages (277 pages before Acknowledgements, Notes and Index) One hardly ever sees a book of Japanese history […]
