I AM LOOKING FOR A BOOK ON.........? Showing 301-350 of 1,007

[Doug]

This is going back to the original prompt for the thread. I'll work my way through and see if I have anything on the shelf that can help out. I apologize if somebody has already mentioned this one.

Bentley wrote: Recommendations needed - WW2 Eastern Front

Hi there

I'm fascinated in books about the Easte..."

I haven't finished it, but I have a great book on the Eastern Front.


by Benoit Lemay
Erich von Manstein Hitler's Master Strategist

I'm about half-way through it and had to take a break to read some Vietnam books. It's quite interesting. Technically, it's not just the Eastern Front, but von Manstein spent most of the war there.

['Aussie Rick']

Hi Doug, depending how you find your current book on Manstein I'd suggest two other good books on the subject:

by Erich Von Manstein

by Mungo Melvin

[Barbara]

I'm looking for a book/books on the Gilded Age. I just spent a few days in the Hudson River Valley and became very facinated with that time in history. Would like any suggestions this group has on the era...families of importance, economy of the era, etc. Thanks.

[Bryan]

Barbara wrote: "I'm looking for a book/books on the Gilded Age. I just spent a few days in the Hudson River Valley and became very facinated with that time in history. Would like any suggestions this group has o..."

Here are some leads:

Tom Lewis

Joanne Michaels

Thomas S. Wermuth

You could check out this website to get some prominent family names and go from there:
http://www.hudsonvalley.org/

[Barbara]

Bryan, thanks so much. I did use the website you mentioned on my trip. My post may have been a little misleading. I'm not so much interested in the "River" as the gilded age and and it's importance to American History. I'll check these out, and look forward to other suggestions about the era. Thanks again.

[Sarah]

Has anyone read a good biography on Constantine or Charlemagne? I am really getting into that time period. Thanks.

[Jill H.]

Barbara wrote: "Bryan, thanks so much. I did use the website you mentioned on my trip. My post may have been a little misleading. I'm not so much interested in the "River" as the gilded age and and it's importa..."

Barbara....you might enjoy:


by Clarice Stasz

['Aussie Rick']

Sarah wrote: "Has anyone read a good biography on Constantine or Charlemagne? I am really getting into that time period. Thanks."

Hi Sarah,

I read; "Constantine: Unconquered Emperor, Christian Victor" by Paul Stephenson last year and it offered a very good overview of Constantine's life.


by Paul Stephenson
Description:
Constantine: Unconquered Emperor, Christian Victor is a masterly survey of the life and enduring legacy of the greatest of the later Roman emperors - from a richly gifted young historian.
In 312, Constantine - one of four Roman emperors ruling a divided empire - marched on Rome to establish his sole control of its western half. According to Constantine's first biographer, the bishop of Eusebius, on the eve of the decisive battle, at Rome's Milvian Bridge, he had a vision. `A cross-shaped trophy of light' appeared to him in the sky with an exhortation, generally translated as `By this sign conquer'. Inscribing the sign on the shields of his soldiers, Constantine drove the followers of his rival Maxentius into the Tiber and claimed the imperial capital for himself. He converted to Christianity and ended persecution of his co-religionists with the defeat in 324 of his last rival, Licinius.
Under Constantine, Christianity emerged from the shadows, its adherents no longer persecuted. Constantine united the western and eastern halves of the Roman Empire, and presided over the first ecumenical council of the Christian Church, at Nicaea in 325. He founded a new capital city nearby on the Bosphorus, where Europe meets Asia. This site, the ancient trading colony of Byzantium, became the city of Constantine, Constantinople, a new Christian capital set apart from Rome's pagan past. Thereafter the Christian Roman Empire endured in the East as Byzantium, while Rome itself fell to the barbarian hordes in AD 476.
Paul Stephenson offers a nuanced and deeply satisfying account of a man whose cultural and spiritual renewal of the Roman Empire gave birth to the historically crucial idea of a unified Christian Europe underpinned by a commitment to religious tolerance. In Constantine: Unconquered Emperor, Christian Victor, a seminal figure in the political and cultural history of the West has at last found the biographer he deserves.

['Aussie Rick']

In regards to a book on Charlemagne, I have a few books, the last one I read which was a decent account of his life was; "Charlemagne: Father of a Continent" by Alessandro Barbero. I am yet to read a really good account though.

by Alessandro Barbero
Description:
The most important study of Charlemagne in a generation, this biography by distinguished medievalist Alessandro Barbero illuminates both the man and the world in which he lived. Charles the Great - Charlemagne - reigned from A.D. 768 to A.D. 814. At the time if his death, his empire stretched across Europe to include Bavaria, Saxony, parts of Spain, and Italy. With a remarkable grasp of detail and a sweeping knowledge of Carolingian institutions and economy, Barbero not only brings Charlemagne to life with accounts of his physical appearance, tastes and habits, family life, and ideas and actions but also conveys what it meant to be king of the Franks and, later, emperor. He recounts how Charlemagne ruled his empire, kept justice, and waged wars. He vividly describes the nature of everyday life at that time, how the economy functioned, and how Christians perceived their religion. Barbero's absorbing analysis of how concepts of slavery and freedom were subtly altered as feudal relations began to grow underscores the dramatic changes that the emperor's wars brought to the political landscape. Engaging and informed by deep scholarship, this latest account provides a new and richer context for considering one of history's most fascinating personalities.

Reviews:
"Barbero's lively and entertaining study provides a superb overview of the latest scholarship on the Carolingian age and constructs a compelling argument for Charlemagne's pivotal role as the father of Europe. We gain a sense of the look and feel of peasant villages, the dynamic interplay of monastic economies and long-distance trade, and the manipulation of justice by local notables. This is histoire totale at its best." - Sharon Farmer, (author of Surviving Poverty in Medieval Paris)

"This up-to-date account focuses on the man and his times while clearly and judiciously dealing with key historiographical issues. Barbero explores and explodes the myths that have grown up around the emperor." - Barbara H. Rosenwein, (Loyola University)

[Barbara]

Thanks Jill. That looks interesting. Goes on my TBR list.

['Aussie Rick']

I've moved this post to here:

by Yoyobiffy

Years ago (might be as long as 30 years ago!). I read a wonderful piece of fiction centred around the construction of a cathedral in France. I know the masons were mentioned and that some of the techniques were later applied in England. The work spanned more than one generation. But, I can't remember the title of the book and googling isn't helping. So I'm hoping that some well-informed member of this site can help. Any ideas gratefully received. Thank you.

['Aussie Rick']

Hi Yoyobiffy, could the book your looking for be:


by Ken Follett
Description:
The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known . . . of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect - a man divided in his soul . . . of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame . . . and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state, and brother against brother. A spellbinding epic tale of ambition, anarchy, and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of twelfth-century England, this is Ken Follett's historical materpiece. 'Enormous and brilliant . . . this mammoth tale seems to touch all human emotion - love and hate, loyalty and treachery, hope and despair. This is truly a novel to get lost in'

[Yoyobiffy]

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Hi Yoyobiffy, could the book your looking for be:


by Ken Follett
Description:
The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prio..."

Thanks but I know this book - it's not the one I'm looking for. My one was published ages(maybe as many as 40years) ago.

[Alisa]

A post from one of our newest members, Robert ~
_______________________

I have never read any book about Canadian history, government or politics. Can you recommend a couple?
azbob

[Krystal]

Alisa what kind of books are you looking for in Canadian history give me a topic and i will certaintly find one since I live in Lower Ontario(south)and had excellent grades in all history classes.

[Alisa]

Krystal, the request is for one of our new members, Bob. His question is in full above so whatever you can suggest as starting points I am sure he would find helpful. Thanks!

[Krystal]

ok i didn't see that but i just need to know if he's interested in government or like war history do you know? I'll see if i can spot anything in my library catalouge.

[Lanore]

Hi, I am looking for a novice's introduction to history book. Not sure how to put it, but I want to learn everything about history and am overwhelmed by where to start...can anyone suggest a book that's a good, overview (not sure if right word) to history? I have a chronological type of mind so it's hard for me to read things out of order. Sorry if this is confusing/pointless...

[Jill H.]

A tall order, Lanore. I think in order to recommend a starting point, you may have to be a little more specific. But I will give it a try;


by H.G. Wells. Mr. Wells was not known as a historian and it is the kind of book that people either love or disdain. It was published in 1920 and is comprised of two volumes (I think). It has been years since I have read it.

[Bryan]

Lanore wrote: "Hi, I am looking for a novice's introduction to history book. Not sure how to put it, but I want to learn everything about history and am overwhelmed by where to start...can anyone suggest a book t..."

Are you looking for an intro to world history, or a history about writing history (historiography)?

[Lanore]

Intro to world history I think would be good.

[Brant]

Lanore wrote: "Hi, I am looking for a novice's introduction to history book. Not sure how to put it, but I want to learn everything about history and am overwhelmed by where to start...can anyone suggest a book t..."

As far as I know, "everything about history" in a single book is not often attempted. I'm aware of some decent single volume histories of the US and Europe, for example, but one of the few I can think of that covers everything is J.M. Roberts' New Penguin History of the World:
by J.M. Roberts
If you're open to a multi-volume introductory work, there is always Will and Ariel Durant's 11 volume The Story of Civilization, which begins with Our Oriental Heritage (and was published over the course of 1935 to 1975, so it's a bit dated):

by Will Durant

And I think, even there, the series only takes you up through Napoleon (because the Durants both passed away).

Rather than try to cover it all at one fell swoop, you may be best served with intro works that are a little more focused on time periods or areas but that still offer broad coverage and can be enjoyed by readers not familiar with the time period. No reason you couldn't start with one on Mesopotamia (or Egypt or Greece or Rome or whenever you want to start) and move on to one that covers the next time period.

[Bryan]

This covers the mostly Western world:

John M. Roberts

[Becka]

Hi, looking for a good book on the timeline of the wars and the history of the region of Croatia/Bosnia/Serbia/Kosovo/Albania.

['Aussie Rick']

Hi Becka,

Here are a few books that might get you started or offer further reading:

by Robert D. Kaplan

by Misha Glenny

by David Rohde

by Noel Malcolm

[Becka]

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Hi Becka,

Here are a few books that might get you started or offer further reading:

by Robert D. Kaplan

[bookcove..."



Thank you! Those look great.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Great adds folks and thank you for helping each other.

[Tom]

Becka wrote: "Hi, looking for a good book on the timeline of the wars and the history of the region of Croatia/Bosnia/Serbia/Kosovo/Albania."

Here are a few more general books...

by Miranda Vickers

by Miranda Vickers

by Leften Stavros Stavrianos

by Noel Malcolm

by Marcus Tanner

[Krystal]

moja naša hrvatska-my beautiful Croatia. I am very passionate on all things in this area and here are few more by Steven Galloway


by Zlata Filipović (no image)

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Thank you Krystal.

[Krystal]

I've got the steven Galloway on my too read list and I read Zlata's diary back in highschool. so I just know so much about this topic.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

No problem Krystal but in this kind of thread; every time you mention an author or book, you have to cite.

Steven Galloway

by Zlata Filipović

[Becka]

Thanks everyone!

[Terrence]

Anyone got any good books about the advent of the War on Drugs in America? Not any conspiracy-type stuff about CIA involvement, just about how the laws were implemented here.

I've read these books but am looking for something more policy focused:

by Michelle Alexander

edited by Tara Herivel

by Alan Elsner [not in the data base]

[Terrence]

Doneskis!!

[Alisa]

Awesome, thanks! Although I did find the author of that last book.
Alan Elsner

There is not always a photo but there is always (in my experince) a link when the book cover is there. It should be right there in the author tab immediately after you post the book cover, which is how I found it.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Very good effort Terrance: I am moving your note from the Ancient History thread to here for recommendations.

Terrance is looking for books similar to the following but also as exceptional:

Terrance stated:

Sorry if this is the wrong place for this, but can anyone recommend a book that's close to as good as

by Steven Pressfield

by Alan Elsner

=============================================

Terrance, Alan Elsner was in the goodreads database. See above.
His photo was not available however.

[Alisa]

Terrence wrote: "Anyone got any good books about the advent of the War on Drugs in America? Not any conspiracy-type stuff about CIA involvement, just about how the laws were implemented here.

I've read these book..."

Just found this one, might be in line with what you are looking for?
by Dan Baum
Many sensible analysts have argued the folly of our contradictory and damaging drug policies, but Baum manages to make his argument fresh by tracing what he sees as the escalating missteps and ironies that led us into the "war on drugs."A former Wall Street Journal reporter, Baum weaves a brisk, episodic tale, beginning in the Vietnam era, when the media conflated widespread use of less dangerous marijuana and small-scale use of heroin into a "drug problem" that Richard Nixon exploited. Meanwhile, he contends, the fusion of contradictory schemes-such as the idea of prison sentences that are both long and mandatory-has led to "a prison-filling monster" denounced even by conservatives. According to Baum, Jimmy Carter's drug strategists were the last to offer nuanced policy, but they lost the political fight, and White House drug policy moved from the province of public health to law enforcement. Fighting drugs has made the executive branch look good, and under Ronald Reagan, federal prosecutors expanded hungrily into drug cases. Reagan, taking a page from Nixon and abetted by wife Nancy's "Just Say No" campaign, Baum says, positioned government's role as primarily crime fighting, not attacking the social problems that might underlie drug abuse. The author chillingly portrays how the 1980s Supreme Court, caught up in the hysteria over drugs, weakened the Fourth Amendment's protections against police excesses; equally disturbing to him is how the media accepted the myth of the "crack baby," while prenatal care may mean much more to a baby's health than maternal drug use. Though Baum had hoped the Clinton presidency might adopt a different drug policy, he laments that the law enforcement approach continues. Still, he maintains, a shift from prosecuting pot smokers and "generally peaceful growers" to treating desperate drug dependents "would be an act of medical logic and fiscal genius." The author reminds us of an H.L. Mencken thought: sooner or later, a democracy tells the truth about itself. This book should help it do that.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Thank you Alisa.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Andy had this on the wrong thread:

Andy stated: "Please help me! I am looking for a book, but I don't know the author or title. It is the memoir of one british soldier, abandoned in Spain during the napoleonic war, and his attempt to return to England. My dad got half way through this on a holiday years ago, left the book in the B&B and has wanted to finish it ever since. Thank you!"

[Shannon]

Hello. This summer I read two books about American POWs of Japan in WWII. Now I'm reading two more books (Which I'll review in their proper categories) about other military losses. It was kind of a downer when I thought about it.

So, I'm looking for good books on military victory. I don't think I have any preference to which war or which army is the protagonist save for two things: First, I'd like to exclude any wars from the last 40 years (I think that we're too close to those modern wars to assign a victor.) Second, due to the misbehaviors detailed in the books I've just read I think that I would like to exclude either the Germans or the Japanese as protagonists (just for a while. Later I might be able to read those without the current bias that I would bring.)

Thank you for your help,
Shannon

['Aussie Rick']

Hi Shannon, are you just after a good book covering just one battle or a campaign or the total victor in a war?

[Jill H.]

by William Craig(no photo)

This book covers the bloodiest battle of WWII (and in the history of warfare). It was the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany as the Russian army and civilians held out against overwhelming odds.

Is this the type of book that you would interest you?

[Tom]

Hi Shannon, maybe you would want to consider an escape book? No other books are coming to mind at the moment.



by William Ash

by Walter Babington "Sandy" Thomas

by Henry Chancellor

by Slavomir Rawicz

['Aussie Rick']

What about a Vietnam War era book, something like:


by Doyle D. Glass

Or:

by Otto J. Lehrack

Both very good accounts

['Aussie Rick']

Hi Shannon, I know you weren't keen on any books that had the German or Japanese forces as protagonists but some of the books that I really enjoyed and showed outstanding human courage were these two books:

by Col. Joseph H. Alexander

by Michael Graham

Or this book on Iwo Jima:

by Bill D. Ross

Or this outstanding account of the fight for Sugar Loaf Hill during the battle for Okinawa:

by James H. Hallas

['Aussie Rick']

I could also recommend this book covering the battle for El Alamein:


by John Bierman

This is another great story of sacrifice and courage:

by Bruce Gamble

[Geevee]

Hi Shannon,
Hopefully these may be of interest:

by George Goodwin

by Douglas Fermer

by Mark Thompson

by Tim Clayton

[Shannon]

Thank you for your help. I look forward to finding these, and reading them.

['Aussie Rick']

I've moved this post for Clayton:


I am looking for a biography on Charles Henry Davis and was hoping that someone could point me towards one. I have been unable to find anything on this gentlemen who was a major supporter of Alfred Adler in the United States. He is mentioned several time in Edward Hoffman's book The Drive for Self, Alfred Adler and the Founding of Individual Psychology. I would like to read more detail about him I have found something on a US Navy officer but nothing on above mentioned gentlemen. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Clayton D Brannon

by Edward Hoffman