History is Not Boring discussion
Introductions
Hello everyone! My name is Apollonia and I live in the U.S. History is my passion, I absolutely adore it. I devour all sorts of novels and enjoy a nice cup of coffee with my book every once in a while :) I have a love for historical fiction in particular, but will read anything recommended to me. One of my favorite historical fiction novels is The Borgia Bride by Jeanne Kalogridis. I love anything to do with the Borgias :) Am always eager for any recommendations!
Been a member here for some time. Didn't see a place for members to flog their own work, so here goes:Today and Monday, the first four introductory chapters to The Platte River Waltz, introductory chapters are free for all on Amazon.
Set in a panorama of the American West as its portrait is first being painted, The Platte River Waltz is the initial stroke in the unfolding of Josh Bonner’s tale. In 1848, only seventeen years old, on the Oregon Trail and suddenly orphaned, Josh begins a journey through the unsettled frontier of a wild continent. Just making first acquaintance with manhood, he quickly finds his future linked to Elizabeth Hampton, a coquette from his old hometown. Together they resolve to venture into an uncertain and dangerous future. Accompanied by Jubilee, an escaped slave, Josh and Elizabeth join a wagon train of Missouri emigrants led by a voyageur scout and a town constable turned captain. The couple commences a lusty exploration of the lands they pass and of each other.
"What a wonderful and superbly written account of a journey West!
I was completely absorbed by the remarkable characters and sweeping landscapes- caught so brilliantly by the magnificent writing and plotting!
A winner!!!"
--as reviewed on goodreads.com—
"I have to say that this was one of the best books I have read in the past year. A few minutes ago I ordered [The Growler Brigade], and cannot wait to start reading it. I'm surprised a book this good was self-published.."
--review on Amazon--
For Prime members, both volumes of the complete book are free borrows.
Dear Fellow History Buffs,Greetings.
I look forward to learning from all of you and to participating.
I have published a new history of the natural health movement in the U.S., called "Health at Gunpoint: The FDA's Silent War Against Health Freedom."
I plan to have weekly Goodreads book giveaways and will try to attach some book info here.
Feel free to add it your shelves and to give me feedback once you've read the book!
All my best,
James Health at Gunpoint: The FDA's Silent War Against Health Freedom
Hi. I was about to post to the thread about what our founding fathers would think of our country if they were to return. I couldn't figure out how to do that without mentioning my upcoming book, "Hellraiser—Mother Jones: An Historical Novel". I've had my fingers slapped several times in other groups and so I thought I better come here and see if people dare mention who they really are (authors and such) when they introduce themselves.I see authors and the knowledge they have to share from the research they've done for their books is ok.
Certainly I can understand the issue of authors using groups purely for promoting their books and I think you will find that my mentions of "Hellraiser" will be in context with legitimate contributions to whatever discussion is at hand.
Now I'll go over to the discussion on our founding fathers and see if what I have to report has any merit here.
Thanks to the moderators for creating a friendly space.
Jerry,Your book sounds fascinating. I, for one, would like a notice on the board when it becomes available in stores.
Tracy wrote: "Jerry,Your book sounds fascinating. I, for one, would like a notice on the board when it becomes available in stores."
Glad your fascinated. "Hellraiser" will actually be published on Monday for submission to reviewers and such. Launch date is September 22. I'll do my best to get the word out. Thanks for your interest.
Hello all-My name is Liam, and I've been a member of this group for a while, but had not yet gotten around to posting an introduction until now. My primary interest would be late 20th Century conflict, particularly the wars in Indo-China; however wars of decolonisation & insurgency/counterinsurgency generally are topics I tend to find interesting. I do read other politico-military history books (notably those concerning WWII), and quite a bit of biography/autobiography/memoir, and during the last decade or so I have tried to emulate the late William E. Colby, by attempting to develop a secondary field in modern politico-military history of the Middle East, with emphasis on the Levant.
If I remember correctly, I followed either Jerome or Geevee to this group, mostly 'cause I wanted my profile page to say "History is Not Boring!"...
Liam wrote: "Hello all-My name is Liam, and I've been a member of this group for a while, but had not yet gotten around to posting an introduction until now. My primary interest would be late 20th Century co..."
"...politico-military history books (notably those concerning WWII..." -- you might find my book interesting, see
-- http://numistamp.com/Taierzhuang-1938...
Note that if you're dependent on McAfee or Sophos for internet security you'll see a warning -- which is a FALSE alarm -- onscreen when trying to see the numistamp.com webpages BUT if you check with other, more reliable, internet security service providers you'll see that the problem is in McAfee & Sophos themselves and not in the numistamp.com website which is safe to visit.
Hi everyone, I'm so glad to find a whole group of people who are fond of history here. I am not reading any history book currently but looking forward to joining in fr the group reads. Speaking of which, do we have polls for monthly read?
Lance wrote: "Liam wrote: "Hello all-My name is Liam, and I've been a member of this group for a while, but had not yet gotten around to posting an introduction until now. My primary interest would be late 20..."
Lance-
Actually, I already took a look at your website. I find your ideas quite interesting and very much in alignment with my own views, though much more extensively developed & detailed. Obviously, for an Indo-China specialist, having a basic understanding of the Second World War (particularly the conflict in Asia) is extremely important, and the same is true of WWII with regard to the study of wars of decolonisation generally. I could not even begin to count the occasions when I have had to begin an explanation of the Indo-China Wars by sketching an outline of the effects throughout Asia, and the rest of the world as well, of WWII. Given the general ignorance and lack of interest in history which seems to be epidemic now in this country, connecting the various facets of recent history together, rather than treating them as discrete episodes complete in themselves, is more important than ever.
Hi Liam,"having a basic understanding of the Second World War (particularly the conflict in Asia) is extremely important," -- you're absolutely right because what is conventionally known is that Japan took advantage of Germany's 1940 victory against France by subsequently forcing its way into French Indo-China but what is in the blind spot is that Japan had lost a hard-fought battle in South Guangxi just north of northern French Indo-China and Japan's move across the border into French Indo-China was Japan's attempt to gain the upper hand in Japan's war in China by out-flanking the Chinese.
That extension of Japan's invasion of China eventuated in Japan's massive attack upon the US Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor -- but this is in the blind spot of the histories of WW2.
My book provides insight into aspects of WW2, especially events in Asia, which eventuated in Japan's attack on the US at Pearl Harbor, which are crucial to the outcome of WW2 -- but which are in the blind spot of the Eurocentric histories of WW2.
You can read my book free of charge by making a Suggest-a-Purchase to the library nearest to you (if they don't already have my book). Many of my readers were successful in getting their libraries to purchase my book (ISBN 9780983843597) for them to read. You're welcome to do the same.
Best regards,
Lance
Hi, I've been a 'sleeping' member for some time now, too. So many books, so little time: yes, I can totally relate! So I try to concentrate on the late 19th and first part of the 20th Century, mainly because I'm still trying to understand anti-semitism and the Holocaust. So anything about events leading up to that, about 1933-1945, and the aftermath... I cannot help but want to read about this more urgently than about anything else. Consequently, I read about totalitarian regimes in Europe, China, Russia, South America. Since everything is connected I am fascinated to know how the same period was experienced by different people in different countries and on different continents. To understand you often have to go back in time, which gives me an alibi to read outside my selfmade boundaries. I read everything that comes my way and more, but I sometimes curse tv and internet and mobile devices and cooking and cleaning and and and for keeping me from reading more. So actually I don't need more titles, I need less ;) This is enabling.
Yes, I admit: I'm an addict!
Hi Mariel,"trying to understand anti-semitism and the Holocaust. So anything about events leading up to that, about 1933-1945, and the aftermath... I cannot help but want to read about this more urgently than about anything else. Consequently, I read about totalitarian regimes in Europe, China, Russia, South America. Since everything is connected I am fascinated to know how the same period was experienced by different people in different countries and on different continents." -- I've written a book on this aspect of WW2, see --
http://numistamp.com/Taierzhuang-1938...
Best regards,
Lance
Apollonia wrote: "Hello everyone! My name is Apollonia and I live in the U.S. History is my passion, I absolutely adore it. I devour all sorts of novels and enjoy a nice cup of coffee with my book every once in a wh..."
Please put this one on your to-do list, Apollonia.
"If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must man be of learning from experience." — George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright and co-founder of the London School of Economics.
Hellraiser —Mother Jones: An Historical Novel brings Mother Jones back to renew the lessons of her history, to understand and compare the economic injustices of her time with the economic inequalities of contemporary life and to enable Mother Jones to once again call her people to action.
In history, Mary Harris Jones faces threats and jail terms, bullets and bombs to defend the American worker, the underclass — men, women and children — against the greed of robber barons like Ford, Rockefeller, Carnegie, Morgan and Vanderbilt.
In the end, the spirit of Mother Jones returns to find an America where economic servitude has shifted from the coal mines and sweatshops of her day to the fast food chains, big box retailers and even the tech industries of ours. Where capitalism has robbed the people of the promises of equality, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in what was supposed to be a democratic society. Just as she warned 100 years ago.
The book is to be launched on September 22, 2013. It will be available as both pbook (soft bound - ISBN 978-0-578-12684-5) and ebook (epub and mobi - ISBN 978-0-578-12685-2).
Greetings! I see you already have a Donna. Hope you have room for one more. I used to teach American history and government, but am retired now due to arthritis. I do a little writing here and there, but not for money, which makes me a happy Goodreads reviewer.If it should appear on a giveaway, I would be happy to read and review Hellraiser. I just chucked "Mother Jones: The Most Dangerous Woman in America" in utter disgust, and rave-reviewed the autobiography. (I think I was maybe the fifth reviewer of her autobio...seriously.)
I saw a reference to Prohibition as a topic & it sounds like fun. I am the great-niece of several bootleggers, all dead now of course, and none of whom I remember. But there are stories.
Right now I am reading King Leopold's Ghost. For a long time it was nearly impossible to read anything about African history unless one went all the way north to Egypt, or all the way south to South Africa. Everything was "see Europe". And I didn't want Europe's side of it; I wanted that of the people of Africa. The book I am reading now at least critically examines the European role, and looks as if it will be interesting.
I am interested in almost anything to do with contemporary history (so Industrial Revolution forward). I will say up front that I get a little prickly about the Pacific theater of WWII. I am married to a Japanese citizen, and though my dad served in WWII (very end, stayed in the USA and taught others to fly), my father-in-law also fought in WWII for Japan. The atomic holocaust visited on the people of Japan seems to me a terrible and unnecessary thing. I may just abstain on those discussions. I read Jeff Shaara's novels on the Pacific theater (a true sign of trust), but it's hard for me to see the use of that weapon as a good thing in any sense or way.
Chinese history is of interest (and no apologies whatever for what the Japanese did there!). I am a (non-Stalinist) Marxist and have read a fair amount about the Russian Revolution, another area of interest.
Donna wrote: "Greetings! I see you already have a Donna. Hope you have room for one more. I used to teach American history and government, but am retired now due to arthritis. I do a little writing here and ther..."You're a Marxist and you used to teach American History & Government??? I bet the school board would have fainted dead away in horror if they knew, hahaha...
Liam wrote: "Donna wrote: "Greetings! I see you already have a Donna. Hope you have room for one more. I used to teach American history and government, but am retired now due to arthritis. I do a little writing..."I was probably the only teacher in the district who actually obeyed the policy not to disclose my own political leanings, though (as I told my students) everyone who teaches history at all shows some bias, if only by what they choose to teach & what they let fall by the wayside, since there isn't time for everything...I tended to emphasize the Bill of Rights. Other teachers were pretty brazen in promoting candidates who were Democrats (and I did not say a peep about the fact that the only inaugural address ever watched in the gym by every student was Obama's first).
The funny thing was that students, when presented with a tabula rasa (I answered all questions regarding politics and religion by telling them to come back and ask me about it when they were 19 and had been done with school awhile so that I would no longer be an authority figure in their current lives) was to assume that I believed what they believed, or what their parents believed. (I use my birth name on this site to avoid bumping up against professional contacts.) So, various students have assumed me to be Mormon; in favor of the Obama administration; in favor of the Tea Party; in favor of Christianity; and the one thing no one ever, ever considered was that I might be a communist.
Donna wrote: "Greetings! I see you already have a Donna. Hope you have room for one more. I used to teach American history and government, but am retired now due to arthritis. I do a little writing here and ther..."OK, Donna. I would love for you to read and review my new book, "Hellraiser — Mother Jones: An Historical Novel." I have had one other reviewer give it a review who is quite knowledgeable about the life of Mother Jones and that makes her views more important than any other.
Please let me know whether you want a review copy as a paperback, mobi/kindle or epub. And, of course, I'll need your ebook address, email address or snail mail, depending on what version you want.
You can contact me at www.jerryash.com
Howdy, y'all. Glad to be here. I used to be one of those who thought history was boring, but my 11th grade World History teacher, Mrs. Hendry, helped me to see the light. Her focus was on "motivation" and suddenly history took on a life I had never before seen.I love all of history, because each moment touches the soul. Each event is a shared experience, because we are all connected.
If I had several years every day, I'd take on all aspects of history, but my focus of late has been on early religious history and prehistory.
I have studied the Atlantis myth for more than 50 years and have recently discovered evidence which seems to make it more fact than myth. Imagine, for a moment, another "island" of history separated from our own by a 6,000-year Dark Age. Three items of scientific evidence point to a world-changing event right when Plato's Atlantis sank. Goosebumps were so thick they became a painful itch. So far, I've written one historical novel ("Edge of Remembrance") soon to be republished through Amazon. And I'm working on a non-fiction book, "Mission: Atlantis."
In addition, I became fascinated with the idea that a non-literal biblical interpretation may reveal a timeline compatible with those of mainstream science. My research not only turned up a new timeline, but evidence through science that may stand as evidence of the Flood and give us the identity of the Flood's target -- a species which went extinct at that new Flood date and which matches the description of the "daughters" of Genesis 6. The resulting book is now available as Kindle, trade paperback and hardcover: "The Bible's Hidden Wisdom: God's Reason for Noah's Flood."
by
Rod Martin Jr.My favorite history book was Jared Diamond's "Guns, Germs and Steel."
by
Jared DiamondMy favorite history television was the original "Connections" mini-series by James Burke.
by
James BurkeI especially love books which make you think outside the standard box.
That's why I'm particularly fond of 9/11 Truth books, like Kevin Ryan's recent offering.
by Kevin Robert Ryan (no photo)I was amazed to find out that World Trade Center 7 collapsed at perfect free fall for the first 8 floors of descent on the afternoon of 9/11. Anyone with an understanding of high school physics will know that perfect free fall means "Zero Resistance." And since solid steel Never offers "Zero Resistance," WTC7 was brought down by controlled demolition -- premeditated murder. 9/11 was an inside job, after all.
Things like these really do put a different spin on our perception of reality.
Hi everyone,My name is Crystal and I'm from Nova Scotia.I love history, from documentaries( which aren't boring either) to non fiction and historical fiction books. Sounds like a group for me. :D
Rod wrote: "Howdy, y'all. Glad to be here. I used to be one of those who thought history was boring, but my 11th grade World History teacher, Mrs. Hendry, helped me to see the light. Her focus was on "motivati..."I just joined.
Rod, I also found James Burke's Connections fascinating. I've read all but the recent Jared Diamond books. Collapse was the best one IMO.
If your interested in prehistory, you may find Zecharia Sitchin's books interesting. They tend to be somewhat repetitious so I'll just recommend the first in the series, The 12th Planet, and Genesis Revisited. Your book on the flood sounds interesting.
I like conspiracy theories.
For outside the box, try Joseph F. Farrell. Not the most polished writer but he certainly has interesting ideas about the history of Nazi Germany, UFOs, the Pyramids, the historical origins of International banking, and JFK's assassination, to name a few finance.
I look forward to seeing recommendations from everyone on good history books.
Hey everyone .. I'm Johanna, 19 & from Germany. Since some years i absolutely love History and i have to say that some teachers are literally GIFTED with a talent for making history boring.. History is such an exciting topic i'm wondering how they do it? :D That way i found out about my interest for History a little bit late.. Well and now i just can't get enough! I'm particularly interested in the Tudor and Victorian Era. And i read every book and see every docu that can make life in History clearer for me.. This group sounded perfect for me so here i am :)
Hello! I am Kirsten from Kennewick in eastern Washington State. I LOVE history and historical fiction. I especially love history that has some connection with the Pacific Northwest, science history, and true crime history.
The Lewis and Clark expedition is good.
Hi, I'm Charles Ameringer, professor emeritus of Latin American history at Penn State University. I've written eight scholarly books, including "U.S. Foreign Intelligence: The Secret Side of American History." In retirement, I decided to do something different and write a novel. The result is THE OLD SPOOK, the story of a fictional CIA operative (Tom Miller) who interacts with real people and actual events on the global stage in real time. It is essentially the memoir of Tom Miller and, as such, traces the history of CIA operations from 1951 to 1990. Available in paperback and ebook editions at Amazon.com. Check out the reviews at
welcome all newbies to our GROUPI just started reading THE LIFE OF COLUMBUS FROM HIS LETTERS & JOURNALS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS OF HIS TIME by
Edward Everett
Hi everyone,My name's Melissa. I got into history when I started reading the American Girl books when I was about 9, and dragged my parents to Colonial Williamsburg and various historic places around town for the next ten years.
I also own a small bookstore in Baltimore, MD, and have a cute cat living at the store.
your post brought back fond memories, about 15 years ago I took my daughter and one of her friends to Williamsburg to experience the American Girls way of life. I still try to go back there every few years, just love that place.
Mod
My name is Donna and I am the Commissioner of the Revenue in Clarke County Va. I have always loved HISTORY, maybe because of the area I grew up in Virginia + I had some great teachers who brought their love of HISTORY to the classroom.
Hi I am Sruthi Kosuri, I love history but the documentaries now a days have made me lazy and i have read very less books on history in the last 3 yrs. but lately I read Churchill by himself which made me realize how much i love reading the books and imaginings all that happened vs watching it. So i am really excited to be here in this group.. YAY!!!
Hi, my name is Melanie. I'm new to the Goodreads site, so I don't have many books in my profile (YET). I am a lifelong bookworm, and love many different genres. I tend to dislike certain writers because they bore me rather than specific genres, although I do avoid horror at all costs. The scariest movie I can handle is JAWS...Loved the book as well!
Lance wrote: "Hi CJ,I presume your country is one in the Anglosphere.
Since you're doing your best to learn what you haven't about your country's history you may want to know how Japan's inability to achieve ..."
Hi Lance!
Sorry for the delay in responding. The subject sounds interesting. I do however have other interests besides info about my own country. I'd love to delve more into the world events that preceded and lead to the two World Wars (which some people believe was just ONE big war) as well as study the biblical history of Israel. I'd love to get more into understanding the culture as well as events I am short on knowing about.
I'm a hack literary pulp writer. When I get overwhelmed, I tend to collect old almanacs, encylopedias, and history books and compare the information in them to see how much has changed. :D
Hey guys, my name's Dwight and I'm from Pa. I love history and I'm a sucker for the Antiquities. Looking for some book recommendations to complete my summer reading list, let me know if you have any suggestions!
Hello Everyone,Good Afternoon from Mumbai, India
I am the founder of India's first crowd sourced library. The reason I joined this group is to get book recommendations.
I haven't read many history books but now I really feel like and like they say it's never too late. Thank you all.
You valuable recommendations will enable me to recommend other members of our library.
Regards
Pushpendra Pandya
@peculiarblend
Hello, everyone. I'm Sophia. I'm a part time writer and full time seamstress from Ohio, who majored in art conservation but can't afford to live someplace that has actual jobs in the field. Until that unlikely event happens, I content myself with volunteering at the historical society (I do conservation work and costumed interpretation in our Civil War replica village) and reading. If I'm not working on any of that (or sometimes while I am) then you'll find me knitting and writing patterns.
Dwight wrote: "Hey guys, my name's Dwight and I'm from Pa. I love history and I'm a sucker for the Antiquities. Looking for some book recommendations to complete my summer reading list, let me know if you have an..."Dwight wrote: "Hey guys, my name's Dwight and I'm from Pa. I love history and I'm a sucker for the Antiquities. Looking for some book recommendations to complete my summer reading list, let me know if you have an..."
Hi, Dwight, you might want to check out my historical novel, Queen of the Jews, which is on GoodReads. It's about Queen Salome Alexandra, who ruled Judea during the turbulent first century BCE. Judy Petsonk
Hi, Dwight, you might want to check out my historical novel, Queen of the Jews, which is on GoodReads. It's about Queen Salome Alexandra, who ruled Judea during the turbulent first century BCE. Judy Petsonk reply | edit | delete | flag *
Since Hi, Hello, Greetings, Howdy et al have been taken I will begin with "Salutations." There was a time when I detested history. It might have had something to do with the early morning newspaper route I had. One high school sleep-deprived sophomore day in history class I awoke from a slumber to hollow sounding laughter caused by the waste basket our priest teacher had put over my head. I soon quit the route, paid attention, and found that history began to have a special appeal. I enjoy reading the comments you other history buffs are making and look forward to making a few of my own. I am one of the legion of people who have had a book published but I won't tell you which one until a later time as I am too interested in reading all your observations.
Hello...I'm Leanna, an author from Nevada, and have just joined this group. I've always held a fascination with the past--all the way back to prehistory, so hoping for some interesting discussions!
I'm QNPoohBear from New England. We're pretty passionate about our history here. I've been fascinated by history since I was a child, particularly social history, women's history, costume history and anything 19th century. I minored in History as an undergrad and last year finished an M.A. in History. I prefer fiction to non-fiction but I'll read a good non-fiction book if it's about a subject I'm really interested in. I added a few books to the bookshelf.
M.D. wrote: "Rod wrote: "Howdy, y'all. Glad to be here. I used to be one of those who thought history was boring, but my 11th grade World History teacher, Mrs. Hendry, helped me to see the light. Her focus was ..."I probably should have also said that I have a B.A. in history. In college I studied mostly German and Asian history.
Hi everyone. I'm Sophia Martin. I write fiction and I just finished my master's in American history. It's nice to meet you all.
This is my first time joining a Goodreads group, beyond my local library's group, and my first comment. I love to read, I love history and I love to read history. If I would have been a better writer years ago I would have majored in it. Instead I took the safe accounting route! This year I'm focusing a lot of my historical reading on WWI since it is the 100 year anniversary of the start of the war to end all wars. It's been fascinating so far. I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else is reading.
Daisy wrote: "Hello everyone! My name is Apollonia and I live in the U.S. History is my passion, I absolutely adore it. I devour all sorts of novels and enjoy a nice cup of coffee with my book every once in a wh..."Try my historoical novel, Queen of the Jews, available at Amazon.com. It tells about the turbulent life and stormy marriage of Queen Salome Alexandra (Shalom-Zion), who ruled Judea in the first century BCE. Judy Petsonk
Try my historoical novel, Queen of the Jews, available at Amazon.com. It tells about the turbulent life and stormy marriage of Queen Salome Alexandra (Shalom-Zion), who ruled Judea in the first century BCE. Judy Petsonk
History is Not Boring
Books mentioned in this topic
We'll Go to Coney Island (other topics)Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (other topics)
The Killer Angels (other topics)
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln (other topics)
South Carolina: A History (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Rod Martin Jr. (other topics)Jared Diamond (other topics)
James Burke (other topics)
Kevin Robert Ryan (other topics)
William E. Colby (other topics)
More...
I presume your country is one in the Anglosphere.
Since you're doing your best to learn what you haven't about your country's history you may want to know how Japan's inability to achieve it's objectives in China after 10 years of war from 1931 to 1941 forced it to extend that war into the Pacific.
In the Anglosphere, that's a blank in the history of WW2. My book provides insight into this blind spot and why we can't afford to have such a blind spot today.
Best regards
Lance