The History Book Club discussion

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ARCHIVE > ARCHIVE ONE: PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF ~

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message 1801: by Elizabeth S (new)

Elizabeth S (esorenson) | 2011 comments Welcome, Scott & Brian. Always good to have more series history buffs join us!


message 1802: by Bryan (new)

Bryan Craig Welcome, Scott and Brian. I'm glad you found us and I do hope you join in the discussions. There are a lot of threads and books here.


message 1803: by Kcdunne (new)

Kcdunne | 3 comments Hullo, I'm KC Dunne, interested in anything to do with the historical perspective, currently reading up on the U.S. Civil War and I happen to have several of the volumes you are reading or have read (Grant and Lincoln) and would like to add my two cents worth. I'll just jump into the Grant discussion for now, but is it OK to act material to the earlier "reads," like the Lincoln discussion -- even though I see it's been finished for a while? I've also been reading through the Herodotus material, very interesting, may I leave my "takes" there as well?

Thanks!


message 1804: by Bryan (new)

Bryan Craig Welcome, KC Dunne. Glad you could join us and jump right on in, Lincoln included. You will notice it says Archived (open), so you are free to comment. The Herodotus discussion is closed, but we have other related threads open.

Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the "add book/author" feature when you comment. (There is a link on the top right of the reply box.) It makes things so much easier for people to see your book recommendations, because they can see the cover and the links to the author. And it helps the goodreads software connect books with groups that talk about them. This is how the book you've mentioned should look:

The Histories by Herodotus Herodotus Herodotus

More information:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2...

Take a few moments to read our policies:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/group_...

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask us moderators. I look forward to your postings.


message 1805: by Alisa (new)

Alisa (mstaz) Welcome KC, glad you found the group. Bryan was kind enough to point you to the guidelines and as he suggested please feel free to ask if you have any questions. All open threads are available for discussion and we look forward to your contributions.


message 1806: by 'Aussie Rick' (new)

'Aussie Rick' (aussierick) Welcome KC Dunne, great to see you join the group, I'm sure you'll have a fun time here discussing your favourte books and authors with everyone else.


message 1807: by Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief (new)

Bentley | 44291 comments Mod
Welcome KC,

Glad to have you with us. Some of the discussions we keep open because other group members asked us to do so. They may have been finishing up etc.

If you can post on them, then they are open.

Bentley


message 1808: by Brian (new)

Brian (till-we-read-again) | 0 comments I'm glad to have you here. Your most recent book sounds good, I might just have to add it to my "to read" list. Keep in touch and enjoy.


message 1809: by Angela (new)

Angela | 3 comments Hi everyone. I'm Angela. I've always been interested in history and wish I had studied it more. I want to know everything about everything. If I had to choose, I'd say European history interests me the most. I graduate soon and am looking forward to catch up on my reading!


message 1810: by Alisa (new)

Alisa (mstaz) Hello Angela, welcome, we are glad to have you. Bryan's message 1865 above provides some handy links to the clubs guidelines and mechanics, which you will want to look at before you get started in earnest. Easy once you get the hang of it, but if you have any questions please feel free to ask any of the moderators. There are many discussion threads so feel free to participate in any that interest you. Enjoy!


message 1811: by Angela (new)

Angela | 3 comments Thanks, Alisa!


message 1812: by Bryan (new)

Bryan Craig Welcome, Angela


message 1813: by Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief (new)

Bentley | 44291 comments Mod
Welcome Angela...glad to have you with us.

Bentley


message 1814: by Angela (new)

Angela | 3 comments Thank you!


message 1815: by 'Aussie Rick' (new)

'Aussie Rick' (aussierick) Hi Angela, a belated welcome to the group, I've been away and just arrived back home. I am sure you'll have a great time here discussing your favourite books, authors and periods of history.


message 1816: by Jim (new)

Jim Reid (jreid) | 115 comments Hello

Jim here, posting from Spotsylvania, Va. which will be known by all you USA Civil War buffs.

I am a new Goodreads member who wanders in and out of history books that scatters all over the globe and time lines. One day its Cicero and Rome tomorrow the next day the ratification of the USA constitution. And, the next, next day it may be a math book or some other diversion.
I'm (age 61) very new to the concept of online groups and the like so please excuse me if I step on a protocol toe or ruffle a unknown rule or guideline.

Really looking forward to your many varied observations. Jim


message 1817: by Laura (new)

Laura Snyder (laurajsnyder) | 6 comments Hello, all. My name is Laura and although trained as a philosopher of science, I am an archive rat--love to go dig in and find out what people were really saying and thinking in the 19th century. I work mostly in the early-Victorian period in England, especially on the ways in which science, politics, religion, philosophy and economics were intertwined in the culture of the day. I really think that you cannot really understand historical periods by just looking at one of these strands.

One of my cool recent discoveries was that Charles Darwin's initial idea that species might evolve was sparked by watching his friend Charles Babbage demonstrate an early precursor to the computer. At soirees for 200-300 artists, writers, politicians, bishops, and men of science, Babbage would argue that, basically, God was a "divine programmer" who could have set up his creation with a law of evolution right at the start.

Anyway, that's the kind of thing I spend most of my time thinking about these days! I'm a new member of Goodreads, so I'm just setting up my library--so far I just have my previous and forthcoming books up there, but I look forward to getting that whole library up on my page and to discussing history with the rest of you.


message 1818: by Alisa (new)

Alisa (mstaz) Hello Laura and Jim, welcome! Great that you found this club and we look forward to your participation. Take a moment to familiarize yourself with our guidelines and mechanics of the board ~

Guidelines:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2...


Mechanics of the Board:

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2...

you will notice the add book/author feature is one we always use when citing books and authors. It helps the goodreads software connect books with groups that talk about them.

If you have any questions please feel free to ask any of the moderators.

Enjoy!


message 1819: by 'Aussie Rick' (new)

'Aussie Rick' (aussierick) Hi Jim and Laura, welcome to the group and I hope to chat with you more about your favourite books and authors.


message 1820: by Jim (new)

Jim Reid (jreid) | 115 comments 'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Hi Jim and Laura, welcome to the group and I hope to chat with you more about your favourite books and authors."

Thanks for the Welcome,

Latest Military History read would be

The Religion by Tim Willocks

The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy's Finest Hour

Halsey's Typhoon and then read The Caine Mutiny which is fiction based on Typhoon.


message 1821: by Laura (new)

Laura Snyder (laurajsnyder) | 6 comments 'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Hi Jim and Laura, welcome to the group and I hope to chat with you more about your favourite books and authors."

Thanks for the welcome! Besides the books for my research on 19th century Victorian science, I've been trying to give myself time to read some good historical fiction, most recently:

The Children's Book

Wolf Hall

I've also finally been able to begin a book I've been dying to read for a while:

The Brother Gardeners: Botany, Empire and the Birth of an Obsession


message 1822: by Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief (new)

Bentley | 44291 comments Mod
Jim wrote: "'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Hi Jim and Laura, welcome to the group and I hope to chat with you more about your favourite books and authors."

Thanks for the Welcome,

Latest Military History read would ..."


OK guys hi; but we have a guideline and rule for citations. Please Laura and Jim check out the guidelines cited by Alisa in post 1879.

If you cite a book or even just an author; the add book/author feature of goodreads must be used. In the case of a book citation, you must always add the bookcover, the author's photo when available and always the author's link (three things); if you are simply citing an author, you must add the author's photo when available and always the author's link. This allows the goodreads software to populate our site correctly and cross populate the book and author's fields across our site and the goodreads site. Very important for our goodreads' members.

So, Jim you must use the goodreads software from now on and the books you cited in 1881 need to be cited and added this way:

The Religion by Tim Willocks by Tim Willocks
For the above we have added the bookcover, no author's photo was available and the author's link which the author's name as a linkable url.

The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy's Finest Hour by James D. Hornfischer by James D. Hornfischer James D. Hornfischer

With the above, all three elements were available.

Halsey's Typhoon by Eric Conger by Eric Conger

With the above citation, the author's photo was not available

The Caine Mutiny by Herman Wouk by Herman Wouk Herman Wouk

Here all three elements were available.

Typhoon (Tor Classics) by Joseph Conrad Joseph Conrad Joseph Conrad

I was not sure which Typhoon you were referring to; I cited the one above. It is important to always cite the bookcover, the author's photo and author's link so that all three elements are accessible which just one click and the goodreads software is able to populate the site correctly.


message 1823: by Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief (new)

Bentley | 44291 comments Mod
Laura, please read what I stated to Jim in post 1883; same rules apply.

Your citations should look like the following:

The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt A.S. Byatt A.S. Byatt

Here all three (3) elements were available.

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel by Hilary Mantel Hilary Mantel

All three elements were available.

The Brother Gardeners Botany, Empire and the Birth of an Obsession by Andrea Wulf by Andrea Wulf

For the above, the author's photo was not available.


message 1824: by Bryan (new)

Bryan Craig Welcome Laura.


message 1825: by Elizabeth (Alaska) (last edited Nov 27, 2010 10:13AM) (new)

Elizabeth (Alaska) Good morning from Ketchikan, in southeast Alaska. Having read through many, if not all, of the comments in this thread, I'll volunteer immediately that I have neither a degree nor a life long interest in history. But at 65, and now qualified for Medicare, there's no time like the present to try to catch up. Well, not on the degree part, but on the history part. Actually, I've been working family history for more than 15 years, so I've become familiar with US history in a way that I might not have otherwise, and it is this pursuit that further peaks my interest. I have read historical fiction on and off for many years. Last year I found myself reading your current read The First Man in Rome (Masters of Rome, #1) by Colleen McCullough Colleen McCullough by Colleen McCullough. If you're still at it, that one just keeps getting better and better. Another relatively recent read was Cloudsplitter by Russell Banks Russell Banks by Russell Banks. As much as anything in that one was the more detailed information about the workings of an 1850s farm.

I have Mornings on Horseback by David McCullough David McCullough by David McCulloughcoming up, which I see you've read. It will take me awhile to get into things around here, but look forward to your reads and your discussions.


message 1826: by Tom (new)

Tom Hi All,

My name is Tom. new to site / group. Live in MA. Have found myself becommming an avid History Reader over the past few years.

Looking forward to finding some great new books.


message 1827: by Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief (new)

Bentley | 44291 comments Mod
And we are glad to have you with us Tom.

Bentley


message 1828: by 'Aussie Rick' (new)

'Aussie Rick' (aussierick) Hi Elizabeth from Ketchikan and Tom, welcome to the group and I hope you have a fun time here talking about great books and history.


message 1829: by Alisa (new)

Alisa (mstaz) Hello Elizabeth and Tom! All with an interest in history are welcome and we are glad to have you. There are many threads to explore so please jump in wherever you please. We look forward to your participation.


message 1830: by Becky (new)

Becky (httpsbeckylindrooswordpresscom) | 1217 comments Hi, I joined a few days ago and have been reading the posts in various discussions. I've read history for many years - historical fiction as well as non-fiction with a bit of academic history thrown in. I'm currently reading Mourning Glory The Will of the French Revolution by Marie Helene Huet by Marie Helene Huet (no photo) and just ordered Apollo's Angels A History of Ballet by Jennifer Homans by Jennifer Homans (no photo)

In historical fiction I recently read A Place of Greater Safety A Novel by Hilary Mantel Hilary Mantel

Actually, I read a LOT and most of it is history and historical fiction - with some detective books and sci-fi thrown in.


message 1831: by Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief (new)

Bentley | 44291 comments Mod
Well thank you both for joining (Becky and Elizabeth from Alaska). I am particularly pleased that both of you tried so hard to get the citations correct.

Elizabeth from Alaska...very very well done.

And Becky an excellent try. However, there are always three segments to adds - bookcover, author's photo when available and always the author's name in text as a linkable url.

So this is how your three adds would look:

Mourning Glory The Will of the French Revolution by Marie Helene Huet by Marie Helene Huet

As you correctly stated there was no author's photo available but the author's link is always available and the bookcover is of course available as you correctly noted.

Apollo's Angels A History of Ballet by Jennifer Homans by Jennifer Homans

Very true about the author's photo not being available but the author's link always is and you correctly had added the bookcover.

A Place of Greater Safety A Novel by Hilary Mantel by Hilary Mantel Hilary Mantel

For the above, all three elements were available.

However, a brilliant first effort Becky.


message 1832: by Alisa (new)

Alisa (mstaz) Becky, glad to have you join! Please feel free to insert yourself in any discussion, all are welcome. We look forward to your posts.


message 1833: by Bryan (new)

Bryan Craig Welcome Becky, Tom, and Elizabeth.


message 1834: by 'Aussie Rick' (new)

'Aussie Rick' (aussierick) Welcome to the group Becky, I hope you have a great time here discussing your favourite books.


message 1835: by Laura (new)

Laura Snyder (laurajsnyder) | 6 comments Bryan wrote: "Welcome Laura."

Thank you! I did try to post the book jackets correctly, but apparently did not...hopefully next time!

Looking forward to all the great discussion on this list....


message 1836: by Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief (new)

Bentley | 44291 comments Mod
I am sure you will get the hang of it Laura.


message 1837: by Bill (new)

Bill Hello All,

My name is Bill and I've just joined the group. I am very interested in reading and discussing history and nonfiction works. Some of my favorite recently read works include Robert Caro's The Power Broker and Simon Winchester's Krakatoa.


message 1838: by Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief (last edited Nov 29, 2010 07:07AM) (new)

Bentley | 44291 comments Mod
Bill, please check my post 1892 which outlines our guideline/rule for citations of author's and their books. I have also given a fair amount of examples in post 1892 and 1884 which I hope help.

We are glad to have you with us but when citing any book; you must add the bookcover, the author's photo if available and always the author's link. We do this so that the powerful goodreads software can populate across our site and it makes it much easier for all of our group members to research any books and/or author's mentioned. If you are just citing an author, it would be the authors photo when available and always the author's link.

So for example, your two favorite recent reads would look like this when cited:

The Power Broker Robert Moses and the Fall of New York (Vintage) by Robert A. Caro by Robert A. Caro

In the case of the above, there was no author's photo available

Krakatoa The Day the World Exploded August 27, 1883 (P.S.) by Simon Winchester by Simon Winchester Simon Winchester

In the case of the above, all three elements were available.

You can add the elements of the citations by using the add book/author feature of goodreads which is found right above your comment box when you are typing a post. It is very easy to use once you get the hang of it. The Mechanics of the Board thread gives some helpful hints.

We are very glad to welcome you to the group and since you are interested in history and nonfiction works you have landed in the right spot. We have a very actively moderated site so you should find what you are looking for here.

All best,

Bentley


message 1839: by Elizabeth S (new)

Elizabeth S (esorenson) | 2011 comments Wow, I take some time off to go have a baby and we get lots of wonderful new people in the group! Welcome to Kcdunne, Angela, Jim (I also enjoyed the Caine Mutiny), Laura, Elizabeth from Alaska (beautiful country up there), Tom, Becky, and Bill. I hope I didn't miss any of you, and that you are all enjoying the books, history, and discussions in the group.

The Caine Mutiny by Herman Wouk by Herman Wouk Herman Wouk


message 1840: by David (new)

David Harrell | 5 comments I have just joined this group. I am an avid reader of history. I especially like WWII and American Civil War. I am a native of South Carolina and a decendant of several participants in the Civil War fighting for the Cofederacy. I am also a fan of Teddy Roosevelt and have read sevarl volumes on this incredible individual. I look forward to sharing my reading list with all.


message 1841: by Alisa (new)

Alisa (mstaz) Bill, welcome, we are glad to have you and look forward to your participation. Bentley was kind enough to detail the add book/author instructions, however if you need help with anything or have a question please feel free to ask any of the moderators. Welcome!


message 1842: by Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief (new)

Bentley | 44291 comments Mod
Welcome David,

Glad to have you with us. I hope you are able to add to the Civil War folder with such a wonderful ancestry.

We look forward to your joining us in our discussions.

All best,

Bentley


message 1843: by Alisa (last edited Nov 29, 2010 07:53AM) (new)

Alisa (mstaz) David, welcome to the group. There are many Civil War buffs out here so I am sure you will have no shortage of discussion opportunities. There is also a thread for each US President, including Teddy Roosevelt where there are several books already posted. Worth checking out, and please feel free to contribute, of course. Enjoy!


message 1844: by Elizabeth S (new)

Elizabeth S (esorenson) | 2011 comments Welcome, David. Part of the fun in history is learning the stories of your ancestors. How fun that you are descended from Civil War stock, that makes the war all the more real and interesting. Hope you enjoy the group!


message 1845: by David (new)

David Harrell | 5 comments Thanks for the welcome. I have actual copies of muster rolls for two of my direct ancestors who fought in the war, I obtained these from the South Carolina archives.


message 1846: by Elizabeth (Alaska) (new)

Elizabeth (Alaska) Elizabeth S wrote: "Wow, I take some time off to go have a baby and we get lots of wonderful new people in the group! Welcome to Kcdunne, Angela, Jim (I also enjoyed the Caine Mutiny), Laura, Elizabeth from Alaska (b..."

Thanks, Elizabeth, and congratulations! May your child have a wonderful life!


message 1847: by 'Aussie Rick' (new)

'Aussie Rick' (aussierick) Hi Bill & David, welcome to the group and I look forward to chatting with you more about your favourite books and authors.


message 1848: by Bill (new)

Bill I apologize if this is not the appropriate forum for this question, but I would like to participate in the upcoming discussion of
Legacy of Ashes the History of the CIA by Tim Weiner by Tim Weiner Tim Weiner, but I don't see it in my events. Can I respond to this event?

Thanks,
Bill


message 1849: by Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief (new)

Bentley | 44291 comments Mod
Bill, I am sending out the event notification this week. Thank you for your interest and look forward to your participating.


message 1850: by Jim (new)

Jim Reid (jreid) | 115 comments Elizabeth S wrote: "Wow, I take some time off to go have a baby and we get lots of wonderful new people in the group! Welcome to Kcdunne, Angela, Jim (I also enjoyed the Caine Mutiny), Laura, Elizabeth from Alaska (b..."

Hi,

Thanks for the Welcome,

I'm having trouble with my computer and can't seem to compose a new message, so I'm using a reply to you to get a little help. I need help from the History Club picking a good book that covers just the presidents from Virginia.

A friend is need of a Christmas present and the above is his request.

Where, how , what path do I take to present this to the club? And, is that a fair use of the History Club?

Jim


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