Hello all! In school I found a lot of inspiration for stories in my history classes, but I'm no longer in school. Soooo I'm looking for some book recommendations. Something along the lines of the column of WWII recommendations a few weeks back in the LitReactor magazine would be great.
Any historical subject's are great, but some that I'm particularly interested in are: the Ottoman Empire, Feudal Japan, and Middle Age Denmark. Although I'm sure there's a bunch of things I'd drool over that I don't even know exist.
Thanks for sharing! :)
Not quite what you've asked for, but I've recently begun Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Aftermath of World War II by John Dower, which won both the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award.
I'm really into it, but it's my area of interest and I'm reading it for story research/ideas as much as anything.
Back cover blurb: "John Dower's new book could hardly be bettered. He provides both a masterly analysis of how the imperious MacArthur imposed his will on Japan and a sympathetic, often moving account of the reaction of the Japanese people to the disasters which had befallen them." Geoffrey Owen, Sunday Telegraph
I'm not so into history, but I do like to have a non-fiction book going most of the time. I like Malcolm Gladwell for some thought-provoking content (he's got a new one out). Mary Roach is another one of my favorites.
For true crime, you can't go wrong with John Douglas. Everything I've read of his has been really good.
Sorry, didn't quite answer the question. But yeah, I did what I could. haha
A friend kept telling me I had to read the book 1491. I have it. And it looks interesting. But I haven't read it yet.
I'm almost done with Inside the Jihad.
http://www.amazon.com/Inside-Jihad-My-Life-Qaeda/dp/0465023894/ref=sr_1_...
Very easy to read, and read quickly. If you want to see the other side of this clash of civilizations we're living through right now, pick up a copy.
Another not-quite-history recommendation: The Sushi Economy, Globalization and the Making of a Modern Delicacy by Sasha Issenberg, traces the history of sushi, how it went from local oddity to worldwide phenomenon, and details of the fishing/shipping industries, how the world fish markets work, etc. A lot of interesting info if you do anything Japan related.
Anything that Carol Berkin has written. Her newest book, Wondrous Beauty, comes out next month.
H.W. Brands is also good.
