Comments on Best History Books - page 2

Removed #92, Columbine, which is nonfiction but not yet history:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

Also #510, The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton, fiction:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...

Donna wrote: "Cameron wrote: "Siddhartha, being a novel, should be removed."
Open ended listopia such as this one rely largely upon volunteer librarians, such as myself. If a title is misplaced on this list and ..."

Siddhartha (page 3, #280) is still on the list.

Alva wrote: "Donna wrote: "Cameron wrote: "Siddhartha, being a novel, should be removed."
Open ended listopia such as this one rely largely upon volunteer librarians, such as myself. If a title is misplaced on ..."

Good eyes, Alva. I removed it.

The system found and removed 5 duplicates.

El Rincón Lector de Manu wrote: "The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank is not history but fiction already proven to be a fraud. Please remove it from the list."

Your remark has been flagged as anti-Semitic and therefore inappropriate; this is your opportunity to remove it yourself.

The system found and removed 6 duplicates.

It makes me sad that this list is called "Best History Books (nonfiction)" as if fiction books are actually true and people can't tell the difference. Fiction is so pervasive, I hate that you even have to use a clarifying disclaimer.

Removed from #62 due to genre: The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
#206 We Wish to Inform You etc. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
#213 Chasing the Devil etc.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...

*heavy sigh* People, people. If it didn't happen at least 50 years before it was written, it isn't history. Find a list of general nonfiction, political books, world events...something that is NOT a history list if you wish to vote for a book that covers, say...the 1990s.

Citizens of London by Lynne Olson was on this list at one time, in the 157th position. Why has it been removed?

Sonny wrote: "Citizens of London by Lynne Olson was on this list at one time, in the 157th position. Why has it been removed?"

It is still on the list, now at 220.
The books move on the list depending on how people vote and what new books are added.

Sally wrote: "Sonny wrote: "Citizens of London by Lynne Olson was on this list at one time, in the 157th position. Why has it been removed?"

It is still on the list, now at 220.
The books move on the list depen..."

Thank you. Somehow my search feature didn't find it.

You can't use "search" on a Goodreads lists. It's a hassle. You need to scroll through every page to find a book.

Elyse wrote: "You can't use "search" on a Goodreads lists. It's a hassle. You need to scroll through every page to find a book."

Or, you can just add it and if you're a GR librarian, use the duplicates check feature to resolve it.

A question I find interesting is where to draw the line between journalism and history. Quite a few of these books document recent events from a journalist's perspective, not a historian's. Not sure I know where to draw that line, but I've been curious about it. I feel like history is different from journalism but I can't quite articulate how (except perhaps that journalists generally write about things that happened in the recent past, but some historians do that too...)

Donna wrote: "Elyse wrote: "You can't use "search" on a Goodreads lists. It's a hassle. You need to scroll through every page to find a book."

Or, you can just add it and if you're a GR librarian, use the dupli..."
True, if I were inclined. The question then is if this person wants the title up there so badly, why are they willing to ask me to do it when they won't do it themselves? If I add it, it counts as my vote. If I erase my vote before anyone else comes on and votes for it as well, then the title will automatically fall back off the list. Goodreads librarians are already volunteers, so it seems a bit demanding to ask for something like this. I come by from time to time to resolve duplication and remove clearly incorrect titles, but nobody gets to use my vote but me.

John wrote: "A question I find interesting is where to draw the line between journalism and history. Quite a few of these books document recent events from a journalist's perspective, not a historian's. Not sur..."

History is written nonfiction whose subject is a person and/or event that takes place at least 50 years prior to the publication of the book (Including periodicals etc.) Yes, there is some crossover between history and journalism. If I read an old newspaper clipping published the day after President Lincoln was killed, that's journalism. 50 years must pass before anyone can write about it and have it be history. But historians will study journalism from the period in question and use it as primary source material, so it's unquestionably valuable.

Does that help?

Lots of great books on here! Down at the lonely end there are two disreputable far-right propaganda books: #2891 and #2797

I need to go book shopping, gahhh

Since I am honestly surprised they weren´t on this list already, I added Margot Lee Shetterly´s Hidden Figures and Erica Fischer´s Aimée & Jaguar, both of which are well researched modern-history nonfiction (WW2 and the lead up to the space race) and thereby "should" qualify. If there is any reason they shouldn´t be on the list, please remove them.

Also I don´t believe that Michell Obama´s Becoming and Carmin Gallo´s Talk like TED should be on this list.

Hong-Ara wrote: "Also I don´t believe that Michell Obama´s Becoming and Carmin Gallo´s Talk like TED should be on this list."

If you'll tell me where Gallo's book is, I'll take a look. I'm not familiar. As to Obama--I hear you, but I cannot remove it. Technically it is qualified, because she talks about her early life and the woman is over 50 years old. So whereas I wouldn't place it on the list, I also can't pull it down.

The WWII/1950s titles you mention above ought to be fine.

The system found and removed 4 duplicates.

Rebekah wrote: "Lots of great books on here! Down at the lonely end there are two disreputable far-right propaganda books: #2891 and #2797

I need to go book shopping, gahhh"

The numbers on the books are messed up due to too many tied votes. Can you give me titles? I found and removed Shadowbosses, which is written about present-day government and therefore doesn't qualify as a history title:


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Also found and removed a critique of the Obama administration:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

If there are others besides these, give me titles and locations and I'll get back in and clean them out.

System removed 1 duplicate.

The system found and removed 2 duplicates.

Not necessarily into books on history unless it’s something that I’m really interested in.

The list is dominated by popular writers like McCullough who, while very readable, aren’t necessarily good historians. Perhaps it should be called “Most entertaining history books.”

Michael wrote: "The list is dominated by popular writers like McCullough who, while very readable, aren’t necessarily good historians. Perhaps it should be called “Most entertaining history books.”"
Feel free to add books that you find more suitable. Every person gets 100 votes, and you can add titles that you don't see by using the tab at the top of the list.