Best Books About Nineteenth Century History

Your favorite non-fiction about the 19th century (1800-1899).
1

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2

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4.28 avg rating — 197,354 ratings
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3

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4.40 avg rating — 33,382 ratings
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4

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4.26 avg rating — 100,322 ratings
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5

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3.84 avg rating — 120,954 ratings
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6

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4.23 avg rating — 66,766 ratings
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7

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3.89 avg rating — 55,471 ratings
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8

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4.23 avg rating — 81,927 ratings
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9

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3.51 avg rating — 24,794 ratings
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10

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4.16 avg rating — 8,653 ratings
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11

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4.22 avg rating — 59,655 ratings
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12

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4.25 avg rating — 18,244 ratings
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13

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4.13 avg rating — 24,804 ratings
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14

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3.86 avg rating — 56,251 ratings
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15

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4.31 avg rating — 121 ratings
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16

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4.10 avg rating — 34,872 ratings
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17

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4.12 avg rating — 9,543 ratings
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18

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4.22 avg rating — 22,480 ratings
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19

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4.19 avg rating — 48,274 ratings
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20

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4.19 avg rating — 2,701 ratings
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21

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4.05 avg rating — 1,645 ratings
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22

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4.03 avg rating — 1,435 ratings
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23

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4.05 avg rating — 26,719 ratings
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24

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3.99 avg rating — 13,828 ratings
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25

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4.52 avg rating — 7,676 ratings
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26

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4.13 avg rating — 132,643 ratings
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27

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4.53 avg rating — 8,044 ratings
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28

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4.14 avg rating — 426 ratings
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29

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3.85 avg rating — 5,733 ratings
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30

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4.16 avg rating — 781 ratings
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31

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4.36 avg rating — 2,627 ratings
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32

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4.23 avg rating — 123,661 ratings
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33

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4.05 avg rating — 11,982 ratings
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34

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3.88 avg rating — 21,593 ratings
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35

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4.10 avg rating — 25,033 ratings
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36

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4.01 avg rating — 785 ratings
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37

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4.24 avg rating — 4,721 ratings
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38

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4.33 avg rating — 15,808 ratings
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39

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3.87 avg rating — 15,411 ratings
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40

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4.09 avg rating — 489 ratings
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41

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4.04 avg rating — 4,185 ratings
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42

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3.94 avg rating — 6,659 ratings
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43

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1,556 ratings
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44

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4.13 avg rating — 6,164 ratings
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45

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3.76 avg rating — 2,627 ratings
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46

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4.15 avg rating — 36,180 ratings
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47

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4.18 avg rating — 1,114 ratings
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48

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4.32 avg rating — 28,837 ratings
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49

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4.19 avg rating — 66,978 ratings
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50

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4.02 avg rating — 1,227 ratings
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51

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4.22 avg rating — 8,184 ratings
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52

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4.33 avg rating — 2,962 ratings
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53

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4.17 avg rating — 34,354 ratings
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54

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4.25 avg rating — 611 ratings
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55

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3.92 avg rating — 120 ratings
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56

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4.15 avg rating — 105 ratings
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57

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4.45 avg rating — 853 ratings
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58

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3.93 avg rating — 107 ratings
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59

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4.34 avg rating — 2,822 ratings
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60

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3.96 avg rating — 3,548 ratings
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61

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4.21 avg rating — 3,652 ratings
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62

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4.08 avg rating — 150,410 ratings
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63

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4.25 avg rating — 65,110 ratings
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64

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4.03 avg rating — 12,985 ratings
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65

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4.02 avg rating — 3,876 ratings
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66

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3.91 avg rating — 7,126 ratings
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66

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4.09 avg rating — 10,240 ratings
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68

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2,281 ratings
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69

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4.27 avg rating — 386 ratings
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70

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4.11 avg rating — 35,763 ratings
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71

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4.17 avg rating — 116,787 ratings
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72

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3.95 avg rating — 5,303 ratings
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73

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4.12 avg rating — 128 ratings
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74

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3.51 avg rating — 1,028 ratings
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75

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3.87 avg rating — 1,034 ratings
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76

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4.34 avg rating — 558 ratings
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77

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3.75 avg rating — 634 ratings
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77

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3.63 avg rating — 4,897 ratings
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79

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4.07 avg rating — 56 ratings
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80

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3.93 avg rating — 467 ratings
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81

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3.94 avg rating — 20,472 ratings
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82

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4.15 avg rating — 23,770 ratings
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83

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3.85 avg rating — 14,518 ratings
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83

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4.28 avg rating — 5,453 ratings
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85

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3.92 avg rating — 6,640 ratings
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86

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4.04 avg rating — 149 ratings
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87

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3.97 avg rating — 457 ratings
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88

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3.58 avg rating — 8,695 ratings
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88

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4.37 avg rating — 467 ratings
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90

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3.78 avg rating — 3,323 ratings
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91

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4.12 avg rating — 5,365 ratings
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92

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4.50 avg rating — 42,546 ratings
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93

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3.81 avg rating — 472 ratings
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94

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3.91 avg rating — 10,528 ratings
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95

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4.13 avg rating — 4,490 ratings
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96

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3.97 avg rating — 1,903 ratings
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97

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3.86 avg rating — 13,366 ratings
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98

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4.26 avg rating — 4,334 ratings
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99

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4.25 avg rating — 7,549 ratings
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100

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4.19 avg rating — 8,461 ratings
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114 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads 3384 books
853 friends
Clark 1759 books
4 friends
Candace 728 books
1283 friends
Pamela 1390 books
478 friends
April 2986 books
0 friends
Judy 879 books
8 friends
Susan 1435 books
31 friends
Thom 6022 books
294 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-19 of 19 (19 new)

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Susanna - Censored by GoodReads I believe The Killer Angels is a novel, isn't it?


message 2: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (last edited Oct 13, 2011 03:31AM) (new)

Susanna - Censored by GoodReads Removed for being novels:

The Children's Book
Across Five Aprils
The Widow of the South


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads Removed for being a novel:

1919, by John Dos Passos


message 4: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (last edited May 25, 2012 06:09AM) (new)

Susanna - Censored by GoodReads Removed, for being about an event in 1911:

Triangle: The Fire That Changed America

ETA: Male Fantasies: Women Floods Bodies History appears to be about members of the Nazi Freikorps, in which case it doesn't belong on this list, either. Is this a correct assessment?


message 5: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (last edited May 25, 2012 06:15AM) (new)

Susanna - Censored by GoodReads Removed for being a novel:

Escape from Texas: A Novel of Slavery and the Texas War of Independence

Additionally, Road to La Bahia looks like a novel. Is it a novel, or non-fiction, anyone know?

ETA: Wheezer and the Painted Frog - is that fiction or non-fiction?


message 6: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (last edited Nov 13, 2012 07:41PM) (new)

Susanna - Censored by GoodReads Removed, for being about the 1920s:

Mongolian Adventure: 1920s Danger and Escape Among the Mounted Nomads of Central Asia, by Henning Haslund
The Gobi Desert: The Adventures of Three Women Travelling Across the Gobi Desert in the 1920s, by Mildred Cable

Removed, for being about the Soviets in central Asia (and hence not 19th-century):

Red Shambhala: Magic, Prophecy, and Geopolitics in the Heart of Asia, by Andrei Znamenski

Removed for being about the 13th century:

Kublai Khan, by John Man


message 7: by Susan (new)

Susan Susanna wrote: "I believe The Killer Angels is a novel, isn't it?"

Have not read this book so don't know - but there are a # of books on this list that are novels which are rich in 19th cent history....I am not seeing anything in the list title that this list is only for non-fiction. Thinking of Willa Cather, Mark Twain, some of the Chas Dickson's works how rich they are in 19th cent. description that we all learn what life was like in the 19th c without reading strictly non-fict. Not sure however what the list owner/originator intended. If it's ONLY for non fiction then should say so in list title IMO. Anyone else?


message 8: by Susan (new)

Susan Susanna wrote: "Removed for being a novel:

Escape from Texas: A Novel of Slavery and the Texas War of Independence

Additionally, Road to La Bahia looks like a novel. Is it a novel, or non-fiction, anyone know?
..."


Road to La Bahia is a historical novel. But as my other comment says - not sure if this list is strictly intended for nonfiction or not. However Road to La Bahia has been a controversial book with many who are strict historians of this period of TX history as this book takes a different spin on a # of historical well know facts.


message 9: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (last edited Nov 14, 2012 12:19AM) (new)

Susanna - Censored by GoodReads List description: "Your favorite non-fiction about the 19th century (1800-1899)."

I created the list, and I had strictly non-fiction in mind.


message 10: by Susan (new)

Susan Susanna wrote: "Removed for being a novel:

1919, by John Dos Passos"
Also even if this list was to be inclusive of historical fiction - 1919 is 20th cent.


message 11: by Susan (new)

Susan Susanna wrote: "I believe The Killer Angels is a novel, isn't it?"

Yes, it's a novel about American Civil War. But again not sure if the list originator wanted to limit list to only non-fiction about 19th cent...not any clue in list title when it says 'About 19th Cent History.' I can think of a lot of good historical fiction rich with facts. Likewise I can think of many non-fict books that are non-fiction that have been proved to be filled with non factual statements - was a large literary genera in the 19th cent to write 'persuasive' historical interpretation. Any way to reach the list originator and ask what their intention was and maybe alter the list title to clarify if historical novels OK or this is ONLY for non fiction?


message 12: by Susan (new)

Susan Susanna wrote: "List description: "Your favorite non-fiction about the 19th century (1800-1899)."

I created the list, and I had strictly non-fiction in mind."

Thanks Susan - I looked now and see the description below the list title - I did not notice that before now and could be some of the mix up here. Then since that is the case - there are others on this list I can think of that need removal - Willa Cather Oh Pioneers needs removal. Also Mark Twain Life on the Mississippi is considered fiction. For many there are questions on what Mark Twain writes because of his style. He writes very much in the style of non-fiction in Innocents Abroad but it's it completely factual? Nope. Same thing with his History of the Mississippi. Twain is so great for 'crossing that line' of factoid/fiction! Glad to see a list originator looking back to correct list entries.


message 13: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (last edited Nov 14, 2012 04:54AM) (new)

Susanna - Censored by GoodReads Removed, for being fiction:

Road to La Bahia, by Scott Wendt
O Pioneers, by Willa Cather


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads Removed for being fiction:

Wheezer and the Painted Frog, by Kitty Sutton


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads Removed, for being fiction:

Sarah, Plain and Tall


message 16: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (last edited Apr 10, 2018 11:24PM) (new)


message 17: by Lobstergirl (new)

Lobstergirl Title change reverted.


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads Wait, let me guess - it was that librarian who goes around changing titles to add something like "(non-fiction)" and doesn't leave any notes about it in this space.


message 19: by Lobstergirl (new)

Lobstergirl Yes....


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