The History Book Club discussion

Thank you Grafakos. I had the same impression with your first selection.

I have not read the second. I enjoyed your thoughtful comments.

I have just started a book that is an in-depth study of the Holocaust. It is a painful to read about the horrors visited on the Jews and other "undesirables" but I want to have a good knowledge base of that blot on the history of the world.

by Deborah Dwork(no photo)

Just finished Embattled Rebel. The writing style of McPherson is very engaging. Details mostly the relationship between Jefferson Davis and his Generals.

Thank you for the recommendation Matt. I've read very little on Jefferson Davis, but would be very interested in reading this one.

One note for you, when mentioning a book, please follow the proper citation. Here is how your citation should look the way the History Book Club post them. We include the following - (book cover, author's photo when available and always the author's link).

by James M. McPherson

You may want to review the mechanics of the board that will give you more information on citations:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

When you have a chance you may want to edit your post and try the citation.

Thank you and happy reading,

Teri
Assisting Moderator (T) - Historical Fiction

Biography of Earl Warren

Roberto, I have always been interested in learning more about Earl Warren. I was once a bit obsessed about the JFK assassination and wondered about the man who led the Warren commission. I'll have to add this one to my ever growing to be read list. Is the book you are speaking of the one by Ed Cray?

One note for you, when mentioning a book, please follow the proper citation. Here is how your citation should look the way the History Book Club post them. We include the following - (book cover, author's photo when available and always the author's link).

by Ed Cray (no photo)

You may want to review the mechanics of the board that will give you more information on citations:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

When you have a chance you may want to edit your post and try the citation.

Thank you for posting,

Teri
Assisting Moderator (T) - Historical Fiction

Just finished:
Europe in the High Middle Agesby William Chester Jordan

Next up:

The Great Mortality: An Intimate History of the Black Death, the Most Devastating Plague of All Timeby John Kelly

Thank you for the post, Elentarri. I'll have to review those books, they both sound interesting.

Thank you for the citations. One correction is that you do not need to place the book title, when there is an image available for it and when there is no author's photo available place (no photo) at the end of your citation. Your citations would look like this:

by William Chester Jordan (no photo)

by John Kelly (no photo)

You may want to review the mechanics of the board that will give you more information on citations:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

You were very close. When you have a chance please edit your post removing the title and adding (no photo) at the end.

Thank you.

Thanks Teri for helping Elentarri.

Electra - just practice with the edit and we are hear to help you.

Great choice Elentarri!

I am reading by Dan Jones (no photo)

Just finished by Hampton Sides This was a fantastic read, written like a story and I enjoyed it very much.

Hudson, I added your current read to my ever growing To Be Read list. I enjoy reading about life during the Gilded Age.

Thank you for your citations. One quick comment, you have the proper parts down, just switch the authors photo and link. You have the first one correct and the second would be:

by Hampton Sides

Other than that minor change, fine job!

Thanks Teri for helping Hudson.

Got it. Teri I hope you like it if/when you get to it. I suspect your TBR list is like mine, a voracious monster that keeps growing and growing....

Foundation Series from Isaac Asimov

Thanks for the mention, Roberto. Just a reminder on citations. Here is how your citation should look the way the History Book Club post them. We include the following - (book cover, author's photo when available and always the author's link).

by Isaac Asimov

If mentioning multiple books by the same author:

all by Isaac Asimov

You may want to review the mechanics of the board that will give you more information on citations:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

When you have a chance you may want to edit your post and try the citation.

Thank you for posting.

Roberto wrote: "Foundation Series from Isaac Asimov"

Im reminded of lots of things about Star Wars in this book Foundation by Isaac Asimov.

Thank you Teri for helping out Roberto.

hi Bentley I've been concentrating this year on great American novels. but I've had chance to read the history of Russia, Florida and Hawaii

I can't add the books from my smart phone. I've read 41 books this year also. its a new record .

Roberto - the mobile app can be a problem - you should go into the regular app.from your phone - it allows you to do more. I can see you tried to add something but it did not take. The Mechanics of the board thread - I am sure would help. The history of Russia is such a complex one. I hope you enjoyed it and 41 books is astounding. Good job.

Thanks for reminding people, Teri. I agree, the mobile app is not good.

So, I might be one of the last to read this, lol, but I started this audio book on the long drive and it is worth the hype so far...

by Laura Hillenbrand

Bryan, it's never to late to read a great book, right? I thought it was exceptional and had a hard time putting it down, but had to in spots just to stop and absorb what I had just read. It is an amazing story and expertly written. In the hands of a good narrator I can imagine it would be very compelling.
by Laura Hillenbrand

Just started reading this. First 50 pages seems like ol Teddy Roosevelt is not being looked on too kindly, and William Taft is most often referred to by his weight rather than his post as Secretary of War. Huh. Ought to be interesting.
by James D. Bradley

on Saudi Arabia

Alisa that book looks very interesting - Roberto - I do not understand what book you are reading.

@Alisa.......you will love that book. I read it last year.....and you are right, the author doesn't like Teddy that much.

by James D. Bradley

Just starting Charlatan on Jill's recommendation.

by Pope Brock

The goat book! That Jill comes up with some doozies. :-)
I have to admit some curiosity about it.

Alisa wrote: "The goat book! That Jill comes up with some doozies. :-)
I have to admit some curiosity about it."

You know I love those obscure books, Alisa! And you will like it, Teri.

I have just started a book that isn't obscure and it has started off well. It is one of those 500+ page tomes but I bet it will hold my interest throughout due to the great author. I don't think she has ever written a mediocre book.

by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Having totally flopped on the India challenge, I am now taking up Kevin and I in India, a rather lightly written book about two young Englishmen meandering around India for a couple of months in the 1980s. I got it as a free Kindle book and although I wince at some of the descriptions of the people, I find descriptions of places very interesting.
by Frank Kusy

Am also reading The Iliad for another CR group and absolutely loving it. (Read it in college and loved it then, too!)
by Homer (no photo!) translated by Robert Fagles

Mary Ellen - the Indian challenge is still going and I am still reading my books too - there are no flops whatsoever.

Good luck, Jill, I put that book down but hope to re-start it.

by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Bentley wrote: "Mary Ellen - the Indian challenge is still going and I am still reading my books too - there are no flops whatsoever."

Thanks, Bentley! You are always encouraging!! :)

I try - sometimes I actually am (lol)

@Bryan.....why did you put down the book? Didn't you like it?

I just started one that's been around a while - American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson. Ellis is a very clever writer.

by Joseph J. Ellis

Jill wrote: "@Bryan.....why did you put down the book? Didn't you like it?"

I got bogged down, just too much. My colleague felt the same and we both love her books.

Uh oh, that doesn't sound promising. But so far, I am really liking it but I'm only about three chapters into it.

I just started on:

by Eric Jager

It's about the assassination of Louis, Duke of Orleans, in Paris in 1407, and the investigation handled by the city's chief law enforcement officer, Guillaume de Tignonville.

I preordered this book, which came out in February 2014, and I'm just now getting to it. I'm very behind on my reading.

Right now I'm reading by Kara Cooney

It's about Hatshepsut, and it's a "biography of the longest-reigning female pharaoh in Ancient Egypt and the story of her audacious rise to power in a man’s world," and so far it's wonderful, and such a great read!

I tend to read several books at once so that I can flit between them depending on what I'm in the mood for. It helps me get through some books that might otherwise be mentally taxing or may drag at times due to dryness. So I'm currently reading:

1. by Mohammad Hashim Kamali

2. by Martin Lings

3. by William H. Barker (no photo)

And finishing up:

4. by Toyin Falola (no photo)


The Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence is a textbook used in religious studies in Malaysia and is long and dry but very informative and well laid out.

The history of Muhammad reads like a story of him rather than like a traditional biography. It is ok though not my favorite biography of him that I have read.

The book of West African Folk Tales is a delightful and light read. It is fun and worth going over more than once due to the historical themes that the stories embody relating to the Ashanti and to the land that we now know as Ghana.

Finally, the history on Nigeria, is a decent enough book. Not too detailed but a good introduction to the country.

Good reads, all.

Good work on citation. Kristianna, just add the link of an author if no photo:

by Kara Cooney (no photo)

I am now re-reading an old favorite:

by Alison Weir

Gallipoli. Peter Hart

@Dimitri......Very nice try at the citation. It takes a while to get used to it but becomes second nature after a while. It should look like this.

by Peter Hart

@Diane....good job on citation but the photo goes before the author link. Just a small error there.

by Alison Weir

Just getting around to cracking into this and if the first 20 pages are any indication I think I will like it.
by Erik Larson

I think you will, Alisa. It is one of his best books.

I concur. I really enjoyed that one.