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/lit/ - Literature

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13188841 No.13188841 [Reply] [Original]

I’ve never read a history book before, what’s a good one to start with?

>> No.13189107
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13189107

Well you usually go to the period you’re interested in and check titles and authors from there. There’s a lot to cover.
A good but rather brief general world history is Braudel’s A History of Civilization..
Ancient historians can be fun too. Check out Herodotus’ Histories
There is a whole board for this now, which is sad. They should have made a philosophy board

>> No.13189128

>>13189107
>There is a whole board for this now, which is sad. They should have made a philosophy board
/phil/ would be even worse than /his/. Be thankful that they didn't.

>> No.13189154

>>13189128
We live it, anon.

>> No.13190113

>>13188841
a good "big three" to start with are plutarch's lives, gibbon's history of the decline and fall of the roman empire, and hume's history of england.

>> No.13190121

>>13189107
Starting with Braudel is like trying out food for the first time by eating slimy fish eggs in wasabe

I'm sure lots of people might enjoy that but it's not exactly universally palatable. I hate you so fucking much Butterfly. You have been pushing Braudel for years but never say anything of substance. You just want to be "the kind of person that likes Braudel." Why not recommend some fucking le Roy Ladurie or Ginzburg or Aries?

>> No.13190167

/his/ poster and Ph D student in History here. There will be two types of history: pop history and academic history. Pop history focuses on being readable, more exciting, and generally do not give a nuanced view of the subject they choose. There is often no footnotes and citations, or even a bibliography. There’s nothing wrong with them, but they’re marketed towards normies, or teenagers and amateur historians who have an interest in History.

Scholarly historical books give a very nuanced look at particular eras in history. Usually written by at least one professor, they focus on the interpretation of old and new primary sources, and how they shape of the historiography of the event. These books will have citations, be peer reviewed, and a comprehensive bibliography.

As for suggestions, you need to narrow down the subject.

>> No.13190199

>>13188841
A people's history of russia
A history of Greece by J.B. Bury

>> No.13190212

>>13188841

just read greek mythology

>> No.13190228

>>13190121
Aries and Ginzburg are charletains and you know it.

>> No.13190232

>>13190167
Kantorowicz' Frederick II isn't very pop, though, and still has no references or footnotes. Unless the German public used to read thousand-page pop history books a century ago.

>> No.13190237

>>13190167
>not op
give some initial suggestions for the latter please.

>> No.13190238
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13190238

Only correct answer.

>> No.13190242

>>13190228
They are fun to read and that's all that matters for newbies.

>> No.13190254

>>13190237
>if you want recommendations tell me a subject
>um uh recommend academic books

>> No.13190288

>>13190113
Which edition/translation of Plutarch’s Lives should I read?

>> No.13190570
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13190570

>>13190232
by your own admission it is not a scholarly source. A century ago the Huns were ripping open Belgian babies and reading their entrails to augur where to attack on the Western Front. Without evidence to back up your assertions, its pop history.

>> No.13190589

>>13190113
>dude start with a several thousand page book lmao

>> No.13190627

>>13190237
Most of what I read is for research. One of my favorite ones i read for fun recently was from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_Fischer

He caused an uproar in German conservative historical circles by methodically sorting through correspondence in the July Crisis as well as the seminal book German War Aims in the WW1. His findings made several professional wehraboos cry irl in debates as the “clean wehrmacht” in WW1 was dispelled. The tl:dr is he found explicit instructions by the military command to sabotage Austro-Serbian peace talks, then blackmailed the Austrians to commit to a general war, by threatening to back Russia instead if Austria didn’t go to war with Serbia. He also discovered annexing Belgium was the major priority of the German Empire, and were willing to end the war if Belgium were to become German.

HOWEVER,

This book was published in the 1960’s. It appealed to me because I know the current state of the subject matter. Historiography of the July Crisis and Germany’s war aims has grown in the 60 years since that was published, so its out of date. If you are seeking what is currently considered closer to the actual truth, stick to books published in the last 20-25 years.

Military History is boring anyways. I’d recommend reading the history of the Hudsons Bay Company and the Canadian Indigenous if you want suggestions about that, as I teach courses on it.

>> No.13190791

>>13189107
>>13189128
The difference in quality between lit and his is huge. His is full of moronic poltards fapping over haplotypes who have so obviously never even opened a book. All they do is throw stale pol and int memes at each other in every thread with no discussion of actual history. Atleast the poltards on lit are well read. Yes im phonecucking so i didn't use the board slashes.

>> No.13190944

>>13188841
depends on the subject you are interesting in and if you want an easy read or academic. Do you like military history? economic history, social history?

>> No.13191017

>>13190121
>>13190242
>trying doughnuts and pez as your first food
‘Kay

>>13190791
True. Which is why I never go. I just miss the history threads we used to have here

>> No.13191026

The Ancient City by Fustel de Coulanges is one of the best.

>> No.13191027

>>13190167

gibbon is footnoted, but reads like pop history - how do you classify him?

>> No.13192275

>>13190288
the harvard classics edition is a good place to start but it doesn't actually contain all of the lives. if you read it and decide that it's enough feel free to move on, but you can also read the complete lives published by penguin

>> No.13192289

>>13190589
it's a joke, like how the "big three" of /lit/ are ulysses, gravity's rainbow, and infinite jest.

>> No.13192293
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13192293

>>13188841
Might require some foundational history, but this is one of my favorite historical periods.

>> No.13192318

I really enjoy the Bronze Age period. Any good readings on that?

>> No.13192325
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13192325

>>13188841
http://explorer.opensyllabusproject.org

>> No.13192327

>>13189107
/his/ is a larger board than /lit/, go croak you fucking toad. If you want to see what /phil/ would be like stroll over to /pol/

>> No.13192330
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13192330

>>13188841
new oxford world history series (22 volumes)

>> No.13192332

>>13190791
Just go over to /his/ right now and take a look at the seven year war thread. There's still good shit among the dung (just like here, have yo ever even looked at the catalog lately?)

>> No.13192333
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13192333

>>13188841

>> No.13192405

>>13190167
Recommendations for the Cossacks in general, or the institution of military camps in tsarist Russia, or good books on the Russian peasant army and how it evolved/differed from other European armies?

>>13188841
Pick up literally any biography about Napoleon. Recent one by Roberts is supposed to be very good, it'll be my fourth once I get around to it. From there you can branch off into anything that catches your fancy, from France to Prussia to Russia or Austria.

>> No.13192430

>>13192318
plenty, but it depends on what you are interested in!
I like Bronze Age Economics. The beginnings of political economies by Timothy Earle

>> No.13192812
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13192812

>>13192293
What a ridiculous subtitle

>>13192327
>muh board has 15 pages!!!! Bigger than yurs!
Why you mad tho?a /Phil/ board would look just the way /lit/ does save the DFW posts

>> No.13192818

>>13192812
Hardhearted, proud worldlings,
who love themselves only, and know no good
but a money and pageantry.

>> No.13192836

>>13192818
Context?

>> No.13192926

>>13190167
I've read plenty of pop history books with bibliographies and footnotes, and plenty written by professors and academics as well.

>> No.13192932

>>13192836
a random text C&P reply to a tripfag. All replys to you are this. It's easy bait that works well.

>> No.13194141

>>13192405
The Emergence of Modern Russia 1801-1917, Sergei Pushkarev

>> No.13194151

>>13192926
The general rule we use for undergrads is if it’s published by an academic press. >>13191027
outdated. You might as well read De Rev for an understanding of astronomy.

>> No.13194557

>>13190199
Orlando figes is good for this, revolutionary Russia is good,

Storm of steel can be seen as a history book.

>> No.13195041
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13195041

>>13188841
This one

>> No.13195996

Don't listen to the retards ITT and start with the Greeks Illiad, Odyssey and Herodotus.