# Book recommendations - US history/travel?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-us-history-travel/476619>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [December 10, 2008, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-us-history-travel/476619 "2008-12-10T21:47:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-us-history-travel/476619/1 "2008-12-10T21:47:19Z")

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I just finished reading _Confederates In the Attic_ by Tony Horwitz and really enjoyed it. I’m looking for similar books - not necessarily about the Civil War, but books that are sort of a mix of history, cultural exploration and travelogue. Sarah Vowell is also one of my favorite writers and I’ve read all of her books.

Any suggestions?

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**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-us-history-travel/476619/2 "2008-12-10T22:10:31Z")

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The [Bill Bryson](http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/275-7370042-5642713?_encoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books-uk&field-author=Bill%20Bryson) books about America are kind of that.

Some very good non-US history/travel books I’d strongly recommend…

[Time Among the Maya](http://www.amazon.com/Time-Among-Maya-Travels-Guatemala/dp/0802137288) - Very good travel book that has alot of detail of the Mayan culture and history.  
Anything by [William Dalrymple](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=William%20Dalrymple) - IMO the best author of this kind of book there is

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**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-us-history-travel/476619/3 "2008-12-10T22:54:04Z")

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_A Voyage Long and Strange_ by **Tony Horwitz** might fit!  
He re-traces the routes of many of the early explorers of the US.

Or maybe some of **William Vollman** ’s books - _Fathers and Crows_ or _The Rifles_ perhaps. They both involve his travels as he researches and writes about Canadian history…