# History Books That Should Be Written **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 19, 2009, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-books-that-should-be-written/481921 "2009-01-19T02:01:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-books-that-should-be-written/481921/1 "2009-01-19T02:01:26Z")
What historical topics would you like to read a book about that have not already been written about extensively? Maybe a military campaign, or a social movement, or a time period, or some undersung revolutionary or president who hasn’t gotten the full literary treatment he/she deserves. Thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-books-that-should-be-written/481921/2 "2009-01-19T02:12:55Z")
Homosexuality amongst the armed forces of the Union and Confederates during the American Civil War. ---
**Author:** ![fruitbat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@fruitbat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fruitbat)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-books-that-should-be-written/481921/3 "2009-01-19T02:42:19Z")
There are a number of topics where I have been disappointed by the books I did read on the subject. The most memorable was the great flu epidemic of 1919 that killed millions. I have forgotten the title, but the author focused on the search for a cure rather than the stories of the afflicted and the plague like atmosphere that must have permeated the worst affected cities. I would also like to see a really good biography written about William Wilberforce, but the couple I have read were dense, meandering messes. Wilberforce, for those unfamiliar, was primarily responsible for outlawing the British slave trade, starting the SPCA and writing the hymn “Amazing Grace”. Maybe he was just a very dull guy, but somehow I doubt it and I would love an examination by a top flight biographer. ---
**Author:** ![bobthebuilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobthebuilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobthebuilder)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-books-that-should-be-written/481921/4 "2009-01-19T03:06:45Z")
nitpick: um didnt John Newton write amazing grace? And that was Willberforce’s pastor? ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-books-that-should-be-written/481921/5 "2009-01-19T03:11:37Z")
September 11, 2001: the complete oral history. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-books-that-should-be-written/481921/6 "2009-01-19T05:47:10Z")
> [@](#): > > Homosexuality amongst the armed forces of the Union and Confederates during the American Civil War. Not exclusively about homosexuality, but Thomas Lowry wrote _The Story the Soldiers Wouldn’t Tell: Sex in the Civil War_ and _Sexual Misbehavior in the Civil War_ and both books have chapters of the subject. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-books-that-should-be-written/481921/7 "2009-01-19T05:50:13Z")
I’ve mentioned this in GQ, but I think there is a book to be written on the role of debt in the decision of the United States to declare independence. I know that a lot of Virginia’s planters were deeply in debt to British lenders, and I wonder if they hoped a successful revolution would free them from their obligations. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-books-that-should-be-written/481921/8 "2009-01-19T05:51:23Z")
I’d like to see a good objective history of the Church of Latter Day Saints. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-books-that-should-be-written/481921/9 "2009-01-19T06:00:03Z")
I’d like to see an Antony Beevor-style overview of the the [Chinese Civil War](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Civil_War)- it’s a fascinating period of history and I’ve been able to find bugger all information about it besides what’s on Wikipedia and a few scant references to the fact it happened in some of my other Military History books. Beevor did an excellent book on the Spanish Civil War which really helped me understand what the hell _that_ was all about (Something about Guernica, International Brigades involving everyone who was later in WWII, and Franco winning summed up my prior knowledge of the subject), so if he could turn his attention to the Chinese Civil War (and, by necessity, the Sino-Japanese War), I’d be first in line to buy a copy. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-books-that-should-be-written/481921/10 "2009-01-19T12:11:10Z")
An economic and culinary history of the decline of the long pepper (_Piper longum_) industry due to the spread of the chili pepper. How long did the chili take to get to Thailand or Korea or China’s Hunan province (all notable chili eaters)? Was it well received? What happened to _P. longum_ producers? Did they lose on taste or on price? Did they plead for protection? Did the chile replace the pepper in recipes or were there new dishes? Where are the remnant producers and in what dishes has the chili failed to supplant the long pepper? ---
**Author:** ![willthekittensurvive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@willthekittensurvive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/willthekittensurvive)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-books-that-should-be-written/481921/11 "2009-01-19T12:23:33Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > I’ve mentioned this in GQ, but I think there is a book to be written on the role of debt in the decision of the United States to declare independence. I know that a lot of Virginia’s planters were deeply in debt to British lenders, and I wonder if they hoped a successful revolution would free them from their obligations. anyone know what happened to the debt after Independence? or should I open a ticket in GQ? ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-books-that-should-be-written/481921/12 "2009-01-19T12:24:32Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > I’d like to see an Antony Beevor-style overview of the the [Chinese Civil War](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Civil_War)- it’s a fascinating period of history and I’ve been able to find bugger all information about it besides what’s on Wikipedia and a few scant references to the fact it happened in some of my other Military History books. You could try Edward L. Dreyer’s China at War, 1901-1949 ( 1995, Longman Group Limited ). It’s broader than what you are looking for ( the Chinese Civil War is covered in the final chapter ), but I found it a useful introduction to the topic. A [lengthy review](http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/55/118.html). ---
**Author:** ![A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a87d85/32.png) [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Dodgy_Dude)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-books-that-should-be-written/481921/13 "2009-01-19T12:56:34Z")
You know what book I would buy in an instant? A book that gives the results of each policy decision by the White House and Congress since the end of WW II. Don’t drown us in details, just tell us how we benefited and how we were hurt by the actions of Washington. For example, how many jobs were created or destroyed by NAFTA? How much did tax revenues increase or decrease because of the Reagan tax cuts? What happened to reading and math scores in the public schools as a result of reducing class size? I don’t want to hear the arguments for and against each issue, just give me the bottom line results. In fact, that could be the title of the book: _The Bottom Line Results_ ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-books-that-should-be-written/481921/14 "2009-01-19T15:38:07Z")
The Life and Legacy of Adam Weishaupt. I actually want to see a thoroughly researched examination of Adam Weishaupt, his motivations, the actual goals and activities of the Illuminati, and what happened to him and his fellow Illuminists after the 1785 suppression. It would be really great if it included his comments on the Abbe Barruel and John Robison exposes’ of 1797. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-books-that-should-be-written/481921/15 "2009-01-19T15:51:44Z")
_Things Have Changed; an Informal History of the united States, 2000-2010._ ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-books-that-should-be-written/481921/16 "2009-01-19T16:01:07Z")
Perhaps such a book has been written, but I would like one which focussed on showing how we got to the modern day. Specifically, outlining: The formation of the scientific method and spread thereof The formation of modern banking and capitalism The spread of cheap paper and the printing press The formation of natural rights and democratic republics (In a single book, that is, and ideally tying them together, for I believe they are linked) ---
**Author:** ![Sonnenstrahl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Sonnenstrahl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sonnenstrahl)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-books-that-should-be-written/481921/17 "2009-01-19T16:14:13Z")
God, I wish I could think of one. Then I could write it, and it would be my bloody thesis. ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-books-that-should-be-written/481921/18 "2009-01-19T16:20:29Z")
A serious, objective, exhaustive history book on the video and computer games industry. Leonard Herman’s book Phoenix meets the first two criteria, but focuses on the early US home market, leaving out the coin-op and foreign markets. A lot of selective reporting and bias permeates other books in the genre, most focus on very narrow pieces of the story, and many have an irreverent tone. I’d also love to see an in-depth history of discount retailing from dime stores to discount stores to supercenters. Why was 1962 _the_ year for discount chains to be founded? What happened to the early chains? Etc. I find retail history utterly fascinating for some reason. I think a history of grocery chains would be similarly fascinating. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-books-that-should-be-written/481921/19 "2009-01-19T16:26:29Z")
A good, well written biography on [Cary](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cary_Stayner) & [Steven](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Stayner) Stayner. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-books-that-should-be-written/481921/20 "2009-01-19T16:30:20Z")
> [@willthekittensurvive](#): > > anyone know what happened to the debt after Independence? or should I open a ticket in GQ? According to the [Treaty\_of\_Paris\_(1783)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Paris_(1783)) creditors on both sides of the war remained responsible for their own debts. How many paid them off in full is another question. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-books-that-should-be-written/481921.md?page=2)