I’m looking for some recommendations on history books. I’d prefer them to be on a narrow topic–in other words, not “World War II”, but some specific event or aspect I may not have read about before, not a general history. I also prefer not to read pure military histories…my eyes glaze over hearing about troop movements and battle tactics–I can read about war, but specifics of individual battles often bore me.
I’d also prefer them not to be tremendously long, primarily because I only get to read a short time each day, maybe a half hour if I’m really lucky, so I don’t want to take six months to finish a book. Also, I have to carry it with me to work because I mostly read on the train, so I don’t want to lug a 7 pound book around in my backpack all day. (I prefer a paper book to an e-reader, but I do have one and will read an e-book if I can get it from my library)
As an example of the sorts of books I typically read…I’ve read all of Candice Millard’s books (River of Doubt, Destiny of the Republic, and the Churchill one I can’t recall the name of), so if anyone has read her work and can recommend some books like hers I’d appreciate it.
Here are a couple “narrow focus” books you might enjoy:
“Fire and Brimstone: The North Butte Mining Disaster of 1917” by Michael Punke. Along with lots of horrific stories of those who lost their lives, a good number of heroic stories of those who survived and helped others to survive. Good background to the boom of mining in Montana, and of the conditions the miners endured.
“The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon” by Kevin Fedarko. The story of the actual ride is pretty amazing, but this book also gives a great history of the exploration of the Colorado river area and the establishments of the dams. One of the best all-around books I’ve read in a long time.
A book with a wider scope than the one above. It describes the first conquest by Pizarro and his men, but also the following presence of Spain and the slow submission of the Inca culture in the next decades. Also a very good introduction to Inca culture and administration which in many ways had been superior to the ways and rules Spain installed.
Detailing all the four voyages of Columbus, some of the later even more gripping and almost unbelievable than the first. Also a fascinating psychogram of Christopher Columbus, a man between genius and fool.
Falling Upwards: A history of hot air ballooning pioneers. This was the basis for the recent movie The Aeronauts. The movie focuses on one particular flight, but the book is much more of a historical overview. It’s full of fascinating information that I had never heard before.
Jungle of Stone: About the discovery of Mayan ruins in Mexico and Central America. A really extraordinary story of exploration.
The Secret Token: The story of the lost colony of Roanoke. I thought I knew American history, but this book made me realize how little I knew about the earliest colonists.
Topical and also reasonably commemorative - Laura Spinney’s Pale Rider is about the 1918 influenza epidemic. There was a slew of books coming out in the last few years to mark the centenary, so there are other threads and angles to pursue if you like it and the topic.
Thought of another one: “The Taking of K-129: How the CIA Used Howard Hughes to Steal a Russian Sub in the Most Daring Covert Operation in History” (Josh Dean). I had heard bits and pieces of this story, and seen a lot of TV mini-documentaries mentioning parts of the story as well. But I thought this book did a great job covering all the details from inception to execution.
I also enjoyed Larson’s “The Devil in the White City”. So I would second that. “In the Garden of the Beasts” was good, but kind of covered just an “era”, and not so much about a specific event.
I read a lot of books like this myself Here are some of the top of my head:
The Return of the King: The British in Afghanistan 1839 - 1842 William Dalrymple (Mr. Dalrymple has written quite a few books on the history of the subcontinent. All are good, but they do tend to be long)
By Permission of Heaven - The Great Fire of London
Midnight in Chernobyl - Adam Higginbottom Kinda long too, but absolutely gripping minute-by-minute and day-by-day account of the disaster.
OP - Loved the ‘River of Doubt’. And others that have been mentioned here.
I go through phases of reading about adventurers single handing (or with a mate) around the world in sail boats. Fascinating stuff.
The best of this type of book I have ever read is a helicopter pilots account of his time flying Slicks (Hueys) in the Vietnam War. ‘Chickenhawk’ by Robert Mason. I’ve read it three times. Absolutely gripping, and lots of first hand accounts of the crazy shit that comes with a crazy war.