# Reccomend me some history books...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccomend-me-some-history-books/459631>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [August 11, 2008, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccomend-me-some-history-books/459631 "2008-08-11T17:45:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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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:** [August 11, 2008, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccomend-me-some-history-books/459631/1 "2008-08-11T17:45:16Z")

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So I’m after some history books Medieval and Napoleonic history books. I’ve recently read “A Distant Mirror” and “The Perfect Heresy”. What do you guys recommend along the same lines, something interesting and readable ?

Thanks all

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**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccomend-me-some-history-books/459631/2 "2008-08-11T18:21:48Z")

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I am currently reading The War of Wars by Robert Harvey. It’s a very general history of the Napoleonic wars; it starts off with the Revolution and ends with Napoleon’s defeat. I’m finding it very interesting and easily read, but not dumbed down.

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**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2008, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccomend-me-some-history-books/459631/3 "2008-08-11T18:50:11Z")

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If you want historical fiction, about the same time, I highly recommend ( courtesy of many other doper recommendations.) [Flashman](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flashman) .

A scoundrel, scallywag, coward and liar.  
Another SD recommended historical fiction that is Super A+++ is by [Lindsey Davis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindsey_Davis) . Ancient Rome mystery with a detective that has a wonderful sense of humor.

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**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2008, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccomend-me-some-history-books/459631/4 "2008-08-11T19:06:02Z")

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The Byzantium trilogy of history books by John Julius Norwich are excellent. If you want a good book on the English civil war then you can’t do much better than [England’s Troubles](http://search.barnesandnoble.com/bookSearch/isbnInquiry.asp?r=1&r=1&ISBN=0521423341) (comes with an honorary degree in history!).