# Recommend some interesting History books/podcasts **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 5, 2009, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-interesting-history-books-podcasts/516474 "2009-11-05T21:46:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Captain\_C](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Captain\_C](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_C)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-interesting-history-books-podcasts/516474/1 "2009-11-05T21:46:27Z")
While playing through some of the historically accurate campaigns of Civilization 4, I recently realized that my knowledge of World History is quite lacking. Having gone to a fairly substandard public school, we never seemed to cover anything in-depth. For example, I don’t know where the Assyrian empire was, let alone anything about it other than the name. I only have a vague idea of the political climate of Europe before World War 1. Heck, I don’t even know the reasons for the war between the USA and Canada back in 1810. A friend of mine recently recommended the podcast of Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History ([http://www.dancarlin.com/disp.php/hh](http://www.dancarlin.com/disp.php/hh)). This is a great podcast. Carlin keeps the topic interesting by focusing not on specific dates and names, but on cultural and political influences that led to world events. Instead of rote memorization, he uses stories and anecdotes to keep the listener’s attention. Can anyone recommend similar podcasts or books? The actual topic isn’t entirely important. Anything historical would be fine, spanning from ancient civilizations to more recent events like the first Gulf War, etc. Audio is preferred but not necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Hedda\_Rosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hedda_rosa/32/1204_2.png) [@Hedda\_Rosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hedda_Rosa)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-interesting-history-books-podcasts/516474/2 "2009-11-05T22:57:13Z")
I’m mosly into ancient history so my recommendations are: The grand master - Lars Brownworth’s 12 Byzantine Rulers. Great podcast. Do not miss. Mike Duncan’s The History of Rome. If you like Dan Carlin, you’ll like this. ITunes U has good tuff too. Check Berkeley, especially Isabelle Pafford. For more modern history, Tony Cocks Binge Thinking History. He puts them out way way too rarely but they are magnificent. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-interesting-history-books-podcasts/516474/3 "2009-11-05T22:58:48Z")
[http://www.summahistorica.com/](http://www.summahistorica.com/) I’ve enjoyed his conversational approach to history; his latest few are always available for free on iTunes. ---
**Author:** ![bobo2clown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9a140/32.png) [@bobo2clown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobo2clown)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-interesting-history-books-podcasts/516474/4 "2009-11-08T01:40:54Z")
I think one of the best world history books is [Asimov’s Chronology of the World](http://www.amazon.com/Asimovs-Chronology-World-Isaac-Asimov/dp/0062700367/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257643989&sr=8-1). It runs from the start of civilization to WWII. It has a great companion that follows technology through history, [Asimov’s Chronology of Science and Discovery](http://www.amazon.com/Asimovs-Chronology-Science-Discovery-Asimov/dp/0060156120/ref=pd_sim_b_5). Asimov writes with a bit of cynical humour that keeps me reading. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-interesting-history-books-podcasts/516474/5 "2009-11-08T01:47:30Z")
I always recommend _The Penguin History of the World_, by JM Roberts. You can’t beat it for a general overview of just about everything. I also like _The Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval Europe_, edited by George Holmes, and _A History of Sourh-East Asia_, by DGE Hall. ---
**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:** [November 8, 2009, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-interesting-history-books-podcasts/516474/6 "2009-11-08T03:05:15Z")
My interests tend to be Colonialism and Military History, but I’ll throw a few suggestions out there: _The Scramble for Africa_ by Thomas Pakenham does an excellent job of explaining why Europe suddenly decided to play a real life version of _Risk_ using Africa as the board, and how they went about it. Similarly, _King Leopold’s Ghost_ by Adam Hochschild goes into detail about how King Leopold II of Belgium managed to acquire and run The Congo as his own private fiefdom, and the many horrible things that happened there as a result. Bill Bryson’s _A Short History Of Nearly Everything_ comes highly recommended, as does one of his other books _Made in America_. The best overview of WWII that I’ve come across is the Reader’s Digest book _The World At Arms_. Anything with Antony Beevor’s name on the cover as the author is going to be worth reading, too. Anne Applebaum’s book _Gulag: A History_ is a fascinating look at the Russian Gulag system, Lesley & Roy Adkins have also written _The Keys of Egypt_ which explains how the translation for Heiroglyphics was discovered… ---
**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:** [November 8, 2009, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-interesting-history-books-podcasts/516474/7 "2009-11-08T05:09:42Z")
If you’re looking for a good general history narrative, I’d recommend the TimeFrame series that was published by Time Life back in the nineties. They’re a well-written basic history with five books covering general topics and twenty books each covering the events of a specific period. Which might be the bad news - the entire series is twenty five volumes. But realistically, the history of the world is a big subject - this is about as small as you can go without leaving out important sections (and even this series skips some major events). The good news is the series was written for the general reader. And it should be readily available: many libraries would carry it and, if not, you can find used copies on Amazon for pretty low prices. If you’re looking for specific titles: Time-Frame: The Human Dawn Time-Frame: The Natural World Time-Frame: The Rise of Cities Time-Frame: The Domestic World Time-Frame: The Enterprise of War Time-Frame 3000-1500 BC: The Age of God-Kings Time-Frame 1500-600 BC: The Barbarian Tides Time-Frame 600-400 BC: A Soaring Spirit Time-Frame 400 BC-200 AD: Empires Ascendant Time-Frame 200-600: Empires Besieged Time-Frame 600-800: The March of Islam Time-Frame 800-1000: Fury of the Northmen Time-Frame 1000-1100: Light in the East Time-Frame 1100-1200: The Divine Campaigns Time-Frame 1200-1300: The Mongol Conquests Time-Frame 1300-1400: The Age of Calamity Time-Frame 1400-1500: Voyages of Discovery Time-Frame 1500-1600: The European Emergence Time-Frame 1600-1700: The Powers of the Crown Time-Frame 1700-1800: Winds of Revolution Time-Frame 1800-1850: The Pulse of Enterprise Time-Frame 1850-1900: Colonial Overlords Time-Frame 1900-1925: The World in Arms Time-Frame 1925-1950: Shadow of the Dictators Time-Frame 1950-1990: The Nuclear Age ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-interesting-history-books-podcasts/516474/8 "2009-11-09T15:16:03Z")
_A Perfect Red: Empire, Espionage, and the Quest for the Color of Desire_ by Amy Butler Greenfield. Cochineal is the red dye made from bugs in Mexico. It was worth more by weight than silver and was highly prized by traders as well as pirates. This is the story of the cochineal trade. \*The Big Oyster \*by Mark Kurlansky. New York once contained over half of the entire worlds oyster beds. This is the story of the effect this had on New York and what happened to them. _Rum: A Social and Sociable History_ by Ian Williams. A good little tale about rum, the Carribean and Yankee traders. _The Frozen Water Trade_ by Gavin Weightman. An awesome story of the guy who thought of cutting up frozen lakes and rivers and saving the ice for use over the summer. _The Devil in the White City_ by Erik Larson. The story of two men at the 1893 Columbia Exposition: Daniel Burnham, who designed it and H. H. Holmes, who murdered many people during it. _Charlatan_ by Pope Brock. The story of J. R. Brinkely, one of the biggest quacks in US medical history who also was a radio pioneer. \*A Nation of Counterfeiters \*by Stephen Mihm. Counterfeiting in the US was rampant before the civil war. This an interesting study of how it was done and the problems authorities faced combatting it. That’s all for now. If you want more, let me know. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-interesting-history-books-podcasts/516474/9 "2009-11-09T15:30:59Z")
The **Pritzker Military Library** has pod-casts of over one hundred authors speaking about their books on military and other historical topics. If you have I-tunes search for Pritzker under podcasts. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-interesting-history-books-podcasts/516474/10 "2009-11-09T16:38:45Z")
Several of these are Pulitzer winners, and richly deserved them: Joseph Ellis, _Founding Brothers_ - A great look at the Framers of the Constitution and their relationships - sometimes friendly, sometimes not, always competitive - with each other. Garry Wills, _Lincoln at Gettysburg_ - Disassembles and explains the Gettysburg Address - literate, classy and insightful. James McPherson, _Battle Cry of Freedom_ - One of the best one-volume histories of the Civil War out there, IMHO. Geoffrey Ward et al., _The Civil War_ - Ditto. David McCullough, _Truman_ - A great bio of a long-underappreciated leader. James Flexner, _Washington: The Indispensable Man_ - Also a great bio. Read this to see just why Washington was so vital to the cause of American independence, and then practically invented the Presidency. Ron Chernow, _Alexander Hamilton_ - A magnificent, highly readable profile of the brilliant but deeply flawed man who did more than anyone else to lay the groundwork for generations of American prosperity. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-interesting-history-books-podcasts/516474/11 "2009-11-09T17:00:58Z")
**[Longitude:](http://www.amazon.com/Longitude-Genius-Greatest-Scientific-Problem/dp/0140258795) The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time.** I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook for this. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-interesting-history-books-podcasts/516474/12 "2009-11-09T18:35:56Z")
> [@mack](#): > > **[Longitude:](http://www.amazon.com/Longitude-Genius-Greatest-Scientific-Problem/dp/0140258795) The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time.** > > I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook for this. I second this rcommendation. An intersting study in both scientific achievement and political and personal rivalry. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-interesting-history-books-podcasts/516474/13 "2009-11-09T22:15:18Z")
Larry Gonick: _Cartoon History of the Universe_, originally published in 19 chapters, more recently collected in three volumes. Part One collects volumes 1-7, Part Two collects volumes 8-13, Part Three collects volumes 14-19. _Cartoon History of the Modern World_, Volume 2 published just a couple of months ago. _Cartoon History of the United States_. Gonick gives you a good broad background, and at the end of each volume is an extensive bibliography of books and websites you can read to get more detail. (His comment on the _Cambridge Ancient History_: “produces enlightenment as it induces sleep”.)