Best United States History
New York was transformed in these two decades as the world's second-largest city and now its financial capital, thriving and sustained by the city's seemingly unlimited potential.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It is fascinating and though this urban history is over a hundred yes old it is so important to understand the foundations of today, but so much is similar."
"Great history, many detail were interesting but I will never remember all the names."
"Excellent historical account!"
"This book, however is so massive in scope, exacting and detailed in the particulars, and engaging to read that I abandoned that approach shortly after starting and began skipping about from topic to topic by level of interest in the subject area. There are many, MANY hours of fascinating material in here to digest (perhaps best at leisure), and if you are interested at ALL in history, the time period in question, or the city in particular you will find much to enjoy within, even if shortly after starting it becomes a tad daunting."
"My favorite sections were on the development of the ‘arteries and ligaments’ of the city; the radicals among the Jewish immigrants, and New York in World War I."
"There are 24 chapters with titles such as "Who Rules New York" (Ch.6), which concerns mayors, district leaders, muckrakers, reformers, "Sky Boom" (Ch.7), which concerns builders, engineers, and financiers, "Show Biz" (Ch.13), which concerns Broadway, Coney Island, and Tin Pan alley, and "Repressives" (Ch.17), which concerns street gangs and gambling. "History books" filled with imaginary dialogue and fictional accounts of emotions, include "Crisis of the Old Order: 1919-1933, The Age of Roosevelt" by Schlesinger, which is more like a book of fiction, and Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition by Okrent, which is more like a comedy book intented for idle amusement. Black and white reproductions of photos, magazine covers, magazine illustrations, posters, and paintings occur every few pages. For example, on page 241 is an illustration showing firemen and a curious crowd, with two streams of water, where billowing smoke comes out of an apartment building. Page 140 shows the cover of Scientific American, which has a drawing of the Singer Building in New York City, but the Singer Building is drawn next to Niagara Falls in order to show the relative heights. On page 316 is a photo of Macy's (1908) showing automobiles and several trolley cars. On page 505 is a photo of six children, a baby, and a mother, in a tenement building apartment. On page 613 is a full-page reproduction of a poster called, "QUEEN OF CHINATOWN (1899)" and at the bottom is the inscription, "HURLED BY HIGHBINDERS THROUGH THE RAT PIT'S DOUBLE TRAP." The poster shows a cutaway of an apartment house, showing two floors, where a white man climbs through the upper floor window, a Chinese man pushes him down through a trap door in the floor, and where another white man has already fallen through this trap door and is about to fall through a second trap door in the lower floor. Page 762 has a photo of "Mrs. H. Riordan, American Sufferagette" and she is posing in front of a grocery called, B.L. Jumping into the text, in Chapter 7 "SKY BOOM" (pages 131-166) we learn about these buildings: Flatiron Building designed by Daniel Burnham, Singer Sewing Machine Co.'s building called "The Singerhorn," Met Life tower designed by Napoleon Le Brun, and Woolworth Building designed by Cass Gilbert. To provide one more except, this is from Chapter 17 ("Repressives") (pages 559-620). (pages 595-596)."
"Just through one chapter."
Since its original landmark publication in 1980, A People's History of the United States has been chronicling American history from the bottom up, throwing out the official version of history taught in schools—with its emphasis on great men in high places—to focus on the street, the home, and the, workplace. Howard Zinn (1922–2010) was a historian, playwright, and social activist.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Some of this I was already aware of from reading other more comprehensive history books on the events themselves."
"My grandson had this book for his social studies class and I read a chapter while he was visiting."
"I am so interested in history, but typically I find it hard to read history books due to their dull tone."
"It should be a must read for every American."
"Great subject.. boring read."
"Very thorough and interestingly organized."
The dramatic, pulse-pounding story of Harry Truman’s first four months in office, when this unlikely president had to take on Germany, Japan, Stalin, and the atomic bomb, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"His previous books on Willow Run and the La Mans battle between Ferrari and Ford were just tremendous. Taking what Baime claims is four of perhaps the four most consequential months of any presidency, a point of which is probably correct, this book starts off with FDR's surprising death in Warm Springs, Georgia as World War II reaches its penultimate moments with the collapse of Germany and the beginning of the end of the Empire of Japan."
"Baime has produced a meticulously researched account of the period from April to August 1945, telling the dramatic story of how an underestimated man took the weight of the world on his shoulders. He took the oath, summoned the Cabinet, and began a series of meetings, in one of which he was informed for the first time of the Manhattan Project to build an atomic weapon. Over the next days and weeks he dealt with the complexities of guiding the US through the final days of the war in Europe, began to make plans for the post-war economy, made contact with other world leaders (some for the first time), discussed plans for the ongoing war with Japan, and above all had the first of a series of exchanges with Stalin, Molotov, and other Soviet officials which revealed sharp ideological differences. He oversaw the establishment of the United Nations, led negotiations at Potsdam with Churchill, Attlee, and Stalin, and approved the use of the atom bomb on Japan. Among the unanswered questions of twentieth century history are those which ask whether the Cold War was inevitable, or if Roosevelt could have done a better job than his successor in easing tensions with the Soviets, thus avoiding the creation of the Iron Curtain."
"Excellent read."
"A first-rate read and an inventive look at Truman in 1945."
"I enjoyed this book about a wonderful."
"just love the book in geeral."
"It really gave me an up close idea of how Truman really was an accidental president."
"I happen to be very interested in WWII, and this book provided many details new to me about the last months of that conflict, the enormous burdens carried by Harry S. Truman who had taken a most unorthodox path to the Presidency, and the extraordinary characteristics he possessed to help him navigate those months. Even if you are not widely read in WWII history, or interested in the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, you will appreciate this book because it reads as easily as a good novel. Nothing better than getting a dose of U.S. history while reading a riveting page turner."
Best Teen & Young Adult United States State & Local History
A readable, perceptive account of the lives of fourteen gifted innovators who have played important roles in scientific and industrial progress. DR. LOUIS HABER had a long and distinguished career teaching science.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Great educational book."
"Not only did they learn things but so did I, this book has great information."
"I have learned more in the time Of reading this book then in all of my schooling."
"My eight and nine years old daughters love this book."
"I read this to my daughter so she can understand that the everyday stuff we use was created by people of color."
"This book is brimming with information."
Best Civil War Antietam History
For the sesquicentennial of Antietam and the Maryland Campaign, D. Scott Hartwig delivers a riveting first installment of a two-volume study of the campaign and climactic battle. "The first volume of this two volume set is so very well written and all-inclusive on the detailed facts of this Maryland Campaign that it looks like this two volume set just might be the very best ever written on this campaign and battle." (Harry S. Laver Civil War Book Review ). "By far the best work done on the Maryland Campaign, To Antietam Creek will set the standard for many, many years to come." (Thomas G. Clemens, Save Historic Antietam Foundation). "A new and monumental study of the origins and initiation of the Maryland Campaign of 1862... To Antietam Creek: The Maryland Campaign of September 1862 is a tour de force which will stand as the preeminent and final word on the subject... A must read for any serious Civil War student interested in the crucial events leading up to the Battle of Antietam.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I knew from day one that I wanted to write a review of this book. But I think my experience as a long time Antietam Battlefield volunteer and guide who has walked the battlefields of the Maryland Campaign, give me a different and useful perspective from the usual rank and file book reviewer. Like this book, I attempt to interpret the Maryland Campaign and Battle of Antietam objectively and factually. But the book's completeness, numerous insights, deep analysis and great stories will add a new richness and depth to my tours and programs that I would not otherwise have had I not read the book. I can now say unequivocally that this is the best book I have ever read on the Maryland Campaign. And I have read many books. And we learn that there were several very good Union cavalry regiments that fought well in the Campaign and they are not the ones who fought their way out of Harpers Ferry. You will miss out if you skip them. To some who would dismiss this book as just a story of the events up to Antietam, I would answer that this book is a necessarily foundation to understanding the tactical battle that Hartwig will treat us to when the second volume comes out. If you want to learn more about the Maryland Campaign than you can from any other book, you must move this one to the top of your reading list. If you have hesitated to get this book because of its massiveness, get over it and buy the book. From the first to the last, To Antietam Creek will reward you with the best-told story of the Maryland Campaign ever produced."
"To Antietam Creek: The Maryland Campaign of September 1862, D. Scott Hartwig, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2012, 8 black and white images, 17 maps, 3 appendices, bibliographic notes, essay on notes, index, 794pp., $49.96. Both literally and figuratively, all other treatments of The Antietam Campaign may well stand in the shadow of Scott Hartwig's To Antietam Creek: The Maryland Campaign of September 1862. Tom Clemens of the Save Historic Antietam Foundation states "By far the best work done on the Maryland Campaign ."
"Although I do not count myself as a fan of George McClellan, I do submit that it is time to take a closer look at his tenure with the Army of the Potomac and, if merited, challenge the conventional wisdom that surrounds and informs the historical view of his generalship. However, Hartwig is not afraid to level criticism when it is due and McClellan (often), along with Burnside, Franklin, Hooker, Lee, Miles and others are rightly taken to task when the occasion warrants it. Furthermore, Hartwig led me to truly appreciate the outstanding performance of Lafayette McLaws in relation to Harper's Ferry and to grasp the extent that William Franklin's loss of moral courage helped to seal the garrison's doom. Finally, Hartwig's writing with regard to the eve of battle is a thing of beauty--it compares favorably to Bruce Catton's work in Mr. Lincoln's Army (to me thre is no higher praise) and paints a picture of a night of foreboding before that which was arguably the worst day in American history."
Best Political Science
#1 New York Times Bestseller |. Named one of the Best Books of the Year by The New York Times • The Washington Post • The Boston Globe • The Seattle Times • Esquire • Time Winner of the Carnegie Medal for Nonfiction | Winner of the NAACP Image Award for Nonfiction | Winner of a Books for a Better Life Award | Finalist for the Los Angeles Book Prize | Finalist for the Kirkus Reviews Prize | An American Library Association Notable Book A powerful true story about the potential for mercy to redeem us, and a clarion call to fix our broken system of justice—from one of the most brilliant and influential lawyers of our time. Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system. a searing indictment of American criminal justice and a stirring testament to the salvation that fighting for the vulnerable sometimes yields.” —David Cole, The New York Review of Books “Searing, moving . Just Mercy will make you upset and it will make you hopeful.” —Ted Conover, The New York Times Book Review “Inspiring . Stevenson is not only a great lawyer, he’s also a gifted writer and storyteller.” — The Washington Post “As deeply moving, poignant and powerful a book as has been, and maybe ever can be, written about the death penalty.” —The Financial Times “Brilliant.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer “Not since Atticus Finch has a fearless and committed lawyer made such a difference in the American South. Just Mercy is his inspiring and powerful story.” —John Grisham “Bryan Stevenson is one of my personal heroes, perhaps the most inspiring and influential crusader for justice alive today, and Just Mercy is extraordinary. But at the same time that [Bryan] Stevenson tells an utterly damning story of deep-seated and widespread injustice, he also recounts instances of human compassion, understanding, mercy, and justice that offer hope. Just Mercy is a remarkable amalgam, at once a searing indictment of American criminal justice and a stirring testament to the salvation that fighting for the vulnerable sometimes yields.” —David Cole, The New York Review of Books. For decades he has fought judges, prosecutors and police on behalf of those who are impoverished, black or both. Injustice is easy not to notice when it affects people different from ourselves; that helps explain the obliviousness of our own generation to inequity today. Against tremendous odds, Stevenson has worked to free scores of people from wrongful or excessive punishment, arguing five times before the Supreme Court. The message of the book, hammered home by dramatic examples of one man’s refusal to sit quietly and countenance horror, is that evil can be overcome, a difference can be made. Stevenson has been angry about [the criminal justice system] for years, and we are all the better for it.” —Ted Conover, The New York Times Book Review “Inspiring . “As deeply moving, poignant and powerful a book as has been, and maybe ever can be, written about the death penalty.” —The Financial Times “Brilliant.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer. “Not since Atticus Finch has a fearless and committed lawyer made such a difference in the American South. Bryan Stevenson, however, is very much alive and doing God’s work fighting for the poor, the oppressed, the voiceless, the vulnerable, the outcast, and those with no hope. The stories told within these pages hold the potential to transform what we think we mean when we talk about justice.” —Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow “A distinguished NYU law professor and MacArthur grant recipient offers the compelling story of the legal practice he founded to protect the rights of people on the margins of American society. It is inspiring and suspenseful—a revelation.” —Isabel Wilkerson, author of The Warmth of Other Suns “Words such as important and compelling may have lost their force through overuse, but reading this book will restore their meaning, along with one’s hopes for humanity.” —Tracy Kidder, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Mountains Beyond Mountains “Bryan Stevenson is America’s young Nelson Mandela, a brilliant lawyer fighting with courage and conviction to guarantee justice for all. It is as gripping to read as any legal thriller, and what hangs in the balance is nothing less than the soul of a great nation.” —Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"My tendency is to put things into "liberal" and "conservative" buckets and this one seemingly fit into the liberal bucket and I am a professed conservative."
"I have a new hero . Bryan Stevenson. This is a great book."
"This is a system that condemns children to life imprisonment without parole, that makes petty theft a crime as serious as murder, and that has declared war on hundreds of thousands of people with substance abuse problems by imprisoning them and denying them help. JUST MERCY explores a number of devastating cases, including children as young as fourteen facing life imprisonment, and scores of people on death row - mostly poor, and mostly black - who have been unfairly convicted. But the central focus is on Walter McMillan, a black man sentenced to death for the murder of a prominent young white woman. Ours is no longer a country that sees compassion as a virtue; instead, we write harsher and harsher laws that demand longer and longer sentences for those we consider undesirables. It's rare these days to meet someone who truly dedicates himself to those least able to help themselves, especially someone who isn't after media attention or self-promotion."
"Corruption and prejudice in the 1950's led to sending many innocent blacks and poor people to prison."
Best Paper Money Collecting
Building on the scope of Robert Friedberg's groundbreaking research, A Guide Book of United States Paper Money, Fifth Edition , includes an engaging history of the paper currency of the United States.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Wonderful book chock full of great pictures and interesting annotations."
"This version of the Red Book is easier to use for beginners because it is primarily organized by note value ($1; $2; $5, etc.)."
"I gave it to a friend as a gift and he is very satisfied with it."
"Great book at a great price."
"Good book."
Best Reference
#1 New York Times Bestseller |. Named one of the Best Books of the Year by The New York Times • The Washington Post • The Boston Globe • The Seattle Times • Esquire • Time Winner of the Carnegie Medal for Nonfiction | Winner of the NAACP Image Award for Nonfiction | Winner of a Books for a Better Life Award | Finalist for the Los Angeles Book Prize | Finalist for the Kirkus Reviews Prize | An American Library Association Notable Book A powerful true story about the potential for mercy to redeem us, and a clarion call to fix our broken system of justice—from one of the most brilliant and influential lawyers of our time. Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system. a searing indictment of American criminal justice and a stirring testament to the salvation that fighting for the vulnerable sometimes yields.” —David Cole, The New York Review of Books “Searing, moving . Just Mercy will make you upset and it will make you hopeful.” —Ted Conover, The New York Times Book Review “Inspiring . Stevenson is not only a great lawyer, he’s also a gifted writer and storyteller.” — The Washington Post “As deeply moving, poignant and powerful a book as has been, and maybe ever can be, written about the death penalty.” —The Financial Times “Brilliant.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer “Not since Atticus Finch has a fearless and committed lawyer made such a difference in the American South. Just Mercy is his inspiring and powerful story.” —John Grisham “Bryan Stevenson is one of my personal heroes, perhaps the most inspiring and influential crusader for justice alive today, and Just Mercy is extraordinary. But at the same time that [Bryan] Stevenson tells an utterly damning story of deep-seated and widespread injustice, he also recounts instances of human compassion, understanding, mercy, and justice that offer hope. Just Mercy is a remarkable amalgam, at once a searing indictment of American criminal justice and a stirring testament to the salvation that fighting for the vulnerable sometimes yields.” —David Cole, The New York Review of Books. For decades he has fought judges, prosecutors and police on behalf of those who are impoverished, black or both. Injustice is easy not to notice when it affects people different from ourselves; that helps explain the obliviousness of our own generation to inequity today. Against tremendous odds, Stevenson has worked to free scores of people from wrongful or excessive punishment, arguing five times before the Supreme Court. The message of the book, hammered home by dramatic examples of one man’s refusal to sit quietly and countenance horror, is that evil can be overcome, a difference can be made. Stevenson has been angry about [the criminal justice system] for years, and we are all the better for it.” —Ted Conover, The New York Times Book Review “Inspiring . “As deeply moving, poignant and powerful a book as has been, and maybe ever can be, written about the death penalty.” —The Financial Times “Brilliant.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer. “Not since Atticus Finch has a fearless and committed lawyer made such a difference in the American South. Bryan Stevenson, however, is very much alive and doing God’s work fighting for the poor, the oppressed, the voiceless, the vulnerable, the outcast, and those with no hope. The stories told within these pages hold the potential to transform what we think we mean when we talk about justice.” —Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow “A distinguished NYU law professor and MacArthur grant recipient offers the compelling story of the legal practice he founded to protect the rights of people on the margins of American society. It is inspiring and suspenseful—a revelation.” —Isabel Wilkerson, author of The Warmth of Other Suns “Words such as important and compelling may have lost their force through overuse, but reading this book will restore their meaning, along with one’s hopes for humanity.” —Tracy Kidder, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Mountains Beyond Mountains “Bryan Stevenson is America’s young Nelson Mandela, a brilliant lawyer fighting with courage and conviction to guarantee justice for all. It is as gripping to read as any legal thriller, and what hangs in the balance is nothing less than the soul of a great nation.” —Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"My tendency is to put things into "liberal" and "conservative" buckets and this one seemingly fit into the liberal bucket and I am a professed conservative."
"I have a new hero . Bryan Stevenson. This is a great book."
"This is a system that condemns children to life imprisonment without parole, that makes petty theft a crime as serious as murder, and that has declared war on hundreds of thousands of people with substance abuse problems by imprisoning them and denying them help. JUST MERCY explores a number of devastating cases, including children as young as fourteen facing life imprisonment, and scores of people on death row - mostly poor, and mostly black - who have been unfairly convicted. But the central focus is on Walter McMillan, a black man sentenced to death for the murder of a prominent young white woman. Ours is no longer a country that sees compassion as a virtue; instead, we write harsher and harsher laws that demand longer and longer sentences for those we consider undesirables. It's rare these days to meet someone who truly dedicates himself to those least able to help themselves, especially someone who isn't after media attention or self-promotion."
"He is a witness in the stories, a helper, an overwhelmed human who makes sure his clients and the system are the focus of his stories, so we, the readers, can begin to understand what really happens in the legal system, from the behavior of police to the biases of justices with unchecked power, and the witnesses that are the wrong color to be heard."
Best Ancient History
"A Landscape of Myths" sets the stories within the context of the mountains, caves, seas, and rivers of Greece, Crete, Troy, and the Underworld. Complemented by lavish illustrations, genealogical tables, box features, and specially commissioned drawings, this will be an essential book for anyone interested in these classic tales and in the world of the ancient Greeks. Greek lit prof Buxton (Imaginary Greece: the Contexts of Mythology) treats the subject thematically, covering Greek origin myths, the character and functions of the Olympian gods, the exploits of heroes, the Homeric epics and the sagas of the House of Atreus and other tragic clans in which there is a "seamless connection between heroic exploits and domestic catastrophes."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The book wasn't in the best condition when it arrived, but it is one of the better compendium of Greek Mythology out there and a great starting point for anyone interested in the field."
"Given as a gift, my granddaughter loves it."
"It is a fantastic book, cheap and delivered in time."
"Nice."
"You would not imagine what this book tells you and all the pictures to go with it so if I were you I would buy it."
"Was like new and arrived on time!"
Best Asian History
An eye-opening account of life inside North Korea—a closed world of increasing global importance—hailed as a “tour de force of meticulous reporting” ( The New York Review of Books ). NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FINALIST In this landmark addition to the literature of totalitarianism, award-winning journalist Barbara Demick follows the lives of six North Korean citizens over fifteen years—a chaotic period that saw the death of Kim Il-sung, the rise to power of his son Kim Jong-il (the father of Kim Jong-un), and a devastating famine that killed one-fifth of the population. Demick brings to life what it means to be living under the most repressive regime today—an Orwellian world that is by choice not connected to the Internet, where displays of affection are punished, informants are rewarded, and an offhand remark can send a person to the gulag for life. She takes us deep inside the country, beyond the reach of government censors, and through meticulous and sensitive reporting we see her subjects fall in love, raise families, nurture ambitions, and struggle for survival. One by one, we witness their profound, life-altering disillusionment with the government and their realization that, rather than providing them with lives of abundance, their country has betrayed them. A fascinating and deeply personal look at the lives of six defectors from the repressive totalitarian regime of the Republic of North Korea, in which Demick, an L.A. Times staffer and former Seoul bureau chief, draws out details of daily life that would not otherwise be known to Western eyes because of the near-complete media censorship north of the arbitrary border drawn after Japan's surrender ending WWII.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"We learn about a young man left an orphan whose father had been Party member, a pediatrician whose greatest dream was to be allowed to join the Party, a housewife with 2 young children and an abusive husband, a young woman and her "forbidden" boyfriend, a factory worker who had absolute loyalty to the regime, and several more. This book also covers the operation of the government and its regimentation over people's lives from a historical viewpoint, how this all changed (slightly for the better) during the starvation years of the 90's, and the newer changes (for the worse) under Kim Jong-un."
"Astonishing reveal of the harsh reality of life during the 1980's in North Korea under that strict propagandist regime."
"It follows a number of individuals lives while living in North Korea."
"I was completely rivited by this book!"
"While I am an author myself, I don't know the author and no one asked me to review this."
"The constant propaganda, brainwashing, fear of being turned in by a neighbor, wife or son, the limits and downright bans on their freedom of movement, freedom of speech, freedom to assemble, freedom of economy, freedom to choose their own paths, and the absolute desert of information about the outside world is a staunch warning to everyone, including we Americans, who see the seedlings of many of these bans and controls and limits and increased surveillance and the drying up of information."
Best Military History
Note: The chapters in the book are not in order and it is intentional. 1.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I want to tell future readers of this book in this way. I read it first when I was 14 or 15."
"A great short read, the laws can be applied to not only warfare, but everyday life and any problems that may arise."
"I received and read this book all in one day."
"Most popular book for those with careers in the military."
"Great job providing "The Art of War" affordably."
"There's one chapter out of order, which is certainly a mistake and weird, but not super bad."
"Eager to learn how to walk that fine line that makes the difference between winning or losing? Want to learn how to always come out on top--no fuss--no muss? Learn how to handle a situation without the situation handling you---learn how to handle a "situation" correctly."
"This paperback edition was in new shape, and easy to understand."
Best Middle Eastern History
Published with a new afterword from the author―the classic, bestselling account of how the modern Middle East was created. “Wonderful...No book published in recent years has more lasting relevance to our understanding of the Middle East.” ― Jack Miles, Los Angeles Book Review.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If you have dreams of quality international politics or agreements, this book will shatter them. Finding a quality map of the late Ottoman empire and modern middle east is essential if you're going to follow the campaigns, as the map is unfortunately devoid of any maps."
"War is a never ending battle."
"This read was excellent, well researched and complete as the impact of WWI on the middle east."
"Fromkin delivers what he promises; how after the fall of the Ottoman Empire during the Great War, the modern Middle East was basically drawn in the map. He explains how the Englishmen were ignorant in Middle Eastern affairs and how the religious fervor in both continents shaped many of the events recounted in the book."
"Lot's of insight on the various politicians and characters involved in the Middle East and "the Peace"."
"This book gave me a much deeper understanding of the middle east and how we have arrived in the mess we're in."
"Fromkin has done an incredible amount of research to gather such an immense volume of detail about the political machinations of the combatants, victors and losers of the first world war and early post war period that have so materially shaped the political landscape of the Middle East."
"About half way through and I’m really appreciating learning the back stories all in one place."
Best African History
In this first volume of the Liberation Trilogy, Rick Atkinson shows why no modern reader can understand the ultimate victory of the Allied powers without a grasp of the great drama that unfolded in North Africa in 1942 and 1943. “Exceptional... A work strong in narrative flow and character portraits of the principle commanders... A highly pleasurable read.” ― The New York Times Book Review. This vivid, personality-driven account of the campaign to drive Axis forces from North Africa shows the political side of waging war, even at the tactical level.” ― Chicago Tribune. An Army at Dawn may be the best World War II battle narrative since Cornelius Ryan's classics, The Longest Day and A Bridge Too Far .” ― Max Boot, The Wall Street Journal. His account of the Kasserine Pass disaster is alone worth the price of the book and stands as an exciting preview of the rich volumes to come. It is impressively researched and superbly written, and it brings to life in full detail one of the vitally important but relatively ‘forgotten' campaigns of World War II. Rick Atkinson strikes the right balance between minor tactical engagements and high strategic direction, and he brings soldiers at every level to life, from private to general. Among the many pleasures of an Army at Dawn are the carefully placed details--shells that whistle into the water with a smoky hiss; a colonel with 'slicked hair and a wolfish mustache'; a man dying before he can fire the pistols strapped in his holster.” ― Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Given his success with modern military history, the penetrating historical insights Atkinson brings to bear on America's 1942-43 invasion of the North African coast are not surprising.” ― Kirkus Reviews. “Atkinson, author of the best-selling The Long Grey Line (1989), a chronicle of the West Point class of 1966, here debuts an ambitious three-volume saga about the North African and European theaters of World War II. This first volume covers the conception of Operation Torch through the German surrender in Tunisia in May 1943 and reveals the author's skill in balancing big-picture strategizing with unit-level tactical fighting... Using battlefield reports and archival material, Atkinson tells a fascinating story of the North African campaign that is hard to stop reading, even though one knows the outcome.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This thorough account includes many fascinating statistics, incidents and details which demonstrate just what a profoundly miraculous event the successes of the invasion of North Africa was."
"Probably the most fascinating account of the war I've ever read."
"He brings to life the personal aspects of war, from the perspectives of the politicians, the enlisted men, and the officers of all ranks up to and including the President."
"We also see that the Germans had their own problems and were initially superior in how to fight a war; something that the allies had to learn as they went along. But, even if you have no map, this book is riveting."
"Written by Pulitzer Prize winning author Rick Atkinson, it tells the unaltered truth of an unprepared military entering war against an enemy more than a match for it. The book captivates the reader quickly as one follows the competing political and military storms that engulf the inexperienced U.S. Supreme Commander in Chief Dwight Eisenhower as his British and American subordinates attempt to take over the running of the war's strategy and tactics. The book narrates in detail the sad lessons the American Army pays in blood to learn as they are exposed to their weaknesses in leadership, equipment, and tactics."
Best European History
Hailed as “one of the most important works of history of our time” ( The New York Times ), this definitive chronicle of Hitler’s rise to power is back in hardcover with a new introductory essay by Ron Rosenbaum ( Explaining Hitler and How the End Begins ) commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of its National Book Award win. Ron Rosenbaum is the bestselling author of Explaining Hitler and The Shakespeare Wars and has written or edited six. other books.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I have not ready any other histories of Nazi Germany, but I can't imagine another more comprehensive account of the horror that was the Third Reich. In reading this book I began to get a clearer understanding of how such an atrocity could have come to exist. If Hitler's grandfather had not belatedly married his grandmother, he would have remained Adolf Schicklgruber and certainly would not have achieved any of the power that he did. But reading it, not as an obligation, but for an understanding of this bleak moment in our world's history, it is a masterpiece. If you choose to read this book, be prepared for an extremely detailed account of every correspondence, letter, speech, meeting that went on with each move and conjecture in this almost chess game of a war. Also, I started to get annoyed that there was so much on the war and nothing about the concentration camp atrocities and the genocide that was taking place."
"Written by a man who lived through the years leading up to the Nazi Party's birth, growth, eventual election to power and all the subsequent insane and inhuman events that followed; a journalist keeping detailed diaries and then supplementing with years of detailed research through vast amounts of other documents, diaries, court records, interviews."
"In the late 90s, purchased still another copy and read it a third time."
"Shirer presents a straight forward and accurate accounting of Germany and the Third Reich. Armed conflict will never stop and the Holocaust may have targeted Jews and other “undesirables” but other societies have and are still persecuting people based on religious beliefs or ethnicity."
Best Latin American History
Within the México profundo there exists an enormous body of accumulated knowledge, as well as successful patterns for living together and adapting to the natural world. To face the future successfully, argues Bonfil, Mexico must build on these strengths of Mesoamerican civilization, "one of the few original civilizations that humanity has created throughout all its history." This translation of a major work in Mexican anthropology argues that Mesoamerican civilization is an ongoing and undeniable force in contemporary Mexican life.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Instead it tells the story of two separate cultures: one, the dominant culture which rules Mexico socially, politically, and economically, and of the second culture, the Indigenous culture which lives and thrives underneath the dominant one."
"This is a powerful analysis of Mexico and the continuing esistence of the civilization encountered by the Spanish."
"Wonderful book!"
"Great book about the construcción of the Mexican identity and nationhood."
"Great information on the evolution of cultures."
"Great book for understanding the nature of a culture and the manipulations of colonialism the land is the ultimate ruler."
"Great to read and know your history."