History book recommendations

[ApocalypseNowt]

Does anyone have any recommendations for some interesting and readable history books?

I'm looking for stuff that isn't too basic but isn't really dry/acadmic either.

Ones I've enjoyed are Chickenhawk (helicopter pilot in vietnam), Medic (history of medicine in warfare), Bravo Two Zero (reread this loads), Doctor for Friend & Foe (Falklands), 2,000 years of annoying the french (funny but informative).

I'm not picky on period really though mostly I've read more 'modern' warfare stuff. Happy to dig in to the War of the Roses, the Khmer Rouge, WWII or stuff I haven't considered before!

They Marched Into Sunlight is really good. I am not really into non-fiction but found this account of the Vietnam War absolutely gripping.

I've just finished How to be a Tudor and How to be a Victorian. TBH, they were fairly basic but I did enjoy them.

For modern history I recommend Tony Judt. I’m most of the way through “PostWar” at the moment. He also wrote ‘Ill fares the land’.

There's a great thread in MN History Club called Historical Ponderings, where there were a lot of book recommendations - I collated them into a list here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/history_club/2790195-Historical-Ponderings-Society-Reading-List and people added lots more.

Iam Mortimer - his time travellers guides are brilliant. Proper history but really readable.

Might not be best for war material though, sorry!

Ian Mortimer I mean

Less war themed but I have just re read The Five by Hallie rubenhold. Its the lives of Jack the rippers victims. Very well researched. So sad they were labelled as just prostitutes.

I enjoyed Operation Mincemeat, and The Secret Rooms. Attention All Shipping is something where geography meets history, but it's a good mix of both and very cheery.

The Hare with the Amber Eyes. Fascinating account of European history seen through the true story of a Jewish family’s rise and fall.

Thanks for these recommendations- I'm putting together a wish list as I've got a birthday coming up. Will treat myself to one or two before then though....

Virginia Nicholson writes great books about twentieth century women’s history - Singled Out (the generation of women who remained unmarried after WW1), Millions Like Us (women’s roles in WW2) and Perfect Wives in Ideal Homes (the myth of the 50s happy housewife). I think there’s also a newer one about the sixties but not sure what it’s called.

Ooh and I can also recommend Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know by Karl Shaw, about the exploits of eccentric aristocrats in the U.K. and Europe. Very funny.

And The Husband Hunters by Anne de Courcy, about social climbing Americans who had wealth but lacked the right family name to be accepted into New York high society, so they came to the U.K. in their droves to marry aristocrats who needed their fortunes to maintain their crumbling country piles. Eye opening.

Black Rain by Masuji Ibuse about nuclear bombing of Japan in WWII

Whispers: Private Life in Stalins Russia by Orlando

Wedlock: How Georgian Britain’s Worst Husband Met His Match by Wendy Moore

Nathaniels Nutmeg by Giles Milton

The Floating Brothel: The Extraordinary True Story of an 18th Century Ship and it’s Cargo of Female Convicts by Sian Rees

Sweet Water and Bitter: The Ships That Stopped the Slave Trade by Sian Rees

*Orlando Figes

A Scandalous Life: A Biography of Jane Digby by Mary Lovell

Trying-Neaira: The True Story of a Courtesan’s Scandalous Life in Ancient-Greece by Debra Hamel

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang

I read Wild Swans but probably about 10+ years ago. Beautifully written book.

Yes it is. I liked it too. You will like the other ones I suggested as well then. All very good history, most of them are women’s history.

Surviving the Killing Fields by Haing S Ngor
Hiroshima Maidens by Rodney Barker
The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang

These books are obviously just by the titles very tragic and traumatic reads.

Pickled Potted and Cured : How the Art and Science of Food Preserving Changed the World by Sue Shepard.

Just remembered another Vietnam one: We were soldiers...and young by Hal Moore. Very thoughtful writing.

Totally agree with pps who suggested The Five, The Floating Brothel and Wedlock - all are excellent books, very well researched and well written.

I also really enjoyed Mudlarking by Lara Maiklem - history of a different kind - the history of London as told through objects found in the Thames.

If you want to go back to ancient Rome then you can't do much better than I Claudius and Claudius the God by Robert Graves - sublime.

I got so into Wild Swans that I ended up with serious sunburn on my back.

Bernard Cornwell has done a really good account of Waterloo.

SPQR, Mary Beard, is the most accessible account of Rome I've read. Classical Ancient History was my degree subject and I've survived SOOO many textbooks, I really think I deserve a medal for not actually killing anyone who wrote yet another article that I had to read and double check in case of any contradictions before I submitted my thesis.

I’m also a fan of Ian Mortimer. His stuff is accessible and readable.

Nicola Schulman’s Graven with Diamonds, which is a biography of Thomas Wyatt, is great.

I’m also a big fan of Noah Yuval Harris’ Sapiens, although it’s probably more anthropology than history.

Amanda Vickery, the Gentleman’s Daughter.

Seth Koven, Slumming

Definitely The Five by Hallie Rubenhold. The best book I've read in the last few years. She just invokes the period so vividly, and brings the women to life so poignantly.
I'm reading SPQR by Mary Beard which is good and accessible, but I do prefer social history.

For WWII anything by Laurence Rees. I've read everything he's written and he's a fantastic writer (that's if you meant non fiction as opposed to novels and the like)