This is the (work-in-progress) result of my efforts to create a Master List of history books that I’ve read and would recommend. More books will be added to each section and new topics will be included over the coming weeks and months.

I’ve included a quick note and excerpts from descriptions for each book, along with buckets for five-star reads, the “best of the rest” and biographies. I may tweak this approach in the future and feedback is always welcome!

In the future I will be vetting and adding community recommendations, especially to fill out topics where I’m lacking. I've also linked short-form/written reviews (if available).

UPDATES

3/13 created "English History", added 8 books. Added 2 books to "Roman History".
3/21 created "Mesopotamia/Near East", added 8 books. Added links to buy for all books.
4/11 created "African History", added 7 books. Added 2 books to "Roman History".
4/29 created "Greek History", added 11 books.
5/1 added 3 books to "Roman History".
6/26 created "American History", added 10 books. Added 1 book to "Greek History". Added 1 book to "Roman History". Added 1 book to "English History". Added 18 links to video reviews.
7/30 added 1 book to "African History". Added 1 book to "American History). Added 2 links to video reviews.
10/9 created "Asian History", added 6 books. Created "French History", added 5 books. Added 1 book to "Greek History".
11/19 created "Prehistory", added 4 books. Added 4 books to "American History". Added 3 books to "Asian History". Added topic order. Added several missing video review links.
12/5 created "German History", added 6 books. Added 1 book to "Mesopotamian History". Added 1 book to "African History". Added 2 books to "English/British History". Added 1 book to "Chinese History".
1/6/26 created "Maritime History", added 3 books. Added 1 book to "Asian History". Added 1 book to "German History".

Topic Order: American > Roman > English/British > French > German > Mesopotamia/Near East > African > Greek > Asian > Prehistory > Maritime

AMERICAN HISTORY

The Five Star Bunch

The War Before the War: Fugitive Slaves and the Struggle for America's Soul from the Revolution to the Civil War by Andrew Delbanco

Academic in tone and (incredible) detail regarding the several aspects surrounding slavery.

Description: "... the story of America’s original sin—slavery—through politics, law, literature, and above all, through the eyes of enslavedblack people who risked their lives to flee from bondage, thereby forcing the nation to confront the truth about itself. The struggle over slavery divided not only the American nation but also the hearts and minds of individual citizens faced with the timeless problem of when to submit to unjust laws and when to resist.

Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty

Prepare to be super pissed off about the opioid epidemic and its causes. (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: "... the saga of three generations of a single family and the mark they would leave on the world... chronicles the multiple investigations of the Sacklers and their company, and the scorched-earth legal tactics that the family has used to evade accountability... a portrait of the excesses of America’s second Gilded Age, a study of impunity among the super elite and a relentless investigation of the naked greed and indifference to human suffering that built one of the world’s great fortunes."

Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen

Try not to obsessively think about this for weeks after reading it. (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: "...explores this ticking-clock scenario, based on dozens of exclusive new interviews with military and civilian experts who have built the weapons, have been privy to the response plans, and have been responsible for those decisions should they have needed to be made... examines the handful of minutes after a nuclear missile launch."

War by Sebastian Junger

Less history, more boots-on-the-ground look at how humans react in extraordinary and tense circumstances.

Description: "Junger turns his brilliant and empathetic eye to the reality of combat--the fear, the honor, and the trust among men in an extreme situation whose survival depends on their absolute commitment to one another... follows a single platoon through a 15-month tour of duty in the most dangerous outpost in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley. Through the experiences of these young men at war, he shows what it means to fight, to serve, and to face down mortal danger on a daily basis."

All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror by Stephen Kinzer

Reads like a tense, page-turning novel. Helped shape the way I thought about America's relationship with the Middle East.

Description: "... brings to life the 1953 CIA coup in Iran that ousted the country’s elected prime minister, ushered in a quarter-century of brutal rule under the Shah, and stimulated the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and anti-Americanism in the Middle East."

Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by James McPherson

The gold standard of single-volume Civil War histories.

Description: "... fast-paced narrative fully integrates the political, social, and military events that crowded the two decades from the outbreak of one war in Mexico to the ending of another at Appomattox... Particularly notable are McPherson's new views on such matters as the slavery expansion issue in the 1850s, the origins of the Republican Party, the causes of secession, internal dissent and anti-war opposition in the North and the South, and the reasons for the Union's victory... This authoritative volume makes sense of that vast and confusing "second American Revolution" we call the Civil War, a war that transformed a nation and expanded our heritage of liberty."

How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith

Beautiful writing mixed with a dark history and awkward personal experiences. Fascinating range of angles with brilliant execution. (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: "A deeply researched and transporting exploration of the legacy of slavery and its imprint on centuries of American history... illustrates how some of our country's most essential stories are hidden in plain view... Informed by scholarship and brought to life by the story of people living today, Smith's debut work of nonfiction is a landmark of reflection and insight that offers a new understanding of the hopeful role that memory and history can play in making sense of our country and how it has come to be."

The Best of the Rest

The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton 1775-1777 by Rick Atkinson (The Revolution Trilogy, Book 1)

Very detailed and well researched blow-by-blow account that excels at making you feel like you're there. (WRITTEN REVIEW)

Description: "... recounts the first twenty-one months of America’s violent war for independence. From the battles at Lexington and Concord in spring 1775 to those at Trenton and Princeton in winter 1777, American militiamen and then the ragged Continental Army take on the world’s most formidable fighting force. It is a gripping saga alive with astonishing characters... The story is also told from the British perspective, making the mortal conflict between the redcoats and the rebels all the more compelling... a tale of heroes and knaves, of sacrifice and blunder, of redemption and profound suffering."

Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution by Mike Duncan

Feels like his podcasts, but in a book. Duncan levels up in this balanced biography. (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: "Few in history can match the revolutionary career of the Marquis de Lafayette. Over 50 incredible years at the heart of the Age of Revolution, he fought courageously on both sides of the Atlantic. He was a soldier, statesman, idealist, philanthropist, and abolitionist... His remarkable life is the story of where we come from and an inspiration to defend the ideals he held dear."

The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family by Annette Gordon-Reed

Super detailed, ambitious, investigative academic work that achieves its stated goal of telling the story of the Hemingses from their perspective.

Description: "...tells the story of the Hemingses, whose close blood ties to our third president had been systematically expunged from American history until very recently. Now, historian and legal scholar Annette Gordon-Reed traces the Hemings family from its origins in Virginia in the 1700s to the family’s dispersal after Jefferson’s death in 1826."

Wake: The History of Women-Led Slave Revolts by Rebecca Hall

Graphic novel that is part history, part investigation, part personal reckoning and incredibly powerful.

Description: "...tells the “riveting” (Angela Y. Davis) story of Dr. Rebecca Hall, a historian, granddaughter of slaves, and a woman haunted by the legacy of slavery. The accepted history of slave revolts has always told her that enslaved women took a back seat. But Rebecca decides to look deeper, and her journey takes her through old court records, slave ship captain’s logs, crumbling correspondence, and even the forensic evidence from the bones of enslaved women from the “negro burying ground” uncovered in Manhattan. She finds women warriors everywhere."

1776 by David McCullough

Like watching a fast-paced, tense war drama unfold in real time. (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: "... tells the intensely human story of those who marched with General George Washington in the year of the Declaration of Independence—when the whole American cause was riding on their success, without which all hope for independence would have been dashed and the noble ideals of the Declaration would have amounted to little more than words on paper."

The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women by Kate Moore

Haunting narrative history covering brave women who were royally screwed over and how they fought back. (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: "They had been poisoned by the radium paint. Yet their employers denied all responsibility. And so, in the face of unimaginable suffering - in the face of death - these courageous women refused to accept their fate quietly and instead became determined to fight for justice. Drawing on previously unpublished sources... The Radium Girls is an intimate narrative account of an unforgettable true story..."

The Last of the Doughboys: The Forgotten Generation and Their Forgotten World War by Richard Rubin

A deeply personal oral history that also provides context of the larger events surrounding each veteran.

Description: "... the most sweeping look at America’s First World War in a generation, a glorious reminder of the tremendously important role America played in the war to end all wars, as well as a moving meditation on character, grace, aging, and memory."

Kill Anything That Moves: The Real American War in Vietnam by Nick Turse

Misses in some aspects but effectively brings to light a litany of horrific events. (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: "Drawing on more than a decade of research in secret Pentagon files and extensive interviews with American veterans and Vietnamese survivors, Turse reveals for the first time how official policies resulted in millions of innocent civilians killed and wounded. In shocking detail, he lays out the workings of a military machine that made crimes in almost every major American unit all but inevitable..."

A People's History of the United States: 1492-Present by Howard Zinn

Controversial polemic that takes a hard leftist/socialist stance against traditional historical narratives.

Description: "... the only volume to tell America's story from the point of view of—and in the words of—America's women, factory workers, African-Americans, Native Americans, the working poor, and immigrant laborers... Covering Christopher Columbus's arrival through President Clinton's first term... features insightful analysis of the most important events in our history."

ROMAN HISTORY

The Five Star Bunch

1453: The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and the West by Roger Crowley

Equal coverage of the declining Byzantines and the rising Ottomans. Very balanced, clear, and accessible. (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: "... the taut, vivid story of this final struggle for the city, told largely through the accounts of eyewitnesses... At the center is the contest between two inspirational leaders, Mehmed II and Constantine XI, fighting for empire and religious faith, and an astonishing finale in a few short hours on May 29, 1453 – a defining moment for medieval history... both a gripping work of narrative history and an account of the war between Christendom and Islam that still has echoes in the modern world."

Rubicon: The Triumph and Tragedy of the Roman Republic by Tom Holland

Details the civil wars that led to the Fall of the Roman Republic and the establishment of the Roman Empire with tremendous flair.

Description: “Rubicon paints a vivid portrait of the Republic at the climax of its greatness—the same greatness which would herald the catastrophe of its fall. It is a story of incomparable drama.”

Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the House of Caesar by Tom Holland

Explores a very messy family doing Very Important Things. A great follow-up to Rubicon.

Description: “...Intrigue, murder, naked ambition and treachery, greed, gluttony, lust, incest, pageantry, decadence—the tale of these five Caesars continues to cast a mesmerizing spell across the millennia.”

The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History of Rome and the Barbarians by Peter Heather

A comprehensive, objective and well-researched take that will give you a great foundation of knowledge for how the Empire fell.

Description: “...relates the extraordinary story of how Europe's barbarians, transformed by centuries of contact with Rome on every possible level, eventually pulled the empire apart.”

Carthage Must Be Destroyed: The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Civilization by Richard Miles

A rare pro-Carthiginian account of the epic battle between two superpowers for domination of the Western Mediterranean. (will be cross-posted in African history as this is moreso a Carthiginian story than a Roman one) (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: “Drawing on a wealth of new research… resurrects the civilization that ancient Rome struggled so mightily to expunge. This monumental work charts the entirety of Carthage's history, from its origins among the Phoenician settlements of Lebanon to its apotheosis as a Mediterranean empire whose epic land-and-sea clash with Rome made a legend of Hannibal and shaped the course of Western history… reintroduces readers to the ancient glory of a lost people and their generations-long struggle against an implacable enemy.

A Rome of One’s Own: The Forgotten Women of the Roman Empire by Emma Southon

21 profiles of 21 women in chronological order from the earliest days of Rome through the Imperial period. Entertaining and informative. (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: “This is a history of women who caused outrage, led armies in rebellion, wrote poetry; who lived independently or under the thumb of emperors. Told with humor and verve as well as a deep scholarly background… highlights women overlooked and misunderstood, and through them offers a fascinating and groundbreaking chronicle of the ancient world.”

The Best of the Rest

Emperor of Rome: Ruling the Ancient Rome by Mary Beard

A cultural study of the powerful and weird lives of emperors.

Description: "...not your typical chronological account of Roman rulers... Beard asks different, often larger and more probing questions: What power did emperors actually have? Was the Roman palace really so bloodstained? What kind of jokes did Augustus tell? And for that matter, what really happened, for example, between the emperor Hadrian and his beloved Antinous? Effortlessly combining the epic with the quotidian, Beard tracks the emperor down at home, at the races, on his travels, even on his way to heaven..."

SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard

General, cultural overview covering the 8th century BC to ~212 AD. (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: “...examines not just how we think of ancient Rome but challenges the comfortable historical perspectives that have existed for centuries. With its nuanced attention to class, democratic struggles, and the lives of entire groups of people omitted from the historical narrative for centuries…”

Alaric the Goth: An Outsider's History of the Fall of Rome by Douglas Boin

Accessible and effective perspective shift that centers the "barbarians" through the lens of an influential Goth and his people. (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: "The marginalized Goths, marked by history as frightening harbingers of destruction and of the Dark Ages, preserved virtues of the ancient world that we take for granted... The three nights of riots Alaric and the Goths brought to the capital struck fear into the hearts of the powerful, but the riots were not without cause. Combining vivid storytelling and historical analysis... reveals the Goths’ complex and fascinating legacy in shaping our world."

The Storm Before the Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic by Mike Duncan

Explores the period leading up to the Fall of the Roman Republic by focusing on the years between 146-78 BC where several domestic issues came to a head.

Description: “...dives headlong into the first generation to face this treacherous new political environment. Abandoning the ancient principles of their forbearers, men like Marius, Sulla, and the Gracchi brothers set dangerous new precedents that would start the Republic on the road to destruction…”

The Rise of Rome: The Making of the World’s Greatest Empire by Anthony Everitt

Accessible overview that unpacks Rome’s path to empire. Works great as an introduction to Ancient Roman history.

Description: “Rome’s decline and fall have long fascinated historians, but the story of how the empire was won is every bit as compelling. With The Rise of Rome, one of our most revered chroniclers of the ancient world tells that tale in a way that will galvanize, inform, and enlighten modern readers.”

How Rome Fell: Death of a Superpower by Adrian Goldsworthy

Goldsworthy is a good man, and thorough.

Description: "... examines the painful centuries of the superpower’s decline. Bringing history to life through the stories of the men, women, heroes, and villains involved... uncovers surprising lessons about the rise and fall of great nations... this is the story of how an empire without a serious rival rotted from within, its rulers and institutions putting short-term ambition and personal survival over the wider good of the state."

In the Name of Rome: The Men Who Won the Roman Empire by Adrian Goldsworthy

Bite-sized profiles on the most iconic and effective Roman generals from the early Republic to the fall of the East.

Description: "... offers a new perspective on the Empire by focusing on its greatest generals... offering in-depth insight into his leadership skills and victories, as well as each one’s pioneering strategies, many of which are still used today... this absorbing, reader-friendly history tells the complete story of Roman warfare..."

Scipio Africanus: Greater Than Napoleon by BH Liddell Hart

Well-researched and interesting case for "The Hammer of Africa" as one of the most skilled military generals in history.

Description: ... fascinating portrait of this extraordinary commander... Not only military enthusiasts and historians but all those interested in outstanding men will find this magnificent study absorbing and gripping."

The Restoration of Rome: Barbarian Popes and Imperial Pretenders by Peter Heather

Makes sense of a garbled period of history with fascinating profiles on important figures of the age.

Description: “...each of the three greatest immediate contenders for imperial power - Theoderic, Justinian, and Charlemagne - operated with a different power base but was astonishingly successful in his own way. Though each in turn managed to put back together enough of the old Roman West to stake a plausible claim to the Western imperial title, none of their empires long outlived their founders' deaths… a captivating narrative of the death of an era and the birth of the Catholic Church.”

The Rise of Rome: From the Iron Age to the Punic Wars by Kathryn Lomas

Similar to Everitt's book above but with a more scholarly and archaeological lean while still remaining accessible.

Description: "...reconstructs the diplomatic ploys, political stratagems, and cultural exchanges whereby Rome established itself as a dominant player in a region already brimming with competitors... identifies nascent political structures that unified the empire’s diverse populations, and finds the beginnings of Italian peoplehood."

The Ghosts of Cannae: Hannibal and the Darkest Hour of the Roman Republic by Robert L. O'Connell

A unique angle to a well-known battle and delightfully sassy in some of its arguments. Very strong on military matters. (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: "... brilliantly conveys how Rome amassed a giant army to punish Carthage’s masterful commander, how Hannibal outwitted enemies that outnumbered him, and how this disastrous pivot point in Rome’s history ultimately led to the republic’s resurgence and the creation of its empire... reveals how Cannae’s legend has inspired and haunted military leaders ever since, and the lessons it teaches for our own wars."

A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome by Emma Southon

A unique angle written with incredible insight and wit. (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: “...examines a trove of real-life homicides from Roman history to explore Roman culture… we see how the Romans viewed life, death, and what it means to be human… An entertaining and informative look at the unique culture of crime, punishment, and killing in Ancient Rome.

The Spartacus War by Barry Strauss

An honest effort to reconstruct the life of Spartacus without attempting to reimagine his history by filling in the gaps with conjecture.

Description: “...the extraordinary story of the most famous slave rebellion in the ancient world, the fascinating true story behind a legend that has been the inspiration for novelists, filmmakers, and revolutionaries for 2,000 years.”

The War That Made the Roman Empire: Antony, Cleopatra, and Octavian at Actium

Straightforward recounting of one of the most important moments in Roman History.

Description: “...two powerful men remained in Rome—Antony and Caesar’s chosen heir, young Octavian, the future Augustus. When Antony fell in love with the most powerful woman in the world, Egypt’s ruler Cleopatra, and thwarted Octavian’s ambition to rule the empire, another civil war broke out… essential history that features three of the greatest figures of the ancient world.”

The Roman Revolution by Ronald Syme

Makes the case that a revolution was necessary for Rome to correct its disastrous course.

Description: “...a profound and unconventional treatment of a great theme - the fall of the Republic and the decline of freedom in Rome between 60 BC and AD 14, and the rise to power of the greatest of the Roman Emperors, Augustus. The transformation of state and society, the violent transference of power and property, and the establishment of Augustus' rule are presented in an unconventional narrative, which quotes from ancient evidence, refers seldomly to modern authorities, and states controversial opinions quite openly.”

The Fall of Rome: And the End of Civilization by Bryan Ward-Perkins

Scholarly counterargument to the theory that the fall of the Roman Empire was more of a transition.

Description: “...contends that a key problem with the new way of looking at the end of the ancient world is that all difficulty and awkwardness is smoothed out into a steady and positive transformation of society. Nothing ever goes badly wrong in this vision of the past. The evidence shows otherwise.”

Biographies (description excerpts will be added soon!)
Messalina by Honor Cargill-Martin - 5* (VIDEO REVIEW)
Augustus by Anthony Everitt
Cicero by Anthony Everitt
Hadrian by Anthony Everitt
Caesar by Adrian Goldsworthy - 5*
Agrippina by Emma Southon - 5*

ENGLISH/BRITISH HISTORY

The Five Star Bunch

The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England by Dan Jones

My first dive into English history. Sweeping in scope, super accessible, and with an eye for the story.

Description: "...vividly resurrects this fierce and seductive royal dynasty and its mythic world... This is the era of chivalry, of Robin Hood and the Knights Templar, the Black Death, the founding of Parliament, the Black Prince, and the Hundred Year’s War. It will appeal as much to listeners of Tudor history as to fans of Game of Thrones."

The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors by Dan Jones

Jones is excellent at boiling down complex subjects like this and making them accessible to a general audience.

Description: "...the actual historical backdrop for Game of Thrones... describes how the longest reigning British royal family tore itself apart until it was finally replaced by the Tudors... this is a bold and dramatic narrative history that will delight listeners who like their history with a healthy dose of bedlam, romance, and intrigue."

The Brothers York: A Royal Tragedy by Thomas Penn

Incredible detail on the end of the Plantagenets and rise of the Tudors. Main focus is on Edward IV and his two brothers' exploits.

Description: "... The story of three remarkable brothers, two of whom were crowned kings of England and the other an heir presumptive, whose antagonism was fueled by the mistrust and vendettas of the age that brought their family to power. The house of York should have been the dynasty that the Tudors became. Its tragedy was that it devoured itself."

The Best of the Rest

The Battle of Hastings: The Fall of the Anglo-Saxons and the Rise of the Normans by Jim Bradbury

A straightforward recounting of this key battle with a heavy focus on the makeup and strategies of the opposing armies. Dry but decent enough.

Description: "... an examination of the military development of the two sides up to 1066, detailing differences in tactics, arms, and armor. The core of the book is a move-by-move reconstruction of the battle itself... places the battle in the military context of eleventh-century Europe."

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann

Reads like a novel and is just a crazy, gripping yarn.

Description: "... a page-turning story of shipwreck, survival, and savagery, culminating in a court martial that reveals a shocking truth. The powerful narrative reveals the deeper meaning of the events on The Wager, showing that it was not only the captain and crew who ended up on trial, but the very idea of empire."

Unruly: The Ridiculous History of England's Kings and Queens by David Mitchell

A humorous look at a large swath of English history. Nothing groundbreaking but is quite fun and would work as a great introduction to the subject.

Description: "...explores how early England’s monarchs, while acting as feared rulers firmly guiding their subjects’ destinies, were in reality a bunch of lucky bastards who were mostly as silly and weird in real life as they appear today in their portraits... Taking us back to King Arthur (spoiler: he didn’t exist), Mitchell tells the founding story of post-Roman England up to the reign of Elizabeth I (spoiler: she dies)."

The Anglo-Saxons: A History of the Beginnings of England: 400 - 1066 by Marc Morris

Learn all about how England fought to become England!

Description: "... the turbulent history of these people across the next six centuries... It explores how they abandoned their old gods for Christianity, established hundreds of churches, and created dazzlingly intricate works of art. It charts the revival of towns and trade, and the origins of a familiar landscape of shires, boroughs, and bishoprics... see how a new society, a new culture, and a single unified nation came into being."

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold

Being a woman in Victorian England sucked and Rubenhold does justice to the victims by focusing on their lives and not their demise/killer.

Description: "Polly, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine and Mary-Jane are famous for the same thing, though they never met... the year of their murders: 1888. Their murderer was never identified, but the name created for him by the press has become far more famous than any of these five women. Now, in this devastating narrative of five lives, historian Hallie Rubenhold finally sets the record straight, and gives these women back their stories."

Biographies

The Greatest Knight: The Remarkable Life of William Marshal, the Power Behind Five English Thrones by Thomas Asbridge

Accessible and fascinating, learn about this stretch of history through the lens of this honorable fella. (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: "...A leading retainer of five English kings, Marshal served the great figures of this age... and was involved in some of the most critical phases of medieval history."

Henry V: The Astonishing Triump of England's Greatest Warrior King by Dan Jones

Unique gambles to use present tense and start at the young Henry's apprenticeship, both of which paid off. (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: "...one of the most intriguing characters in all medieval history, but one of the hardest to pin down... he saved a shattered country from economic ruin, put down rebellions, and secured England’s borders; in foreign diplomacy, he made England a serious player once more. Yet through his conquests in northern France, he sowed the seeds for three generations of calamity at home, in the form of the Wars of the Roses... a historical titan whose legacy has become a complicated one..."

Henry VIII: The King and His Court by Alison Weir

A comprehensive look at an iconic figure. A couple slight slogs but overall a solid balance of story and information.

Description: "...records the many complex human dramas that swirled around Henry while deftly weaving in an account of the intimate rituals and desires of England’s ruling class... Packed with colorful description, meticulous in historical detail, rich in pageantry, intrigue, passion, and luxury... renders King Henry VIII, his court, and the fascinating men and women who fought for its pleasures and rewards."

FRENCH HISTORY

The Revolutionary Temper: Paris, 1748-1789 by Robert Darnton

Great mix of bottom-up and top-down history, unpacking how regular folk circulated a litany of grievances that led to the French Revolution.

Description: "... explores eighteenth-century Paris as an information society much like our own, its news circuits centered in cafés, on park benches, and under the Palais-Royal’s Tree of Cracow. Through pamphlets, gossip, underground newsletters, and public performances, the events of some forty years―from disastrous treaties, official corruption, and royal debauchery to thrilling hot-air balloon ascents and new understandings of the nation―all entered the churning collective consciousness of ordinary Parisians. As public trust in royal authority eroded and new horizons opened for them, Parisians prepared themselves for revolution."

Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution by Mike Duncan

Feels like his podcasts, but in a book. Duncan levels up in this balanced biography. (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: "Few in history can match the revolutionary career of the Marquis de Lafayette. Over 50 incredible years at the heart of the Age of Revolution, he fought courageously on both sides of the Atlantic. He was a soldier, statesman, idealist, philanthropist, and abolitionist... His remarkable life is the story of where we come from and an inspiration to defend the ideals he held dear."

House of Lilies: The Dynasty That Made Medieval France by Justine Firnhaber-Baker

Super solid introduction to French history and a great complement to The Plantagenets by Dan Jones.

Description: "The definitive history of the crusading dynasty that made the French crown the wealthiest and most powerful in medieval Europe and forged France as we know it today... tells the epic story of the Capetian dynasty of medieval France, showing how their ideas about power, religion, and identity continue to shape European society and politics today."

The Last Duel: A True Story of Crime, Scandal and Trial by Combat by Eric Jager

Two dickheads think they're really badass while really they're just putting a poor woman through a bunch of mess.

Description: In the midst of the devastating Hundred Years’ War between France and England, Jean de Carrouges, a Norman knight fresh from combat in Scotland, returns home to yet another deadly threat. His wife, Marguerite, has accused squire Jacques Le Gris of rape. A deadlocked court decrees a trial by combat between the two men that will also leave Marguerite’s fate in the balance. For if her husband loses the duel, she will be put to death as a false accuser.

A New World Begins: The History of the French Revolution by Jeremy Popkin

A comprehensive, chronological reconstruction. Exactly what I hoped it'd be.

Description: "The French Revolution’s principles of liberty and equality still shape our ideas of a just society—even if, after more than two hundred years, their meaning is more contested than ever before... offers a riveting account of the revolution that puts the reader in the thick of the debates and the violence that led to the overthrow of the monarchy and the establishment of a new society... Based on decades of scholarship, A New World Begins will stand as the definitive treatment of the French Revolution."

GERMAN HISTORY

The Five Star Bunch

The Third Reich Trilogy (The Coming of the Third Reich, The Third Reich in Power, The Third Reich at War) by Richard J Evans

The definitive work on this period. 2,500 total pages of detailed yet addicting (and haunting) history.

Description: "[Coming] A masterful synthesis of a vast body of scholarly work integrated with important new research and interpretations, Evans’s history restores drama and contingency to the rise to power of Hitler and the Nazis, even as it shows how ready Germany was by the early 1930s for such a takeover to occur... [Power] Chronicles the incredible story of Germany's radical reshaping under Nazi rule... the fullest and most authoritative account yet written of how, in six years, Germany was brought to the edge of that terrible abyss... [War] Portrays a society rushing headlong to self-destruction and taking much of Europe with it."

Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin by Timothy Snyder

Keeps the focus on one region of two overlapping periods of extreme state violence from ~1930-1945.

Description: "...Assiduously researched, deeply humane, and utterly definitive, Bloodlands is a new kind of European history, presenting the mass murders committed by the Nazi and Stalinist regimes as two aspects of a single story."

The Best of the Rest

Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland by Christopher R. Browning

This one will mess with your noodle. One of the best at unpacking the psychology behind wartime atrocities.

Description: "... the true story of Reserve Police Battalion 101 of the German Order Police, which was responsible for mass shootings as well as round-ups of Jewish people for deportation to Nazi death camps in Poland in 1942. Browning argues that most of the men of RPB 101 were not fanatical Nazis but, rather, ordinary middle-aged, working-class men who committed these atrocities out of a mixture of motives, including the group dynamics of conformity, deference to authority, role adaptation, and the altering of moral norms to justify their actions..."

The Faithful Executioner: Life and Death, Honor and Shame in the Turbulent Sixteenth Century by Joel F. Harrington

A fascinating look at the profession and legal system, one of my favorite concepts.

Description: "... an account of the 394 people Meister Frantz Schmidt executed, and the hundreds more he tortured, flogged, or disfigured for more than forty-five years in the city of Nuremberg. But the portrait of Schmidt that gradually emerged was not that of a monster. Could a man who practiced such cruelty also be insightful, compassionate―even progressive? ... Deemed an official outcast, Meister Frantz sought to prove himself worthy of honor and free his children from the stigma of his profession."

Blood & Iron: The Rise and Fall of the German Empire by Katja Hoyer

The no nonsense, brisk primer before jumping into Nazi Germany (with no Sonderweg nonsense).

Description: "... In this unique study of five decades that changed the course of modern history, Katja Hoyer tells the story of the German Empire from its violent beginnings to its calamitous defeat in the First World War."

False Prophets & Preachers: Henry Gresbeck's Account of the Anabaptist Kingdom of Münster by Christopher S. Mackay

Academic work that's still accessible and with great notes to get as close as we can to this bonkers story.

Description: "In February 1534, a radical group of Anabaptists, gripped with apocalyptic fervor, seized the city of Münster and established an idealistic communal government that quickly deteriorated into extreme inequality and theocratic totalitarianism... Fifteen months later the besieged inhabitants were starving, and, in the dead of the night, five men slipped out... adhered closely to Gresbeck’s own words to produce the first complete and accurate English translation of this important primary source."

The Dictators: Hitler's German, Stalin's Russia by Richard Overy

Super well-researched academic work with a solid thesis, only held back by being a bit dry.

Description: "... the first major historical work to analyze the two dictatorships together in depth, Richard Overy gives us an absorbing study of Hitler and Stalin, ranging from their private and public selves, their ascents to power and consolidation of absolute rule, to their waging of massive war and creation of far-flung empires of camps and prisons."

MESOPOTAMIA/NEAR EAST

The Five Star Bunch

Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes by Tamim Ansary

Sweeping in coverage, conversational in tone. A great introduction to multiple topics throughout history. (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: "...the rich story of world history with the evolution of the Muslim community at the center. His story moves from the lifetime of Mohammed through a succession of far-flung empires, to the tangle of modern conflicts that culminated in the events of 9/11... introduces the key people, events, ideas, legends, religious disputes, and turning points of world history, imparting not only what happened but how it is understood from the Muslim perspective."

From Cyrus to Alexander: A History of the Persian Empire by Pierre Briant

Translated from French. An academic and comprehensive THICC BOI powerhouse and a great book to have handy for reference.

Description: "...attempts to understand how such an Empire emerged, developed, and faded. Though firmly grounded in the evidence, the author’s discussions do not avoid persistent questions and regularly engages divergent interpretations and alternative hypotheses. This book is without precedent or equivalent, and also offers an exhaustive bibliography and thorough indexes."

1453: The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and the West by Roger Crowley

Equal coverage of the declining Byzantines and the rising Ottomans. Very balanced, clear, and accessible. (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: "... the taut, vivid story of this final struggle for the city, told largely through the accounts of eyewitnesses... At the center is the contest between two inspirational leaders, Mehmed II and Constantine XI, fighting for empire and religious faith, and an astonishing finale in a few short hours on May 29, 1453 – a defining moment for medieval history... both a gripping work of narrative history and an account of the war between Christendom and Islam that still has echoes in the modern world."

All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror by Stephen Kinzer

Reads like a tense, page-turning novel. Helped shape the way I thought about America's relationship with the Middle East.

Description: "... brings to life the 1953 CIA coup in Iran that ousted the country’s elected prime minister, ushered in a quarter-century of brutal rule under the Shah, and stimulated the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and anti-Americanism in the Middle East."

The Best of the Rest

1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline

Academic yet readable with an emphasis on archaeology.

Description: "...the gripping story of how the end was brought about by multiple interconnected failures, ranging from invasion and revolt to earthquakes, drought, and the cutting of international trade routes... a sweeping panorama of the empires and globalized peoples of the Late Bronze Age... shows that it was their very interdependence that hastened their dramatic collapse and ushered in a dark age that lasted centuries."

Assyria: The Rise and Fall of the World's First Empire by Ekhart Frahm

Leans on recent archaeology to re-write/update the history of the Old Assyrian, Middle Assyrian and Neo-Assyrian periods. A no frills, solid piece of work.

Description: "...tells the epic story of Assyria and its formative role in global history... nearly two centuries of research now permit a rich picture of the Assyrians and their empire beyond the battlefield: their vast libraries and monumental sculptures, their elaborate trade and information networks, and the crucial role played by royal women."

Persian Fire: The First World Empire and the Battle for the West by Tom Holland

A "popular history" narrative, told with Holland's usual flair. Covers the Persians and Greeks fairly equally.

Description: "In the fifth century BC, a global superpower was determined to bring truth and order to what it regarded as two terrorist states. The superpower was Persia, incomparably rich in ambition, gold, and men. The terrorist states were Athens and Sparta, eccentric cities in a poor and mountainous backwater: Greece... examines a conflict of critical importance to both ancient and modern history."

Persians: The Age of Great Kings by Lloyd-Llewellyn Jones

An honest attempt at telling the "Persian version" of Achaemenid history often told by Greek and other Western sources.

Description: "...the epic story of this dynasty and the world it ruled. Drawing on Iranian inscriptions, cuneiform tablets, art, and archaeology, he shows how the Achaemenid Persian Empire was the world’s first superpower—one built, despite its imperial ambition, on cooperation and tolerance... the definitive history of the Achaemenid dynasty and its legacies in modern-day Iran..."

Weavers, Scribes, and Kings: A New History of the Ancient Near East by Amanda H. Podany

Sweeping and heavy on archeology. Brings to life figures that range from kings to average citizens. (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: "...a gripping journey from the creation of the world's first cities to the conquests of Alexander the Great. The book is built around the life stories of many ancient men and women, from kings, priestesses, and merchants to brickmakers, musicians, and weavers. Their habits of daily life, beliefs, triumphs, and crises, and the changes that people faced over time are explored through their own written words and the buildings, cities, and empires in which they lived."

AFRICAN HISTORY

The Five Star Bunch

Africa is Not a Country: Notes on a Bright Content by Dipo Faloyin

Shatters stereotypes in a conversational tone that's easily digestible yet incredibly thought-provoking. (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: "So often, Africa has been depicted simplistically as a uniform land of famines and safaris, poverty and strife, stripped of all nuance. In this bold and insightful book, Dipo Faloyin offers a much-needed corrective, weaving a vibrant tapestry of stories that bring to life Africa’s rich diversity, communities, and histories..."

King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa by Adam Hochschild

Meet King Dickhead, who seized vast swathes of territory and visited untold horrors on the Congo. (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: "...A tale far richer than any novelist could invent... the horrifying account of a megalomaniac of monstrous proportions. It is also the deeply moving portrait of those who defied Leopold: African rebel leaders who fought against hopeless odds and a brave handful of missionaries, travelers, and young idealists who went to Africa for work or adventure but unexpectedly found themselves witnesses to a holocaust and participants in the twentieth century’s first great human rights movement."

Carthage Must Be Destroyed: The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Civilization by Richard Miles

A rare pro-Carthiginian account of the epic battle between two superpowers for domination of the Western Mediterranean. (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: “Drawing on a wealth of new research… resurrects the civilization that ancient Rome struggled so mightily to expunge. This monumental work charts the entirety of Carthage's history, from its origins among the Phoenician settlements of Lebanon to its apotheosis as a Mediterranean empire whose epic land-and-sea clash with Rome made a legend of Hannibal and shaped the course of Western history… reintroduces readers to the ancient glory of a lost people and their generations-long struggle against an implacable enemy.

White Malice: The CIA and the Covert Recolonization of Africa by Susan Williams

Staggering and frustrating while still maintaining a solid flow. (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: "...unearths the CIA’s covert operations from Ghana to the Congo to the UN, which frustrated the attempts of Africa’s new generation of nationalist leaders to establish democratic governance. These revelations dramatically upend the conventional wisdom that African nations failed to establish effective, democratic states on their own accord. As the old European powers moved out, the US moved in."

The Best of the Rest

An African History of Africa: From the Dawn of Humanity to Independence by Zeinab Badawi

A sweeping, general history of Africa. A few minor errors but still works as a decent sampler platter. (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: "...guides us through Africa's spectacular history - from the very origins of our species, through ancient civilizations and medieval empires with remarkable queens and kings, to the miseries of conquest and the elation of independence. Visiting more than thirty African countries to interview countless historians, anthropologists, archaeologists and local storytellers, she unearths buried histories from across the continent and gives Africa its rightful place in our global story."

The Golden Rhinoceros: Histories of the African Middle Ages by François-Xavier Fauvelle

A collection of essays covering various eras/locations.

Description: "From the birth of Islam in the seventh century to the voyages of European exploration in the fifteenth, Africa was at the center of a vibrant exchange of goods and ideas. It was an African golden age in which Ghâna, Nubia, and Zimbabwe became the crossroads of civilizations, and where African royals, thinkers, and artists played celebrated roles in an increasingly globalized world... carefully pieces together the written and archaeological evidence to tell an unforgettable story that is at once sensitive to Africa’s rich social diversity and alert to the trajectories that connected Africa with the wider Muslim and Christian worlds."

Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives by Siddharth Kara

Part investigative journalism, part travelogue, will make you feel guilty the next time you pick up your phone. (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: "...the searing first-ever exposé of the immense toll taken on the people and environment of the Democratic Republic of the Congo by cobalt mining, as told through the testimonies of the Congolese people themselves..."

How Europe Underdeveloped Africa by Walter Rodney

Scholarly work that details how colonialism and slavery pillaged Africa to benefit Europe.

Description: "...incisively argues that grasping "the great divergence" between the west and the rest can only be explained as the exploitation of the latter by the former. This meticulously researched analysis of the abiding repercussions of European colonialism on the continent of Africa has not only informed decades of scholarship and activism, it remains an indispensable study for grasping global inequality today."

Biographies

Hannibal: Rome's Greatest Enemy by Philip Freeman

Quick, solid work that would serve as a great refresher or introduction.

Description: "...one of the greatest military leaders in history almost destroyed Rome. Hannibal, a daring African general from the city of Carthage, led an army of warriors and battle elephants over the snowy Alps to invade the very heart of Rome's growing empire. But what kind of person would dare to face the most relentless imperial power of the ancient world? How could Hannibal, consistently outnumbered and always deep in enemy territory, win battle after battle until he held the very fate of Rome within his grasp?"

GREEK HISTORY

The Five Star Bunch

The Histories by Herodotus (Tom Holland translation)

Without Herodotus, so much history gets lost to time, and Holland crushes this translation.

Description: "Herodotus is not only the father of the art and the science of historical writing but also one of the Western tradition's most compelling storytellers... he laid bare the intricate human entanglements at the core of great historical events... infused his magnificent history with a continuous awareness of the mythic and the wonderful."

Ghost on the Throne: The Death of Alexander the Great and the Bloody Fight for His Empire by James Romm

Skillfully makes sense of the complicated Wars of the Diadochi, highlighting events and figures that are often overlooked in an entertaining style.

Description: "...six of Alexander’s Macedonian generals, spurred by their own thirst for power and the legend that Alexander bequeathed his rule “to the strongest,” fought to gain supremacy... brings to life the cutthroat competition and the struggle for control of the Greek world’s greatest empire."

The Best of the Rest

The Spartans: The World of the Warrior Heroes of Ancient Greece by Paul Cartledge

A balanced, concise and well-rounded examination of a truly whacky experiment.

Description: "...examines the rise and fall of this singular society. In a narrative that resounds with the battle cries of the ancient Greeks, he takes a compelling look at the many illustrious Spartan figures from the worlds of history and legend, including Lycurgus, Lysander, King Leonidas, and Helen of Troy and Sparta."

Pandora's Jar: Women in Greek Myths by Natalie Haynes

Witty and informative re-examination of how women are portrayed in Greek Myth.

Description: "...revolutionizes our understanding of epic poems, stories, and plays, resurrecting them from a woman’s perspective and tracing the origins of their mythic female characters... brings nuance and care to the millennia-old myths and legends and asks the question: Why are we so quick to villainize these women in the first place—and so eager to accept the stories we’ve been told?"

Persian Fire: The First World Empire and the Battle for the West by Tom Holland

A "popular history" narrative, told with Holland's usual flair. Covers the Persians and Greeks fairly equally.

Description: "In the fifth century BC, a global superpower was determined to bring truth and order to what it regarded as two terrorist states. The superpower was Persia, incomparably rich in ambition, gold, and men. The terrorist states were Athens and Sparta, eccentric cities in a poor and mountainous backwater: Greece... examines a conflict of critical importance to both ancient and modern history."

The Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan

Takes a more analytical approach than Thucydides with an interesting perspective.

Description: "... presents a new account of this vicious war of Greek against Greek, Athenian against Spartan... a magisterial work of history written for general readers, offering a fresh examination of a pivotal moment in Western civilization... a chronicle of the rise and fall of a great empire and of a dark time whose lessons still resonate today."

Alexander at the End of the World: The Forgotten Final Years of Alexander the Great by Rachel Kousser

A lot of the same story you'll find elsewhere but with some new angles/archaeology to consider.

Description: "...vividly brings to life Alexander’s labyrinthine, treacherous final years, weaving together a brilliant series of epic battles, stunning landscapes, and nearly insurmountable obstacles. Meticulously researched and grippingly written, Kousser’s narrative is an unforgettable tale of daring and adventure, an inspiring portrait of grit and ambition, and a powerful meditation on the ability to learn from failure."

The Sacred Band: Three Hundred Theban Lovers and the Last Days of Greek Freedom by James Romm

Enjoyable and approachable look at Theban history from ~379 BC to 338 BC through the framework of their elite warrior unit. (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: "The story of the Sacred Band, an elite 300-man corps recruited from pairs of lovers, highlights a chaotic era of ancient Greek history, four decades marked by battles, ideological disputes, and the rise of vicious strongmen. At stake was freedom, democracy, and the fate of Thebes, at this time the leading power of the Greek world."

Dividing the Spoils: The War for Alexander the Great's Empire by Robin Waterfield

More dry than Romm's treatment but extends the story further in the timeline.

Description: "... revives the memory of the Successors of Alexander and their great contest for his empire. It was the Successors--battle-tested companions of Alexander such as Ptolemy, Perdiccas, Seleucus, and Antigonus the One-Eyed--who consolidated Alexander's gains. Their competing ambitions, however, eventually led to the break-up of the empire... draws upon a wide range of historical materials, providing the first account that makes complete sense of this highly complex period."

Creators, Conquerors & Citizens: A History of Ancient Greece by Robin Waterfield

Very solid and accessible introduction for Greek history newbies.

Description: "... the best single-volume account of ancient Greece in more than a generation... a comprehensive narrative of seven hundred years of history, from the emergence of the Greeks around 750 BCE to the Roman conquest of the last of the Greco-Macedonian kingdoms in 30 BCE. Equal weight is given to all phases of Greek history -- the Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods... incorporates the most recent scholarship by classical historians and archaeologists and asks his readers to think critically about Greek history."

Biographies

Olympias: Mother of Alexander the Great by Elizabeth Carney - 5*

Scholarly monograph that puts a microscope to what the sources said about this fascinating woman. (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: "The definitive guide to the life of the first woman to play a major role in Greek political history, this is the first modern biography of Olympias. Presenting a critical assessment of a fascinating and wholly misunderstood figure... penetrates myth, fiction and sexual politics and conducts a close examination of Olympias through historical and literary sources, and brings her to life as she places the figure in the context of her own ancient, brutal political world."

Alexander the Great by Paul Cartledge

A non-chronological detailing of Alexander's actions and what they meant through the framework of a variety of topics.

Description: "...accessible, reliable, and intimate portrait of Alexander III of Macedon, the man himself, brilliantly evoking his remarkable political and military accomplishments, cutting through the myths to show why he was such a great leader... explores our endless obsession with Alexander and gives us insight into both his capacity for brutality and his sensitive grasp of international politics."

Philip & Alexander: Kings & Conquerors by Adrian Goldsworthy - 5*

A comprehensive look at this father-son duo that, unlike other treatments, gives proper coverage to Philip. (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: "Alexander the Great's conquests staggered the world... He claimed to be the son of a god, but he was actually the son of Philip II of Macedon. Philip inherited a minor kingdom that was on the verge of dismemberment, but despite his youth and inexperience, he made Macedonia dominant throughout Greece. It was Philip who created the armies that Alexander led into war against Persia... the groundbreaking biography of two men who together conquered the world."

ASIAN HISTORY

The Five Star Bunch

The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II by Iris Chang

Shocking yet necessary.

Description: In December 1937, the Japanese army swept into the ancient city of Nanking. Within weeks, more than 300,000 Chinese civilians and soldiers were systematically raped, tortured, and murdered—a death toll exceeding that of the atomic blasts of Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined... analyzes the militaristic culture that fostered in the Japanese soldiers a total disregard for human life. It also tells of the concerted effort during the Cold War on the part of the West and even China to stifle open discussion of this atrocity. Drawing on extensive interviews with survivors and documents brought to light for the first time, Iris Chang’s classic is the definitive history of this horrifying episode."

Sengoku Jidai: Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu: Three Unifiers of Japan by Danny Chaplin

Super detailed, scholarly work that is the go-to reference on the period (in English anyway). (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: "Japan's Sengoku Jidai, known as the 'Warring States Period,' was a time of profound crisis and upheaval, characterized by constant warfare and social unrest... This groundbreaking narrative history of the Sengoku era weaves together the epic tales of these three figures for the first time... The book delves deep into the pivotal battles fought by each of these three hegemons... examines the political and administrative structures of their rule... unfolds as a sweeping saga, encompassing acts of unimaginable cruelty alongside tales of great samurai heroism that continue to resonate through the peaceful Edo/Tokugawa period and beyond."

Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick

Mix of micro/macro history that hits hard with personal stories.

Description: "... 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... brings to life what it means to be living under the most repressive regime today... 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."

Gwangju Uprising: The Rebellion for Democracy in South Korea by Hwang Sok-yong, Lee Jae-Eu & Jeon Yong-Ho

Meticulous reconstruction of a watershed moment in South Korean's history. Academic and brutal. (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: "On May 18, 1980, student activists gathered in the South Korean city of Gwangju to protest the coup d’état and the martial law government of General Chun Doo-hwan. The security forces responded with unmitigated violence. Over the next ten days hundreds of students, activists, and citizens were arrested, tortured, and murdered. The events of the uprising shaped over a decade of resistance to the repressive South Korean regime and paved the way for the country’s democratization."

The Best of the Rest

A Brief History of Japan: Samurai, Shogun and Zen: The Extraordinary Story of the Land of the Rising Sun by Jonathan Clements

Does what it says on the tin. Solid primer.

Description: "... blends documentary and storytelling styles to connect the past, present and future of Japan, and in broad yet detailed strokes reveals a country of paradoxes: a modern nation steeped in ancient traditions; a democracy with an emperor as head of state; a famously safe society built on 108 volcanoes resting on the world's most active earthquake zone; a fast-paced urban and technologically advanced country whose land consists predominantly of mountains and forests."

A Brief History of the Samurai: The Way of Japan's Elite Warriors by Jonathan Clements

Like the above, does what it says on the tin. Solid primer.

Description: "... one of the first full histories of the art and culture of the Samurai warrior. The Samurai emerged as a warrior caste in Medieval Japan and would have a powerful influence on the history and culture of the country from the next 500 years. Clements also looks at the Samurai wars that tore Japan apart in the 17th and 18th centuries and how the caste was finally demolished in the advent of the mechanized world."

Yakuza: Japan's Criminal Underworld by David E. Kaplan and Alec Dubro

Serves as a comprehensive and academic introduction.

Description: "... the first book to reveal the extraordinary reach of Japan's Mafia. Originally published in 1986, it was so controversial in Japan that it could not be published there for five years. But in the west it has long served as the standard reference on Japanese organized crime and has inspired novels, screenplays, and criminal investigations... tells the full story or Japan's remarkable crime syndicates, from their feudal start as bands of medieval outlaws to their emergence as billion-dollar investors in real estate, big business, art, and more."

Some People Need Killing: A Memoir of Murder in My Country by Patricia Evangelista

Devastating blend of memoir and reportage about state-sanctioned murder. (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: "For six years, journalist Patricia Evangelista documented killings carried out by police and vigilantes in the name of then president Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs... a brilliant dissection of the grammar of violence and an investigation into the human impulses to dominate and resist."

The Great Successor: The Divinely Perfect Destiny of Brilliant Comrade Kim Jong Un by Anna Fifield

Dabbles in schoolyard bullying its subject but has stretches that make a better attempt at a balanced portrayal and overall has some great insight.

Description: The behind-the-scenes story of the rise and reign of the world's strangest and most elusive tyrant, Kim Jong Un, by the journalist with the best connections and insights into the bizarrely dangerous world of North Korea... reconstructs Kim's past and present with exclusive access to sources near him and brings her unique understanding to explain the dynastic mission of the Kim family in North Korea... a captivating portrait of the oddest and most secretive political regime in the world -- one that is isolated yet internationally relevant, bankrupt yet in possession of nuclear weapons -- and its ruler, the self-proclaimed Beloved and Respected Leader, Kim Jong Un.

Blossoms in the Wind: Human Legacies of the Kamikaze by M.G. Sheftall

Fascinating angle with firsthand accounts from suicide pilots that survived.

Description: "... interviews with the few remaining survivors of Japan's kamikaze corps, a thought-provoking study offers a revealing glimpse into the lives, attitudes, beliefs, and mindsets of former kamikaze pilots who never completed their suicidal missions."

The Story of China: The Epic History of a World Power from the Middle Kingdom to Mao and the China Dream by Michael Wood

4,000 year sweeping sampler platter that works as a solid introduction to Chinese history.

Description: "... takes a fresh look at the Middle Kingdom in the light of the recent massive changes inside the country. Taking into account exciting new archeological discoveries, the book begins with China's prehistory... looks at particular periods and themes that are now being reevaluated by historians... explores the encounter with the West, the Opium Wars, the clashes with the British, and the extraordinarily rich debates in the late nineteenth century that pushed China along the path to modernity."

PREHISTORY

The Five Star Bunch

The Rise & Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of Their Lost World by Steve Brusatte

Everything you'd want a dino book to be.

Description: "... masterfully tells the complete, surprising, and new history of the dinosaurs, drawing on cutting-edge science to dramatically bring to life their lost world and illuminate their enigmatic origins, spectacular flourishing, astonishing diversity, cataclysmic extinction, and startling living legacy... An electrifying scientific history that unearths the dinosaurs’ epic saga..."

The Best of the Rest

The Smart Neanderthal: Bird Catching, Cave Art, & the Cognitive Revolution by Clive Finlayson

More about birds than I expected but comes with some interesting new theories.

Description: "...Linking all the recent evidence, The Smart Neanderthal casts a new light on the Neanderthals and the "Cognitive Revolution"... argues that there was no revolution and, instead, modern behaviour arose gradually and independently among different populations of Modern Humans and Neanderthals. Some practices were even adopted by Modern Humans from the Neanderthals... overturns classic narratives of human origins, and raises important questions about who we really are."

The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by David Graeber & David Wengrow

A radical series of arguments that will make you rethink what you thought you knew about human history. (VIDEO REVIEW)

Description: "A dramatically new understanding of human history, challenging our most fundamental assumptions about social evolution―from the development of agriculture and cities to the origins of the state, democracy, and inequality―and revealing new possibilities for human emancipation."

Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death & Art by Rebecca Wragg Sykes

Beautiful reframing of the Neanderthals based on the newest archaeological evidence. Nerdy (complimentary) and readable.

Description: "... uses her experience at the cutting-edge of Palaeolithic research to share our new understanding of Neanderthals, shoving aside clichés of rag-clad brutes in an icy wasteland. She reveals them to be curious, clever connoisseurs of their world, technologically inventive and ecologically adaptable. They ranged across vast tracts of tundra and steppe, but also stalked in dappled forests and waded in the Mediterranean Sea. Above all, they were successful survivors for more than 300,000 years, during times of massive climatic upheaval..."

MARITIME HISTORY

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann

Perfect for people trying to get into nonfiction: a fast-paced and fascinating banger. (WRITTEN REVIEW)

Description: On January 28, 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the coast of Brazil. Inside were thirty emaciated men, barely alive, and they had an extraordinary tale to tell. They were survivors of His Majesty’s Ship the Wager, a British vessel that had left England in 1740 on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain... a grand tale of human behavior at the extremes told by one of our greatest nonfiction writers.

The Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing

One of the greatest survival stories ever told.

Description: In August 1914, polar explorer Ernest Shackleton boarded the Endurance and set sail for Antarctica, where he planned to cross the last uncharted continent on foot. In January 1915, after battling its way through a thousand miles of pack ice and only a day's sail short of its destination, the Endurance became locked in an island of ice. Thus began the legendary ordeal of Shackleton and his crew of twenty-seven men. When their ship was finally crushed between two ice floes, they attempted a near-impossible journey over 850 miles of the South Atlantic's heaviest seas to the closest outpost of civilization.

A Night to Remember: The Classic Account of the Final Hours of the Titanic

The ultimate introduction to kick off your Titanic obsession. Quick, tense and brilliant.

Description: "... a completely riveting account of the Titanic's fatal collision and the behavior of the passengers and crew, both noble and ignominious. Some sacrificed their lives, while others fought like animals for their own survival. Wives beseeched husbands to join them in lifeboats; gentlemen went taut-lipped to their deaths in full evening dress; and hundreds of steerage passengers, trapped below decks, sought help in vain... classic minute-by-minute re-creation is as vivid now as it was upon first publication fifty years ago.

(TO BE CONTINUED)