Best history book read lately?

[Zuni]

I recently read 'Grant', a biography by William S. McFeely. It was pretty darn good.
Also Paul Miliukov's History of Russia Pt. 1 was pretty good.

[Lindsey]

1. "Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting"

is really good - (I just started the Davinci Code).

[Zuni]

7. I have heard of the da Vinci code

what is it?

[trof]

9. Riveting story.

But not that well written, IMHO.
Did Christ really die on the cross?
Was he maried to Mary Magdelan?
Did they have children?
What is the Holy Grail?

Fiction, but based on many true(?) happenings and existant organizations.

[Kellanved]

2. Defying Hitler

By Sebastian Haffner.

A novel, but in an historic context: Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson (halfway through).

[ACK]

3. The Great Cat Massacre: And Other Episodes in French Cultural History

by Robert Darnton

Great insight into the popuar culture modes of French cultural trends.

[felonious thunk]

4. Essence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0321013492/qid=1068212521/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-1060384-4440163?v=glance&s=books

This book is interesting, it takes the Cuban Missile Crisis from the point of view of the decision making process. It goes very in depth on how the XCOM came to it's decisions. Given the dearth of intelligence in the current White House, it's interesting seeing the viewpoints various people gave, and just how close we were to doing what the hawks wanted. It's a good analysis of Kennedy's getting real information from all sides, and then making the decision.

[Zuni]

6. That sounds really good

I am going to have to check that one out.

[bicentennial_baby]

5. Reading "The Best and The Brightest"

by David Halberstam

[reprehensor]

8. Birth of the Modern - Paul Johnson

Outstanding. Especially the tidbits about Andrew Jackson. What a badass.

[trof]

10. Ellsberg's "Secrets".

About Viet Nam from a consumate "insider".
Has made me a total cynic about our government.
:-(

[DivinBreuvage]

11. Two of Them:

"The Crisis of the Old Order" by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., about the Great Depression and the rise of Franklin Roosevelt;

"America in 1857: A Nation on the Brink" by Kenneth M. Stamp, about the critical year that put America decisively on the path to Civil War.

Both of these books thrill and fascinate me because they show so many parallels between things that happened then and things that are happening now. The Schlesinger book especially is eerie in its similarities, down to a nutcase Attorney General, corporations looting the Federal treasury, public utilities companies running roughshod over the consumer, a Democratic party in disarray, and a Republican party that seems it will go on winning forever.

American rightwingery has remained unchanged for at least 150 years! Everything we see happening around us is only a replay of the game they've already played twice before -- and LOST. And they may lose again.

Françoise