I'd like to broaden my horizons by getting a better understanding of life in different cultures and time periods. Please recommend great books or films (fiction or non-fiction) which paint a broad, immersive, reasonably accurate picture of a place and time. [more inside]
posted by MetaMonkey on Jul 12, 2008 - 29 answers

Where do I find data about 1940s newspaper circulation? I want to see what was going on with newspaper readership in the 1940s, before, during and after WWII. I think that newspaper readership went up during the war and am trying to find data to prove it! I'm looking for 1940s circulation statistics for some of the big newspapers (NY times, LA Times, Chicago Tribune & Christian Science Monitor). I am finding very little reliable information. Is there a reference librarian in the house who could point me towards a reference book or source?
posted by pluckysparrow on Sep 6, 2007 - 4 answers

What are some of the most important books about Japan's role in World War II? Read on... [more inside]
posted by Ekim Neems on Dec 17, 2005 - 14 answers

I'm over 30 and probably know as much or less about history, politics/ gov, and current events as my 7 year old niece. Now, I want to be aware and don't know where to begin. I've tried just "merging in" but the references, terms, and names are lost on me. I need a starting point that will give me a framework or bird's eye view to start from and build on. [more inside]
posted by Anonymous on Jul 24, 2005 - 27 answers