Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with recommendations and history

Help me find interesting anthropology/sociology books.

lhall — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 15:50:35 -0800

Books about anthropology, psychology, sociology, modern rituals...I think. Can you point me in the right direction? This is a bit of a "duh" question, but here goes.

I'm searching for a good book to read on an international flight, but I'm not even sure where to start looking. I read this comment about the ritual aspect of a marriage ceremony and the reception that follows, and thought "Hey, that's interesting..." followed by "Where can I find more of the same?"

The books recommended in this thread (about conspiracy and superstition) and this one (on fiction) seem interesting and I'm going to check out a few, but I'm also looking for general recommendations. (Also useful would be help on how I can get a bit more specific in my searching.)

Thanks in advance!

Polish/Ukrainian Film Recommendations

rinkjustice — Wed, 19 Jul 2006 19:54:01 -0800

I'd like recommendations for Polish or Ukrainian historical documentaries or fact-based films. My family from my mother's side is Ukrainian and Polish, and I'd like to learn more about the turbulent social/political/economical past of these two countries - any time period. I'm doing the genealogy for these families and I'm hoping your recommended films give me a fuller understanding of the lives they lived.

Many thanks.

What's the best book about Japanese history?

selfnoise — Thu, 22 Sep 2005 11:35:45 -0800

I'm interested in learning about Japanese history pre-1900. What book(s) should I be reading? I've been reading Lone Wolf and Cub (as well as some Samurai Executioner) and it struck me that I really don't know much about Japanese medieval history. I mean, I know a little about the samurai, and the structure of the country, and the various periods that history is divided into. But I'm lacking a lot of detail, and I'm in the mood for a meaty but readable history of Japan, preferably from early times to the dawn of modernity. Does anyone have any suggestions? If I really need to read 2-3 books rather than just one, that's fine too.

I should also throw in the caveat that I don't speak or read Japanese, so any books would have to be in English.

Trivia Trip to Washington DC

Miko — Tue, 18 Jan 2005 06:57:48 -0800

MuseumGeeksinDCFilter: Looking for offbeat, trivia-intensive experiences in Washington, DC for a group of maritime history museum geeks. Special Exhibit inside. Every year, I travel with a group of museum professionals on a research trip. Most of us work for a maritime history museum, although there is some crossover into general history, academia, and music. We try to pick a destination where we can learn things that are applicable to our interpretation of American maritime history, general American history, and/or current marine science issues and policy.

Some things we've done in the past: Visited new vessels under construction; crawled around the USS Constitution; visited a fish processing plant; spent 2 days on Nantucket looking at the sperm whale skeleton and learning whaling history and geology; gone to commercial fishing docks and taken tours of scalloping gear; poked around the old Whaling Church in New Bedford.

So we're headed to DC in March, and we have some itinerary items already - an insider tour at Smithsonian Natural History, probably some time at American history as well. We have 3 days, and will no doubt make the rounds of the usual suspects - monuments and the Mall. But then, what? If you know of any locations / businesses/ nonprofits that a bunch of boat geeks and history geeks would find exceptionally cool, I'd love to start suggesting some more off-the-beaten-path ideas. Extra points if it involves boats, fish, Mark Twain, or Moby-Dick.

And especially if any MeFites are, or know of, museum people or others who might be able to give us a special access type of experience -- we would be forever in your debt, and happy to return the favor. Thanks.

Scholarly-but-accessible reference about Chinese history and culture.

enrevanche — Sat, 08 Jan 2005 20:09:07 -0800

SinoFilter: I'm looking for a scholarly-but-accessible book (or books) about Chinese history and culture. (Web site recommendations also welcome.) I have done some Googling and poking around amazon.com, but frankly my ignorance is so deep that I have no good way of evaluating the quality of what I'm finding.

Looking for Historical Fiction Recommendations (Newer is Better)

Johnny Assay — Sat, 11 Dec 2004 10:28:14 -0800

What are your favourite historical fiction novels? [more inside] One of my relatives put "historical fiction" on their Christmas list this year, and aside from once giving a friend a Kenneth Roberts novel that they'd asked for, I know next to nothing about the genre. Newer stuff is probably better, as he's less likely to already have such things.

And yes, I realize that this question is a pretty broad one. But that just gives y'all the opportunity to go nuts with recommendations.

Give me your reccomendations on books about the Republic and Empire.

WolfDaddy — Thu, 02 Sep 2004 18:08:10 -0800

As a lay...very lay...student of Roman Republic and Empire, and anticipating the upcoming HBO/BBC series Rome with relish, I'm reading everything I can get my hands on about both Republic and Empire. Currently I'm reading an abridgement of The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire I just inherited. What next? [insert Latin for "more inside" here].

Books like Ken Burns

dobbs — Sat, 03 Jul 2004 12:26:44 -0800

I'm a big fan of Ken Burns' documentaries (just finished up watching Baseball for the third time, for instance, and have seen The Civil War twice)... What I'm curious about is what books would you recommend that present history in a siimilar fashion (easily digestible, compellingly written, etc.)? Oh, and the topic could be anything (architecture, sports, war, politics, dog fighting...), as long as it's written in a way that makes the topic interesting.