Books on Boston before 1776 or Russia in 1941-5?
October 21, 2008 5:36 AM Subscribe
HistoryBookFilter - a two-for-Tuesday question. Looking for book recommendations for two historical topics - pre-revolutionary New England, and the Great Patriotic War.
I'm interested in learning more about pre-revolutionary New England (primarily 1740-1780), Boston especially but should deal with all of Massachusetts up to the Canadian border, if possible. Not so much the political angle (which I assume will be present regardless), I'm more interested in the day-to-day history. I'd rather sacrifice readability for detail in this one.
I'm also looking for a recommendation for a book on the Great Patriotic War. I'm hoping in the post-Soviet era somebody's gone digging through Russian archives for their perspective on the Second World War and put something out in English. More interested in readability than detail for this, though.
So there you go. If you've read a book like either of the ones I've described, or heard a solid recommendation that you would trust, I'd love to hear it. Thanks.
I'm interested in learning more about pre-revolutionary New England (primarily 1740-1780), Boston especially but should deal with all of Massachusetts up to the Canadian border, if possible. Not so much the political angle (which I assume will be present regardless), I'm more interested in the day-to-day history. I'd rather sacrifice readability for detail in this one.
I'm also looking for a recommendation for a book on the Great Patriotic War. I'm hoping in the post-Soviet era somebody's gone digging through Russian archives for their perspective on the Second World War and put something out in English. More interested in readability than detail for this, though.
So there you go. If you've read a book like either of the ones I've described, or heard a solid recommendation that you would trust, I'd love to hear it. Thanks.
The Name of War: King Phillip's War and the Origins of American Identity by Jill Lepore was very good, but a little brief. This covers the region in the late 17th century, but it's a good foundation for what came next.
The Boston Massacre by Hiller Zobel offers a good look at the city of Boston in the mid 18th century. It covers some of the day-today aspects of life in that time before delving into the politcal and legal aspects of John Adams and the Massacre.
The first few chapters of The Lobster Coast: Rebels, Rusticators, and the Struggle for a Forgotten Frontier by Colin Woodward is a very good look at colonial life on the northern New England frontier, and how the people arrived and survived there.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 7:42 AM on October 21, 2008
The Boston Massacre by Hiller Zobel offers a good look at the city of Boston in the mid 18th century. It covers some of the day-today aspects of life in that time before delving into the politcal and legal aspects of John Adams and the Massacre.
The first few chapters of The Lobster Coast: Rebels, Rusticators, and the Struggle for a Forgotten Frontier by Colin Woodward is a very good look at colonial life on the northern New England frontier, and how the people arrived and survived there.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 7:42 AM on October 21, 2008
The Russo-German War 1941-1945 by Col. Albert Seaton is my favorite.
but for gripping action--Enemy at the Gates by William Craig is awesome. It has been criticized for accuracy but I've been skeptical of the criticism.
posted by Ironmouth at 8:33 AM on October 21, 2008
but for gripping action--Enemy at the Gates by William Craig is awesome. It has been criticized for accuracy but I've been skeptical of the criticism.
posted by Ironmouth at 8:33 AM on October 21, 2008
For the Soviet perspective on World War II, you want David M. Glantz
posted by Comrade_robot at 9:04 AM on October 21, 2008
posted by Comrade_robot at 9:04 AM on October 21, 2008
Response by poster: Hmmmm, not exactly what I was looking for, but some interesting reading material here nonetheless. Thanks for the ideas.
posted by GhostintheMachine at 12:21 PM on December 2, 2008
posted by GhostintheMachine at 12:21 PM on December 2, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
It occurs to me that perhaps reading biographies of Revolutionary War notables would get you some of the perspective you're looking for.
I liked Ivan's War: Life and Death in the Red Army, 1939-1945 by Catherine Merridale (fragments readable at Google Books) but I don't think it was specifically focusing on the Russian perspective, if I recall.
posted by XMLicious at 7:10 AM on October 21, 2008