January 2010

  • Fatherland

    By MichaelP03 on 1/29/10 2:36pm
    Add Comment

    FatherlandFatherland

     

    Robert Harris brilliantly imagines a triumphant Nazi Germany succumbing to its own venom. Never before or since has such a powerful, detailed and scary picture of a victorious Third Reich been painted.



    Read more >

  • Stories that words tell us

    By akgoemans on 1/29/10 8:38am
    Add Comment

     

    This bookStories That Words Tell UsStories That Words Tell Us is essentially a reference for those who love learning about the origins of words. Printed in 1918, it was written by an author who had a passion for historical topics (as can be seen from her other equally interesting books). Unfortunately, a print version of this book can be hard to come by; it is available in audio format from a number of stores as well being accessible in online format via Project Gutenberg.

    Like I mentioned earlier, this book traces the possible origins of English names. The chapters are divided into the various sources of different names (e.g. names from places or ethnic groups). For this reason, the whole book is a kind of etymological discovery for anyone with a keen interest in the evolution of English words.

    Read more >

  • Historical Fiction

    By akgoemans on 1/20/10 8:58am
    Add Comment

    Pillars of the EarthPillars of the Earth
    Do folks like historical fiction because they have an interest in history or do they read the books purely for the enjoyment of the main tale? Whatever the case, I would guess that history buffs would welcome fictional stories which contain generous bits of information about world history. As it is, when in school, I used to look for fictional stories and movies set in a particular period that would coincide with the timeline I was studying. Well, that was my reasoning for watching Once Upon a Time in China but in hindsight it is safe to say that Jet Li and the opening theme had more to do with me hoarding that movie.

    Read more >

  • Victor Hirtzler, The Hotel St. Francis Cook Book

    By erika on 1/15/10 11:37am
    Add Comment

    This is another wonderful historical cookbook archived by the Feeding America project.  Victor Hirtzler was the head chef of the Hotel St. Francis in San Francisco, one of the most prestigious hotels (and hotel restaurants) in the country.  His cook book was published by The Hotel Monthly Press in 1919.  

    An interesting bit of history is archived here on the Preface, which initially confused me:

    "The recipes in my book calling for wine and liqueurs for flavoring may be followed by those whose legitimate supplies are not used up; and where these cannot be had there are non-alcoholic substitutes available with the flavor near perfect."


    Read more >

  • The Story of the Middle Ages

    By akgoemans on 1/14/10 3:12am
    Add Comment

    Story of Middle AgesStory of Middle Ages
    I love promoting history books to my younger cousins. Thereby, When looking for general history books, I look for something that covered a greater number topics whilst being easy to read. More to the point, I wanted something that would be easy reading for someone who was not well-versed in the subject at hand. And I must say that The Story of the Middle Ages by Samuel B. Harding fits the bill.

    The author covers the tentative beginnings of what we know as the Middle Ages all the way to its end. Thus, he has divided the various chapters into various time periods, paying particular attention to the prominent themes in each period. He starts out with the older German tribes and how they moved around in Europe.

    Read more >

  • The Social History of Smoking

    By akgoemans on 1/7/10 7:51am
    Add Comment


    The Social History of SmokingThe Social History of Smoking
    The Social History of Smoking is one of those weird history books. If you look obscure facts about our habits and such or if you are merely curious about the ongoing trends involved in smoking itself, this book will make a good read. The book was written by G. L. Apperson and it traces the various social habits formed around smoking. Do keep in mind, this book covers the smoking habits of various folks in England. Nonetheless, it is interesting to note what has made its way to other countries.

    The author divides the different habits according to various time periods. So it ends up as a fascinating journey for the reader as you follow the changes from the introduction of the first pipes in England to smoking trends in the early twentieth century.

    Read more >