The history books thread.

[Odin]

Originally posted by lord of the mark


Hes real big on civilizational essences, and inevitable cycles. IIRC he makes some fairly arbitrary cuts in where civs begin and end, to get them to fit his cycle theory. His book became the background to some really right wing German politics. I have no doubt its compellingly written, and is one of those influential books one has to read for an insight into the era, but Im sure you will read through it being aware of its weaknesses.

Spengler was anti-liberal, anti-democracy, and anti-popular culture and it shows in the book.

[ískallin]

Collapse by Jared Diamond.
Also got Guns, Germs and steel planned after that.

It has some very interesting stuff in it.

[Lord Avalon]

GG&S

[ískallin]

I just finished Collapse. It is is simply put amazing. Really depressing some of it though.

Recommend it to everyone..

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by ískallin
I just finished Collapse. It is is simply put amazing. Really depressing some of it though.

Recommend it to everyone..

...and it is about..???

[Imran Siddiqui]

Pretty self-explanatory, ZKribb... how civilizations collapse .

[Zkribbler]

Could be a civilization collapse.
...or an economic collapse.
...or a collapse of the moral fiber of this country.
...or a collapsed lung.
...or that spelling bee where the kid passed out.
...or the history of the Howard Dean campaign.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Well, I'd have to contend that if you are interested in historical books and you haven't heard of Collapse by Jared Diamond then you have been living under a rock .

[Zkribbler]

Has it made it to the close-out shelf, yet?

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Well, I'd have to contend that if you are interested in historical books and you haven't heard of Collapse by Jared Diamond then you have been living under a rock .

Because after deforestation and pollution of the water table, that was the only shelter with some moistness left to him.

[ískallin]

Originally posted by Zkribbler
Has it made it to the close-out shelf, yet?

Probably, I got mine for 30 New Zealand dollars.

[Imran Siddiqui]

What is that in real money?

[Zkribbler]

$22.3860 USD

Geez, and I thought that your studies economics as an undergrad.

BTW: That's not close out. Recently, I ravaged the Barnes and Noble shelves for a half dozen hardback books, all between $5-$10 (USD).

[Hueij]

Do the Icelandic saga's count as history books?

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Hueij
Do the Icelandic saga's count as history books?

Sure, who's going to call a maurading hoard of axe-welding Vikings a bunch of liars?