tammyw Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 History is an area I really need/want to learn more about. DD9 knows a lot more than I do (because of SOTW audios). For some reason, I just can't focus completely when they're on. I love American History. We study that a lot and I have become pretty knowledgeable in that area. I love the Howard Zinn and Joy Hakim books. I'd love to find some secular books that are reasonably easy to read (and interesting) for me, so that I can really become knowledgeable about Ancient and the Middle Ages. Please help :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 What about SWB's History of the Ancient World and History of the Medieval World? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted September 19, 2012 Author Share Posted September 19, 2012 I had been wondering about those but thought there might be others also. I hate that this is an area I struggle but I am now interested and determined to right that wrong :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 I'm doing the Coursera class on World History since 1300. We're using a text called Worlds Together, Worlds Apart. We're using Vol. 2, but Vol 1 is prehistory-1300. I haven't seen Vol. 1, but Vol. 2 is very interesting, informative, and well written. You can get the older edition (2nd edition) on Amazon for really cheap. I also read SWB's two books, and while they were a litte dry in places (well, the second one a lot dry, IMO), they were very informative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleeplessnights Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 If you don't want to read a tome, a step above SOTW would be the Dorothy Mills books published by Memoria Press. I believe they were written with middle schoolers in mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucy Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Human Odyssey (K12) textbooks are written at jr high level and are a very easy read. My dd 11 loves it, and so do I - been learning alot. You can find them on Amazon for pretty cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momling Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 I like fun and accessible books, personally... I have been through college and grad school and have read plenty of difficult books. I've decided that now I'm all grown up and can read whatever I'd like, I'd like to be entertained while I read. I've learned a lot from Joy Hakim's story of science. It's half-history and half-science. Horrible history also holds my attention and my daughter's too... I don't care for the gory bits, but I like the emphasis on presenting academics in a fun way. I enjoy watching documentaries a lot. Or reading humorous books with a non-fiction twist like AJ Jacobs, Sarah Vowell, Mary Roach, Bill Bryson... I want to be engaged, not lectured at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted September 19, 2012 Author Share Posted September 19, 2012 I like fun and accessible books, personally... I have been through college and grad school and have read plenty of difficult books. I've decided that now I'm all grown up and can read whatever I'd like, I'd like to be entertained while I read. I've learned a lot from Joy Hakim's story of science. It's half-history and half-science. Horrible history also holds my attention and my daughter's too... I don't care for the gory bits, but I like the emphasis on presenting academics in a fun way. I enjoy watching documentaries a lot. Or reading humorous books with a non-fiction twist like AJ Jacobs, Sarah Vowell, Mary Roach, Bill Bryson... I want to be engaged, not lectured at. I love all the authors you just mentioned! And I agree. I really like a good *story* woven into history. I hated history going through school because it was presented in such a dry way. It kind of ruined history for me. Now I'm fascinated by it, but I find I need to read in a good format. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 What about SWB's History of the Ancient World and History of the Medieval World? The Ancients one is fantastic so far! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 I personally don't enjoy big sweeping history books so much. I like small books like A Distant Mirror or something along those lines more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 Not a book, but I love the Great Courses DVD History of Science -- Antiquity to 1700's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jar7709 Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 This is pretty random, but if you're looking to spark your own interest in ancient/medieval times and you like the Bill Bryson/Mary Roach flavor, this one has maybe not quite as much humor, but I *loved* Color and Jewel by Victoria Finlay. She traces the history of dyes and gems, which of course go WAY back. I really prefer reading books on one topic or slice of time rather than a book that tries to cover the whole of 1000 years, but that said once in a while I want to read something that really covers a vast topic like why societys become successful, and I found Jared Diamond's books, especially Collapse, pretty great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted September 20, 2012 Author Share Posted September 20, 2012 I personally don't enjoy big sweeping history books so much. I like small books like A Distant Mirror or something along those lines more. I love this idea, but is there a list of such books, in chronological order? :tongue_smilie: Thanks to everyone for your suggestions to this point. I'll be looking into all the ideas so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incognito Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 It wasn't this exact book, but one like it that made history actually click a bit for me eons ago at University. http://www.amazon.com/Sources-Western-Tradition-Ancient-Enlightenment/dp/1133935257/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1348114818&sr=8-4&keywords=primary+sources+documents+in+western+civilization Reading primary sources makes history come alive to me, and it was sooo interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 I love this idea, but is there a list of such books, in chronological order? :tongue_smilie: Thanks to everyone for your suggestions to this point. I'll be looking into all the ideas so far. I don't know of one off hand, but I think if you have even a SOTW level framework, it's fine to read out of order a bit. I just find that biographies and micro histories bring things to life for me more. And I don't personally aspire to know everything about everything. I'd rather read more about a few things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 I love this idea, but is there a list of such books, in chronological order? :tongue_smilie: Thanks to everyone for your suggestions to this point. I'll be looking into all the ideas so far. The History section of The Well-Educated Mind? I've read some great things from that list - A Distant Mirror, David Hume's History of England, Burkhart's History of the Renaissance . . . Paul Johnson has A Short History of the Renaissance, for when you get there . . . :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted September 20, 2012 Author Share Posted September 20, 2012 The History section of The Well-Educated Mind? I've read some great things from that list - A Distant Mirror, David Hume's History of England, Burkhart's History of the Renaissance . . . Paul Johnson has A Short History of the Renaissance, for when you get there . . . :001_smile: Thanks! I just ordered The Well Educated Mind from my library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallory Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 I love historical fiction. Sonlight would work great for me;) When I am searching for books for the kids at the library, I just search for adult fiction too. Reading fiction really helps me get myself in the times and really adds to mine and the kids studies of different times and places. Sonlight and other lists of middle school/high school historical fiction can be a good place to start. I loved Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series. Bradshaw-The Sand Reckoner was great! about archimedes even if you don't read any other fiction I'd recommend it! She's written lots of other historical fiction too. Right now I am almost done with The Agony and the Ecstasy by Iving Stone (biographical novel of Michelangelo) and have really enjoyed it. Since we have stopped using the library much (we've moved to a small town and can't afford the gas/card fees/late fees of the big city library) I have gotten out of the habit, but I am going to have to start again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.