1619: Jamestown
November 27, 2022
James Horn, 1619: Jamestown and the Forging of American Democracy, (New York, 2018). This book was written by the President of the Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation, a foundation involved with archaelogical research at historic Jamestown. It is concerned with events at Jamestown in that year, most importantly the first representative assembly in Virginia and its importance for representative government and also discusses the Africans that first arrived in that year and the beginnings of slavery in Virginia.
Battlegrounds
November 27, 2022
H.R. McMaster, Battlegrounds, The Fight to Defend the Free World, (New York, 2021). The writer, a former high ranking goverment official analyzes the US relationship with several countries considered threats to US interests, ie Russia, China, Korea, Iran and others.
History of Metals
November 27, 2022
James A. Mulholland, A History of Metals in Colonial America, (Alabama: University of Alabama Press, 1981). The history of metals production, mostly iron, in America from earliest times through the years immediatly after the Revolution.
Tree Thinking
February 7, 2022
David A. Baum and Stacey D. Smith, Tree Thinking, An Introduction to Phylogenetic Biology, (New York, 2013). The subject of this book covers an important part of my job in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathalogy which involves constructing trees that show the relationships of mostly fungi based on DNA data.
Seals and Society
February 7, 2022
P.R. Schofield & E.A New, eds., Seals and Society, Medieval Wales, The Welsh Marches and their English Border Region, (Cardiff, 2016). I found some old deeds from around 1400 concerning property in Shrewsbury with seals attached, hence my interest in this subject. The book consists of 7 short essays on the subject but the majority of the book is a catalog with some photographs of old seals.
London's Triumph
February 7, 2022
Stephen Alford, Londons's Triumph, Merchants, Adventurers, and Money in Shakespeare's City, (New York, 2017).
A Land as God Made It
February 7, 2022
James Horn, A Land as God Made it, Jamestown and the Birth of America, (New York, 2004).
The English Refomation
February 7, 2022
A.G. Dickens, The English Reformation, 2nd ed., (University Park, PA, 1989). This is the history of the English church covering primarily the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Mary when the church in England broke with Rome and its evolution into the Church of England.
Karl Marx
February 7, 2022
Isaiah Berlin, Karl Marx, 5th ed., (Princeton, 2013). This book is an introduction to the life and ideas of Karl Marx by a well-known historian. It is probably the first book I have read on this subject.
The Shipwreck that Saved Jamestown
February 7, 2022
Lorri Glover and Daniel Blake Smith, The Shipwreck that Saved Jamestown, The Sea Venture Castaways and the Fate of America, (New York, 2008). This book tells the story of the ship that sailed in the supply fleet to Jamestown in 1609 and was blown by a hurricane onto Bermuda where they build new ships from scratch and continued to Jamestown.
The Viking Wars
January 29, 2022
Max Adams, The Viking Wars, War and Peace in King Alfred's Britain, 789-955, (New York, 2018). An interesting book about this period but makes reference to a lot of archaelogical studies that refer to place names in England, so may be more interesting to someone who lives in England.
The Dark Ages
January 29, 2022
Martin J. Dougherty, The Dark Ages From the Fall of Rome to the Battle of Hastings, (London, 2019). A picture book with some basic descriptive text I found at Barnes and Noble.
The Northern Crusades
January 29, 2022
Eric Christiansen, The Northern Crusades, (London, 1997). After my trip to Denmark for work I looked for a book on early modern Danish history. This is what I found, a book about crusading and conversion to Christianity in the Baltic region. Interesting book covering a subject somewhat overlooked in the history of crusading. Also, in contrast to crusading in the holy lands these crusades were successful.
A Great and Terrible King
January 29, 2022
Marc Morris, A Great and Terrible King, Edward I and the Forging of Britain, (New York, 2009).
Byzantium
January 29, 2022
Judith Herrin, Byzantium, The Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire, (Princeton, 2007).
The Rise of the Tudors
January 22, 2022
Chris Skidmore, The Rise of the Tudors, The Family that Changed English History, (New York, 2013).
Urban Culture in Medieval Wales
January 22, 2022
Helen Fulton, ed., Urban Culture in Medieval Wales, (Cardiff, 2012). The book contains 12 essays by historians about different aspects of Welsh Towns.
Storm Warning
January 22, 2022
Robin Brooke-Smith, Storm Warning, Riding the Crosswinds in the Pakistan-Afghan Borderlands, (New York, 2018). This book was written by the librarian at the Shrewsbury School library who I had emailed for information about students at the school in the 1500s. He had been a headmaster in a school in Pakistan.
A Stranger Among Saints
January 22, 2022
Jonathan Mack, A Stranger Among Saints, Stephe Hopkins, The Man Who Survived Jamestown and Saved Plymouth, (Chicago, 2020)
The War of 1812
January 22, 2022
Donald R Hickey, The War of 1812, A Forgotten Conflict, (Urbana, 2013).
Lion In the Bay
January 22, 2022
Stanley L Quick with Chipp Reid, Lion in the Bay, The British Invasion of the Chesapeake 1813-1814 (Annapolis, 2015).
The Watchers
January 22, 2022
Stephen Alford, The Watchers, A Secret History of the Reign of Elizabeth I (London, 2012).
Agincourt
January 22, 2022
Juliet Barker, Agincourt, Henry V and the Battle that Made England (New York, 2005). As the title says this is a history of this famous battle.
The Brothers York
January 21, 2022
Thomas Penn, The Brothers York A Royal Tragedy, (New York, 2019). A good history of the War of the Roses. The first history of this period I have read that I felt like I understood what happened.