13 Top Books for the History Curious (Cundill History Prize Longlist 2024)

[@michaelmayo]

Since we're history buffs here, (and to answer the biased Brick for Brains commenter who said there's never been an honest attept at history), let me put in a plug for a series that's kinda fallen by the wayside but is still my favorite history series, and that is Will and Ariel Durant's "The Story of Mankind," a massive twelve-volume look at history from ancient times to the present. It took me years to read the entire thing but it never felt like a chore. Instead it felt like you were listening to two of the wisest people you've ever met tell you stories of both the high-born and the common people who had to live with their decisions, right down through the ages. Despite it's massive length, the books feel surprisingly intimate, gently showing us that no matter the time or place, people really are pretty much the same. They look for power. They look for love, and they tend to make the same kinds of mistakes over and over, sometimes just affecting themselves and sometimes taking empires down with them. I've never been able to look at our world again in the same way after reading the series. This is really the Everest of history books, and if you're willing to put in the effort, by the time you reach the summit, you'll see further and deeper into our past than you've ever seen before...

[@sweetaznspice1]

Challenge taken.

[@michaelmayo]

@@sweetaznspice1 Then I wish you luck on your journey...

[@sweetaznspice1]

@@michaelmayo Thanks! However I don't find anything under History of Mankind, rather History of Civilization, 11 volumes? I'm assuming same thing?

[@michaelmayo]

@@sweetaznspice1 My bad...sorry...

[@sweetaznspice1]

@@michaelmayo No worries!

[@davidk6269]

Thank you, Dr. Rich for introducing these 13 books to me!

[@theburningarchive]

Glad you like them!

[@weavebrain]

An intriguing reading list. Hopefully I’ll find time to absorb some of them 👌

[@praveenbalachandran8625]

Hearing for the first time about Cundill prize and thanks for it.Like to see a long review on Judgement at Tokyo

[@theburningarchive]

OK I will add to schedule

[@Thomas...191]

If you can do more interviews with these authors that'd be fabulous.. I'm certainly interested to hear more about that Indonesian book as well, I've little knowledge in that area, and it is a huge country.

[@Julian-tu6em]

Never knew of this prize list. Will love looking at the backlog of this prize.

[@theburningarchive]

I did a video on last year's list too kzbin.info/www/bejne/jHWxpHyknphjjas

[@nigelhard1519]

Civilized contribution to youtube.

[@anmolsingh9025]

I am assuming this list is targetted towards a non history specialist. There are plenty other great history books targetted towards specialized scholarship Based on your interests one can start digging into post grad courses to get an idea

[@ЯрославЛ-ф1ж]

There has never been an honest attempt at history in the english language. Not a single book nor a single lecture. The english mindset simply precludes the capacity for honesty.

[@theburningarchive]

Interesting. I wouldn't go that far. But there is a great book by Priya Satia, Time's Monster that explores how history has served the British Empire for centuries.

[@CleverNameBot13]

@@ЯрославЛ-ф1ж There’s always going to be a bit of bias, but I believe you are going too far and too inclusive. In other words, I heartily disagree.

[@ЯрославЛ-ф1ж]

@@CleverNameBot13 you're just a coward. Had you been alive in the 1930s you would have said that the germans aren't that bad and everyone who thinks otherwise is going too far.

[@Thomas...191]

Is that because the biology of those who speak it or the limited semantics within the language.. in your opinion? Seems a little barmy, but at least let us know what you think.

[@anmolsingh9025]

That's biased and uneducated thing to say