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by m11a
2241 days ago
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I personally don't like philosophy books. I think there's more to be learned about philosophy by reading about specific topics, rather than actually reading about philosophy. Some exceptions like Plato, etc. Absolutely agree with history being useful, though. Any particular periods of history you think are essential to know about, and any particular great books on them? |
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History has many themes. These appear in every time and place, sometimes in the forefront, sometimes in the background. I believe the most "essential" period is the one that answers your questions.
So, I'd recommend picking any period that you have a vague curiosity for. I'd go a half step further and recommend avoiding recent periods (late 20th Century).
IMO, it's too recent for there to be consensus on what constitutes good scholarship. There are obviously exceptions to this, but if you're new to history reading, it's difficult to disambiguate the good from the bad.
Examples of periods and geographies that are particularly well-studied, with good accessible literature:
- Late antiquity in the mediterranean (fall of the roman empire)
- Inter-war period in continental europe (Weimar, etc)
- Revolutionary period in France, United States
- Antebellum period in the United States
- Early Russian Revolution (there aren't many good syntheses imo, because this period was incredibly complicated)
- Europe during the reign of Louis XIV (1643-1715)
- Napoleonic wars and aftermath
This list is pretty euro-centric. IMO, these are the safest place to start, as the plurality of english-language scholarship is in these places and periods. After developing a good nose here, you'll feel comfortable reading in areas where the scholarship isn't as deep.