Please welcome the second guest blogger for the week: Houston Christian history instructor, regular blogger, and historian Eddie Carson. I recently asked my friend and colleague to recommend 5 must read Euro history works. His thoughts appear below. Thanks to Eddie for sharing with us.
To my students: what is the most important and/or enlightening historical work (fiction or nonfiction) you've read? Why? Leave your thoughts in the comments section.
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The following books are works that take a much more narrow path towards collective historical analysis vis-à-vis European studies; however, they can be extrapolated to address political, social, and economic matters during a particular periodization. Students tend to find the following works enjoyable to read. The following works at one point have been a part of my course syllabus.
1. The Burgermeister’s Daughter by Steve Ozment addresses a scandal of a rebellious teenage girl in 16th century Germany (of the German States). This is a work of both social and intellectual history as Ozment indirectly uses a popular narrative style of writing to address Reformation history.
2. The Cheese and the Worms by Carlo Ginzburg looks at elite and popular culture from the point of view of Menocchio, a miller who is fairly educated. Menocchio’s trial records illustrate the confusion by those of popular culture who struggled to understand the religious and social questions of the 16th centuries inquisition.
3. The Thirty Years War by Ronald Asch looks beyond the political game. This particular epoch was transformative in the early process of state building. Asch looks at the significance this conflict had on the feudal regions of Germany and the continual enforcement of the Augsburg Treaty (circa 1555).
4. A Daily Life in Rembrandt's Holland by Paul Zumthor is an excellent read; it is true that it reads more like a travel guide than a dense work of historical topicality; it is Zumthor’s use of adjectives that paints a region enriched by trade and advanced by liberal values (constitutionalism). Moreover, Zumthor’s work covers much of the more tested content elements in a fairly entertaining way; it is required reading at Houston Christian High School. I suggest reading it before or after you have read [or watched] The Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier.
5. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and King Leopold’s Ghost by Adam Hochschild address the evils of western modernity and imperialism, which is associated with the Berlin Conference. Both works are classics and highly entertaining. Furthermore, they raise a number of questions about fate and humanity, as well as matters of race and superiority. Conrad’s work is by far the more complex as he injects an emotional element into the structural make up of literary analysis.
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11 comments:
Eddie--no Nathan Barber, or Du Bois, or Marx? In all seriousness, I expected to see Marx and Du Bois. Selecting just 5books makes it a tough choice. I remember Charlie Brown from Little Rock raving about _The Cheese and the Worms_ few years ago at the Rice AP seminar.
I should have added Nathan; I am sure he thinks I have no clue as to what I am talking about. Marx's works are not very clear to students. Honestly, I have read more by others about Marx than Marx's actual writings. I should have added Barzun's Marx, Darwin, and Wagner -- but my students found it too complex, but we will continue to read it.
Marx is dense; no doubt about it. I look forward to hearing more about Barzun.
Haha, well here I go again on Francis Collins' The Language of God. I simply cannot express how much I learned each time I opened this book. And while it may be considered a book on science/religion, it did talk about Darwin in his context and the reactions to the publication of his beliefs and theories. Another historical work I enjoyed reading was Thomas Paine's Common Sense. I can only imagine reading on the verge of American Independence, being inspired to separate from the nation to which I had pledged loyalty for quite sometime, a nation considered the most powerful in the world.
Gone With the Wind depicts people and places in the Civil War. Its a love story that shows the struggles that people went through during the war. Scarlett, the main character, is characterized as a heroic figure struggling and attempting to live her life the way she wishes. The novel gives you insight about the main events of the war with a romantic twist that keeps you reading all the way till the end.
Stephen Crane’s novel The Red Badge of Courage depicts the American Civil War. The novel is centered on Henry Fleming who decides to run away from the battle. While in the woods, he meets other soldiers; however, these soldiers have been in battle and are wounded whereas Fleming does not have any wounds and feels embarrassed. Fleming feels guilty when he hears that his battalion won the battle. After being hit in the head with the butt of a gun, Fleming goes back into battle. Fleming hears an officer call his regiment “mule drivers.” In the last battle, Fleming dedicates himself to the fight and becomes one of the best fighters in his battalion; he also becomes the flag bearer. Through Henry’s mastering of fear he was able to become a man. Crane delves deep into the psychological level and helps the reader understand the thoughts of a soldier. This novel shows the meaning of courage, especially during the time of the American Civil War. –Meagan Smith
I would have to say The Bible is the best historical book I have read, but other than this obvious choice, Tom Wolfe's The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test is the most interesting book of any historical significance that I have read. It may seem risque, but it does well to define a time period and offers a different scope through which the culture change can be understood.
Kaylin,
You are right in that Gone With the Wind is a romantic work; I had to read this my sophmore year of high school; I recall going mad at the false historical perspective regarding slaves in the Old South.
I agree with the eloquently, cogently explained notion set forth by YoungCarter concerning the Bible's inerrant historical perspective. However,My favorite books that have to do with history are Anthony Flew's There Is a God and Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States.
"Alicia: My Story" is the best historical book i have read. the book is about a girl of thirteen during the holocaust. she is alone and forced to survive on her own while she systematically watches each of her family members die. The book reminds me not only of Anne Frank but also of the other wwII memoirs i have read including "the cage" and "night" Each piece describes a view of world war ii from the human perspective and the eyes from which they view hitler and the extinction of the jews. "my story" written by alica appleman-jurman really changed my outlook on humanity. i recommend it to anyone looking for something to read or anyone in need of a good cry!
Catch-22. It's set right after World War II and instead of glorifying war, it takes out the Romantic aspects and much of the honoer believed to be in battle. Furthermore, the book is funny. Through humor, Joseph Heller shows war as meaningless and absurd, and the growth in the depravity of man during war time. Yossarian's efforts to get out of the airforce show how war strips men of their individuality. This was an important book because war has always been taught to me as heroic and adventurous and the message of Catch-22 is the exact opposite. I didn't like the corruption, dehumanization, or senseless slaughtering I found in war.
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