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Recommend an introduction to history book

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  • 31-07-2009 11:40am
    #1
    NervousNude
    Closed Accounts Posts: 286 ✭✭


    I've recently been regretting not pursuing my interest in history past junior cert level and am trying to get back into it. I've largely been using Wikipedia and focusing on individual events one by one (Spanish Civil War today) but would like to get a more general background. I was thinking of getting the junior cert history book and starting from there, does anyone have any recommendations of a particular book or a good alternative?


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    #2
    #15
    Registered Users Posts: 2,784 ✭✭✭#15


    Hi, perhaps 'History's Greatest Hits' by Joseph Cummins. It won't win any awards but it may be a good starting point for a casual reader of History.

    Also check out E.H. Gombrich's 'A little History of the world'. It was originally written for children, but adults can read it too.

    For a detailed general history of the world, there are many books, but I haven't read them and therefore cannot recommend them.

    What are your particular interests?


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    #3
    boneless
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,487 ✭✭✭boneless


    If it is twentieth century history you would like to study I can recommend Eric Hobsbawm, "The Age of Extremes". It is a history of the "short" century, from the end of WWI to the year 2000.


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    #4
    Amtmann
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,093 ✭✭✭Amtmann


    "Europe: A History" by Norman Davies takes some beating as a very broad and well written introduction. I read it in 2003 and I'm doing a PhD in early modern history now, in part because it inspired me to get serious about the subject. On the historian's craft, "The Pursuit of History" by John Tosh is great. You can get both from amazon.co.uk.

    What type of history are you interested in: Modern, Early Modern, Medieval?


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    #5
    Amtmann
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,093 ✭✭✭Amtmann


    NervousNude wrote: »
    I was thinking of getting the junior cert history book and starting from there, does anyone have any recommendations of a particular book or a good alternative?

    Sorry, just saw this. Around about how old are you? If you're around 14 or 15, then the Junior Cert or Leaving Cert books would be okay I suppose. Norman Davies' book is for much more advanced readers/adults. If you are an adult, then don't insult yourself by reading a Junior Cert textbook. They're full of lots of minor inaccuracies and are ridiculously simplified.


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