Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

History for Dummies

Options
  • 08-11-2009 7:10pm
    #1
    lauratkd
    Registered Users Posts: 352 ✭✭


    I was rubbish at History in secondary school (thanks to a very boring teacher) and I would really like to get a book to go through the basics of World History. I have actually found the "World History for Dummies" book but I am just wondering if anyone knows anything about it or could recommend anything better.
    Thanks!


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    McArmalite
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,476 ✭✭✭McArmalite


    lauratkd wrote: »
    I was rubbish at History in secondary school (thanks to a very boring teacher) and I would really like to get a book to go through the basics of World History. I have actually found the "World History for Dummies" book but I am just wondering if anyone knows anything about it or could recommend anything better.
    Thanks!
    The For Dummies series of books can be good, well I learned how to use a PC from it so they cann't be bad !!!! Anyway, "World History for Dummies" it's rubbish, don't bother with it.


  • Options
    #3
    Xluna
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,329 ✭✭✭Xluna


    Use wiki.


  • Options
    #4
    brianthebard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,165 ✭✭✭✭brianthebard


    Xluna wrote: »
    Use wiki.

    Please don't.

    Tbh OP I think you are being too vague, its going to be very hard to find a single book that deals with the entirety of world history in any sort of detail, it would perhaps be a better idea to tell us about the periods you are interested in and maybe regions and look at it that way.


  • Options
    #5
    Xluna
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,329 ✭✭✭Xluna


    brianthebard wrote: »
    Please don't.

    Tbh OP I think you are being too vague, its going to be very hard to find a single book that deals with the entirety of world history in any sort of detail, it would perhaps be a better idea to tell us about the periods you are interested in and maybe regions and look at it that way.

    To be fair most of the wiki articles,especially the important ones, are given academic citations and there's plenty of debate on the neutrality of the articles via the discussion page. For the O.P.,someone who justs wants to learn a little on a massive topic, I honestly think using wiki is not a bad idea as a first port of call.


  • Options
    #6
    MarchDub
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,731 ✭✭✭MarchDub


    Xluna wrote: »
    To be fair most of the wiki articles,especially the important ones, are given academic citations and there's plenty of debate on the neutrality of the articles via the discussion page. For the O.P.,someone who justs wants to learn a little on a massive topic, I honestly think using wiki is not a bad idea as a first port of call.

    I have to disagree - Wiki is notoriously bad. Even the citations are frequently off and there are huge chunks of nonsense inserted into what appears to be cited text. It's a mess. For anyone with specific areas of knowledge just browsing through Wiki is a joke.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    brianthebard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,165 ✭✭✭✭brianthebard


    Xluna wrote: »
    To be fair most of the wiki articles,especially the important ones, are given academic citations and there's plenty of debate on the neutrality of the articles via the discussion page. For the O.P.,someone who justs wants to learn a little on a massive topic, I honestly think using wiki is not a bad idea as a first port of call.


    Wiki is ok for checking dates, sometimes, and even then its not always right. Apart from the obvious and huge issue of quality, trying to learn anything decent about world history through a search bar would be a nightmare. If you don't know much about history then how are you supposed to know the name of people, places, events, dates that you would want to read up on? Is there a timeline page that gives all the pertinent information? Wiki is not a tool for teaching oneself history (or much else other than simpsons information).


  • Options
    #8
    Trizo
    Registered Users Posts: 340 ✭✭Trizo


    lauratkd wrote: »
    I was rubbish at History in secondary school (thanks to a very boring teacher) and I would really like to get a book to go through the basics of World History. I have actually found the "World History for Dummies" book but I am just wondering if anyone knows anything about it or could recommend anything better.
    Thanks!


    I love history i would consider it one of my hobbies but unfortunately some teachers dont instill a passion for it or may be interested in a section of history that many others dont find interesting. now not all history i find interesting either so my advice is this get a general history book taking you through the ages beacuse they dont go into any great detail you will know when you hit a period that interests you as you want more information on it.

    books that i would recommend:

    1. A little History of the world (E.H Gombrich) written originally for kids but good read for adults too has a german slant as was written by a German goes through the various ages right up to post WWII. interesting read not like most history books shows practical applications of events and inventions.
    2.The Almanac of world history (Nat Geographic) is a picture history book that goes through the ages will give you a really good idea of the timelines and various ages.I always like to see pictures/paintings from the ages being talked about.
    3. lastly and maybe surprisingly the books you had in school were actually not all that bad the "Focus on the past" series was actually quite good and also will provide you with a snippet of history.

    From there you can focus on one area or a few and get the detail books
    on the period.

    hope that helps.


Advertisement