Once again, I am not including The Bible or any reference books. And although I have many non-fiction books on writing, religion, philosophy, politics, biography, and other topics, in my list here I am only including historical books that are written in a more narrative form.
This blogfest is hosted by A Writer's Journey and you can find the Linky list of other participants there.
Here are five favorite books in the non-fiction category:
by Evan S Connell
"The full story of General Custer and the Battle of Little Big Horn as seen from all sides with the events that led up to the fateful event."
The story telling is vivid and comprehensive which really brings the story to life.
"An incredible recreation of everything the title describes."
Made curious after seeing the film Gangs of New York, this book really brought the setting of the story and the history around it to life for me.
"Fascinating history and facts about the common substance we now mostly take for granted."
Fun trivia that you can use to amaze and amuse others is presented in a page turning epic about something we all use every day.
by Nelson Lankford
"Under siege and impending invasion by Union troops, the Capitol of the Confederacy collapses in chaos and flames."
Like a trip in a time machine, this book takes readers into the heart of the action and makes us feel like we are there.
"Incredible stories from pioneers and early settlers of the U.S. who were captured by indigenous tribes and lived to tell their stories."
The stories in this collection are told with detail and candor, painting a vivid picture of what life must have been like for these people.
Do you read non-fiction? What are some of your favorite non-fiction books? Have you read any of the books I have listed here?
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Most of the non-fiction books I read are faith books eg Max Lucado
ReplyDeleteSalt: A World History sounds great!
Salt does sound a good read. I love the idea of these books that focus on a single everyday material or theme.
ReplyDeleteThe non fiction books I read are self help books by Paul McKenna PHD. They really do work as I found out since beginning to read them.
ReplyDeleteHave a good day
Yvonne.
I namely read non fiction for research purposes, so usually it's Regency or Victorian era related. A couple of my favorites, however, are Inside the Victorian Home by Judith Flanders and Death at the Priory by James Ruddick.
ReplyDeleteThe book on Five Points sounds really cool, by the way! I loved Gangs of New York.
I'd like to read Salt and Captured by Indians, Lee. Interesting list you have. :) My non-fiction is usually on Organizing / Crafting / Sewing / Cooking, though I sometimes read about Space, as I find that topic fascinating. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing. Happy Wednesday! ☺
I mostly read non-fiction. I have a history addiction. My all time favorite is Freedom at Midnight. It is about India's struggle to gain it's independence from England.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to add Richmond Burning to my "to read" list.
Yes, I do read non-fiction. It has been quite awhile, since I have read any however. I have not read any on your list. My favorites would be anything by the Puritans, R C Sproul, John MacArthur, John Piper, A. W. Pink, Charles Spurgeon, Thomas Watson, oh yes, Jerry Bridges, Victor Kuligin, anything by Ian Murray.
ReplyDeleteI'm a bit of a history nut. I like David McCullough's books, especially John Adams and 1776.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy non-fiction, although I must say that I haven't read any of them in quite a while...
ReplyDelete:-)
Non-fiction is my favorite genre (NOTE: Snooty, pretentious word for "type") of literary endeavor (Good GOD! I can't stop sounding like a refugee from Masterpiece frikkin' Theater). I especially like the Custer book and will look for it. Wasn't its original title, "Jeez, Where'd All Those Effin' Indians Come From?"?
ReplyDeleteBTW, I'm with L.G. Smith. I've also read John Adams and 1776. They're great. I heard the book on Harry Truman is also fantastic.
Lynda -- I have a lot of faith books. Not sure if I have any Lucado though.
ReplyDeletePorky -- Salt is fascinating since there is so much to salt than just seasoning. I didn't realize that at time salt has been as vital a political issue as oil is today.
Yvonne -- I also enjoy self-help books and own many of them myself.
Alyssia--Five Points brings the area and the era to life so vividly. It's really quite an incredible read.
Larri -- I have a few organizing books as well and I probably need to read and heed them.
KM -- It's funny. I hated history in school and now it's one of my favorite reading genres.
Gregg -- I would figure those would be the types of books you would read. I have a fairly large collection of religious books, many which were my father's.
L.G. --I think I may have 1776 here somewhere. I've heard those are both good books.
Misha -- Non-fiction is good to read to get inspiration for writing fiction.
Al -- You must be watching too much high-brow quality TV. Ol' Custer certainly got knocked of his high horse.
Lee
Thanks for stopping by and encouraging me. I do hope that fast typing is the reason for bad spelling. My son has advised me to talk to my doctor anyway. They have steps to slow down the process of memory loss. I will watch out. Meanwhile I will enrich myself by reading blogs of people like yourself. So informative !
ReplyDeleteI read A LOT more non-fiction than fiction. Currently reading, 'The Optimism Bias-- A Tour of the Irrationally Positive Brain,' by Tali Sharot. Gripped.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the 5 Points recommendation. I also saw Gangs of New York.
ReplyDeleteI don't read a lot of non-fiction, sad but true, I know.
ReplyDeleteI really like Bill Bryson and Malcolm Gladwell's work though.
They all sound interesting - I love history. In non-fiction I usually read spiritual topics, but I'll have to add some of your picks to jmy TBR list. Thanks for the reviews :)
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed SON OF THE MORNING STAR. I just read THE FREEDOM LINE by Peter Eisner about the the brave souls who housed the allied airmen during WWII and protected them from capture while they traveled to safety.
ReplyDeleteNo, I've not read any of those. (And I'd still have to have the Bible on my list.) A Perfect Storm was a great non-fiction book.
ReplyDeleteI love history. Those look like great reads.
ReplyDeleteI am with kmckendry--I love history books, and science books. right now my husband and I are reading Michio Kaku on The Future of Physics. But your list had me copying down a list.
ReplyDeleteMunir -- Thank you, I appreciate your visits here.
ReplyDeleteSuze -- I like books on optimism.
Lisa from Nadir -- Often a movie that I like a great deal will inspire me to do some further reading research.
MJ -- I have a Bill Bryson book waiting on the shelf, but I'm not sure quite when I'll get to it.
Lady Gwen -- I tend to read in cycles. Sometimes I'll start reading spiritual books, other times other books.
Leslie -- I haven't read too many books about WW2. I tend to read more about the 19th century and Civil War.
Alex -- Believe me, the Bible is at the top of my list which is why I excluded it from this listing. If I could only pick one book to have it would be the Bible.
Mary -- I highly recommend any of the books on my list.
Lee
Susan -- I should probably read more science books. A few years back I got on a kick of reading books about math-- and I'm not much of a math fan, but they were interesting to read.
ReplyDeleteLee
Great idea Lee. I like the idea of the Salt book. I heard a childrens' story about a kingdom that lost its salt when the king upset some magical person and the idea has always stayed with me. I was only telling hubby this morning that before antibacterial sprays people rubbed salt into their tables to purify them and of course salt helps cleanse the body too. :O)
ReplyDeleteI've read a few of these book blogfests where the blogger has chosen non-fiction and it's interesting that history is the most popular subject area. I love history and love reading about the past. I haven't read any of those books you've listed and I'm going to see if I can get hold of a copy of Five Points.
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of nonfiction, but I usually read memoirs or travelogues. I haven't read any of these ones!
ReplyDeleteThat CAPTURED BY THE INDIANS book seems interesting. Is it non-biased and objective, Lee? Because I wouldn't like if it isn't. Indians were one of the first victims of American political propaganda used in books and media, and I have friends among them and know how much they still suffer the prejudices against their people so I hope this book shows the real and true picture.
ReplyDeleteSalt stands out on your list, as my dad worked for Morton Salt for many years, and I'd like to learn more about it. Thanks Lee!
ReplyDeleteMadeleine--Salt was so crucial in preserving food before there was refrigeration. There were wars fought over the control of salt.
ReplyDeleteRosalind -- History and biography so often read in story form like fiction that it is understandable why it would be more popular. I know I sometimes have trouble reading books consisting of abstract thinking.
Talli -- I also enjoy travelogues.
Dezmond -- The stories are biased from the standpoint of the people who were captured. Some of the treatment was so brutal that it was not surprising they would cast their captors in a bad light. Other stories are more sympathetic toward the tribes who captured the settlers and took them in as brethren so to speak. It's a controversial topic filled with propaganda and misconceptions from both sides. No one side is completely innocent.
Empty Nest -- As I recall the author talks about Morton salt and certainly looks at the salt industry in the United States and other countries.
Lee
These all sound very exciting and interesting. I will add them all to my must read list as they have all intrigued me. If you ever get a chance, read Vanilla: Travels In Search Of The Ice Cream Orchid by Tim Ecott. It's an extraordinary look at the vanilla trade.
ReplyDeleteHi Lee .. love these - really liked the idea of SALT .. I love these kind of information books; while the Tales of "Captured by the Indians" I can quite imagine would be extremely interesting.
ReplyDeleteI love historical type link books .. so great to see yours and those recommended by your commenters.
What On Earth Happened? In brief .. the planet, life and people from the Big Bang to the present day .. Christopher Lloyd's acclaimed 13.7billion-year history - now in brief (so I should think!!) ..very good read.
The PinBall Effect by James Burke "Like a pinball, a simple discovery in one area can - through necessity, intuition, or serendipity - connect with, bounce off, and redirect the course of another seemingly unrelated discovery made elsewhere in the world or at a distant time."
This pinball book probably explains why I blog like I do ...?!
Cheers and all the other many books around ... Hilary
I know I'm always commenting late on your posts, but I don't have a lot of time to read blogs....or BOOKS for that matter! But I am reading (very slowly) a book I mentioned on Gregg's site, "Miracle on the River Kwai" and I have been heartily recommending it. It's graphic in some parts since it's about the horrible camps the Japanese stuck POWs in in WWII, but it's got some incredible stories. I don't usually like non-ficion but I loved this one. I actually haven't heard of any of the book you have listed but the "Captured by Indians" one sounds interesting.
ReplyDelete~Scarlett