Category Archives: history

The Reformation

Posted on October 2, 2011 by smellincoffee

The Reformation: A history of European civilization from Wyclif to Calvin: 1300-1564© 1957 Will Durant1025 pages Although titled as a work of religious history, The Reformation is almost more a continuation of The Age of Faith in covering the final two … Continue reading →

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Marcus Aurelius

Posted on September 27, 2011 by smellincoffee

Marcus Aurelius: A Life© 2009 Frank McLynn684 pages Few figures in history can compare to Marcus Aurelius, and fewer still favorably.  Adopted into the royal family, this last of the Five Good Emperors has sat in silent judgment of politicians … Continue reading →

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The Renaissance

Posted on September 12, 2011 by smellincoffee

The Renaissance:  A History of Civilization in Italy from 1304-1576 A.D.© 1953 Will Durant776 pages I assumed the Renaissance would be a high point of this series for me, second only to The Age of Reason. After a thousand years … Continue reading →

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Unfamiliar Fishes

Posted on August 13, 2011 by smellincoffee

Unfamiliar Fishes© 2011 Sarah Vowell238 pages For those accustomed to Sarah Vowell’s usual approach to history — one offering contemporary political allusions and biting wit — Unfamiliar Fishes will seem decidedly straightforward. Her introduction describing 1898 as a perhaps more pivotal … Continue reading →

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Seven Ages of Paris

Posted on August 13, 2011 by smellincoffee

Seven Ages of Paris© 2002, 2004 Alistair Horne458 pages An entire city, built with pomp, seems to have arisen miraculously from an old ditch. – Corneille, Le Menteur, 1643 Paris is one of the most celebrated cities in the world, and … Continue reading →

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Montevallo: Images of America

Posted on June 5, 2011 by smellincoffee

Montevallo: Images of America © 2011 Clark Hultquist and Carey Heatherly 128 pages A few years ago, I became a student and resident of the University of Montevallo. I fell madly in love with the town and its university and regard them … Continue reading →

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Disaster 1906

Posted on April 21, 2011 by smellincoffee

Disaster 1906: the San Francisco Earthquake and Fire© 1967 Edward F. Dolan Jr.172 pages If, as some say, God spanked the town For being over-frisky Why did He burn the churches down And save Hotaling’s whisky? -p. 175 Years ago … Continue reading →

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The Forgotten 500

Posted on March 18, 2011 by smellincoffee

The Forgotten 500: The Untold Story of the Men Who Risked All for the Greatest Rescue Mission of World War II© 2007 Gregory A. Freeman313 pages Throughout the Second World War, Great Britain and the United States engaged in a … Continue reading →

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The History of Japan

Posted on March 3, 2011 by smellincoffee

The History of Japan© 1918, 1947 Kenneth Scott Latourette282 pages ““Under a Wave off Kanagawa”, Katsushika Hokusai In Fall 2009 I took a class in Japanese history and enjoyed it tremendously, but given that it’s been well over a year, I figure I’m … Continue reading →

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With Wings Like Eagles

Posted on February 28, 2011 by smellincoffee

With Wings Like Eagles: A History of the Battle of Britain© 2009 Michael Korda322  pages “The odds were great: our margins small: the stakes infinite.” – Vice Air Marshal Keith Park, No. 11 Group. RAF. As far as drama goes, … Continue reading →

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