Category Archives: history

Caesar and Christ

Posted on October 12, 2010 by smellincoffee

Caesar and Christ© 1944 Will Durant752 pages Ave, Caesar! Athens’ grip on my imagination is rivaled only by Rome — Rome, navel of the world; Rome, which established the languages laws, and religion of western Europe. Like Our Oriental Heritage … Continue reading →

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The Life of Greece

Posted on October 6, 2010 by smellincoffee

The Life of Greece© 1939 Will Durant754 pages Ancient Greece is the cradle of western civilization, and from my elementary school days on, this world occupied by serene columns and men in togas has fascinated me. That interest grew with … Continue reading →

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Our Oriental Heritage

Posted on September 3, 2010 by smellincoffee

The Story of Civilization: Our Oriental Heritage © 1935 Will Durant 1048 pages “Civilization is social order promoting cultural creation.”  (Opening sentence.) Our Oriental Heritage is the introductory volume of a greater work, an eleven-book set covering prehistory to the last days of Napoleon. Judging … Continue reading →

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The Spanish-American War

Posted on September 2, 2010 by smellincoffee

The Spanish-American War© 1991 Albert Marrin182 pages While still a sophomore in high school, I spotted a book titled The Airman’s War in my school library and checked it out. It become a favorite, one of the first history books I … Continue reading →

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The Birth of the United States

Posted on August 25, 2010 by smellincoffee

The Birth of the United States© 1973 Isaac Asimov274 pages, including a table of dates. While trolling Amazon in search of elusive copies of Isaac Asimov’s Roman history books, I chanced to find evidence of a four-book history series on … Continue reading →

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Working IX to V

Posted on August 18, 2010 by smellincoffee

Working IX to V: Orgy Planners, Funeral Clowns, and Other Prized Professions of the Ancient World© 2007 Vicki Leon312 pages This amusingly-titled volume caught my eye more than a few times in the past, and with an itching to read … Continue reading →

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Don’t Know Much About Geography

Posted on August 17, 2010 by smellincoffee

Don’t Know Much about Geography: Everything You Need to Know about the World But Never Learned© 1992 Kenneth C. Davis384 pages I’ve taken several geography courses as part of my university education, a tribute perhaps to Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs, … Continue reading →

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Heroes of History

Posted on August 15, 2010 by smellincoffee

Heroes of History: A Brief History of Civilization from Ancient Times to the Dawn of the Modern Age© 2001 Will Durant348 pages Will Durant is an author I’ve heard of but not yet read from, and this slim volume intended … Continue reading →

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The 100 Most Influential Books Ever Written

Posted on August 7, 2010 by smellincoffee

The Most Influential Books Ever Written: the History of Thought from Ancient Times to Today© 1998 Martin Seymour-Smith498 pages In retrospect, the introduction should have served as a warning to me.  Author Martin Seymour-Smith opened his The 100 Most Influential … Continue reading →

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La Belle France

Posted on August 3, 2010 by smellincoffee

La Belle France: a Short History© 2005 Alistair Horne485 pages I have rarely enjoyed any book as much as La Belle France, a quick sprint through French history that begins in the Roman era. Initially focusing on a small town … Continue reading →

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