Can you recommend me 2-3 of the best books set in different Eras?

[Mumford and Dragons]

I have always read loads of books growing up, they used to be mainly fiction books which I loved but (being 21 now) they dont interest me anymore.

 

I have always loved history, it fascinates me so much. I  watch documentaries, look it up on the internet, (and enjoy watching War movies if that counts ) My Dad also knows a lot of history as well, in which I love the facts/information he tells me. But I have only ever read one historical book in my life thus far, and that was when I was 12! The book was called "The Desert Generals" by Correlli Barnett which I enjoyed reading so much...but have never touched another history book since..until now which I am currently reading. Its called "English Civil War" by David Clark which I am finding a little boring... 

 

Can anyone recommend me some of the best history books (if thats the correct term?) of different era's? For example, the best books about WW1, WW2, Medieval (from different nations/countries), The Crusades, Rome etc. I have come across some, such as  "All Quiet on the Western Front" which looks interesting, also "SPQR: A history of Ancient Rome", even "A Short History Of Nearly Everything (Bryson)" !

 

Now I know there could be 7-15 of the best books from WW1, or Medieval Britain (some could tell the story of a whole country, or a group of people, or only focused on 1 person (I think "The Book Thief" fits that description? ). But if you can recommend me your favorite ones (ones that you think I would enjoy), it would be much appreciated. I am going to do some research, maybe go to my local Library and ask them, but with your help it will make my decision making a little easier!  

 

Thank you for any help, appreciate it :) 

 

P.S Hopefully I have made sense, sorry for my blabbering on... :/ 

[vodkafan]

Books are such a personal thing it is difficult to know what someone else may like. A very good WW2 book  (memoir) I read is The Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer. He is a half French/half German boy of 16 who joins the German army and is sent to the Russian front.

A couple of good exciting history books:  Rubicon Tom Holland (Romans)

 and    Batavia's Graveyard Mike Dash  (about an 17th century shipwreck and mutiny off the coast of Australia)

 

Personally when I read fiction books about a historical period I like to read books that were actually written in that period rather than modern authors setting their stories in that period. However, The Crimson Petal And The White by Michel Faber is a fantastic exception.

Hope this helps.

[Anna Begins]

Night by Elie Wiesel is great.

 

Edited to add:

 

I've never read The Book Thief, but Night is a true story and Elie Wiesel is a brilliant man.

Edited September 2, 2016 by Anna Begins

[Karsa Orlong]

I'd also highly recommend Tom Holland's Rubicon (the Triumph and Tragedy of the Roman Republic) and, by the same author, Persian Fire, about the Greco-Persian Wars.

 

If you're at all interested in the Tudors I really enjoyed Winter King by Thomas Penn, about Henry VII.

 

If you're interested in the Napoleonic Wars there's Stephen Taylor's Commander and Storm & Conquest, plus John Sugden's massive (and I mean MASSIVE) two-part biography of Nelson, A Dream of Glory and The Sword of Albion, or Tim Clayton's Waterloo.

 

For more recent times I really liked Stephen Ambrose's Band of Brothers (which was turned into the tv series) and A Man on the Moon by Andrew Chaikin, which is about the Apollo missions, of course.

 

 

 

 

 

[Mumford and Dragons]

Thanks for the suggestions so far, they all sound really interesting to read!

 

For some reason I am feeling a good book to read, about WW1. Seeing as summer is ending and the cold dark nights are drawing near, I was wanting to find a sort of (cosy read), trench warfare/story/account set during WW1. Wether it tells the story of a soldier and his life through the war in the trenches, or a wider account of it all, I wouldnt know what book to look for that meets my requirements. Any help to find a book like that would be much appreciated!  

[chesilbeach]

There are a few topics on the forum with recommendations for WW1 and WW2 books - have a look at this thread which also has links to some other threads too: http://www.bookclubforum.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/13576-world-war-iii-fiction/

[Marie H]

I would recommend Robert Graves Goodbye to All That, is an anti-heroic memoir of life in the trenches during World War I. It is a remarkable book of the Great War.