Help to pick next history book

[Dave Lehnert]

Trying to figure out what my next book to read will be so I can get it ordered. Kinda into American History and U.S. Presidents right now.
Any recommendations?

[Bruce Page]

I enjoyed this one: Plain speaking: an oral biography of harry s. truman by Merle Miller

[Shawn Pixley]

Have you read "Team of Rivals; the Political genious of Lincoln"? Others I might recommend are:the Civil War (Shelby Foote) / Declaration (William Hogeland) / The Irregulars (Jenet Conant) / Unbroken / A Covert Affair

[Bob Rufener]

My son bought me the book "Washington" by Ron Chernow Extremely well researched and thousands of references to actual documents. Well written and I learned a lot about Washington and the history of our nation.

A few years ago, I read the book "Truman" by David McCullough. Another well written book.

I picked up a copy of Truman on www.half.com (http://www.half.com) for less than $5.00 including shipping. A good source for books at a reasonable price.

I would recommend either of them.

[Paul McGaha]

I'd suggest Nimitz, by E B Potter.

PHM

[Jeff Bartley]

The John Adams biography by David McCullough is really good. Also, I was recently recommended the book, 'Six Frigates', author unknown, it's a history of the first six ships of the US navy.

[Dave Lehnert]

A lot of good ideas. Thanks, I will look and see what I like.
"Truman" by David McCullough was referenced in the book I am reading now.

[Ken Garlock]

Greetings Dave.

About 2 weeks ago I finished reading "Killing Lincoln." It was written by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard. Like O'Reilly or not he does have a degree in History with multiple journalism degrees from Boston University, and Harvard. The book is historically accurate and covers the last 6 weeks in the life of Abraham Lincoln. The book is not a novel, but rather a series of chapters dealing with events leading up the the defeat and surrender of the Confederacy, the planning of the actual killing of the president, and the pursuit of John Wilkes Booth.

As an aside, when Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Courthouse, Grant's only conditions of surrender was that Lee and the Confederacy lay down their weapons and go home.

Merry Christmas Dave,

[Jim Rimmer]

Jefferson's War about the Barbary Pirates. Gives you a lot of insight into how and when the mess in the Middle East really started.

[John Pratt]

+1 on "Washington" by Ron Chernow. Another I enjoyed was "The Real George Washington" by Jay Parry. Washington is by far my favorite founding father as far as presidents go, but Benjamin Franklin was a true renaissance man and the argument could be made we would not have the country we have without him. A couple favorites of mine are “The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin” by H.W. Brands and “The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin” by Gordon S. Wood.

[Jim Matthews]

Two outside the norm:

"A people's history of the United States" Howard Zinn
"Lies my teacher told me: Everything your American History textbook got wrong" James Loewen

I lived outside the USofA in the early 1990's - the view is different, from here.

[Don Jarvie]

Read Paul Reveres Ride by David Hackett Fischer. Its one of those books thats hard to put down.

[Caspar Hauser]

'Extraordinary popular delusions and the madness of crowds' by Charles Mackay.

I reread this periodically, it adds a touch of perspective.

[Dave Lehnert]

Greetings Dave.

About 2 weeks ago I finished reading "Killing Lincoln." It was written by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard. Like O'Reilly or not he does have a degree in History with multiple journalism degrees from Boston University, and Harvard. The book is historically accurate and covers the last 6 weeks in the life of Abraham Lincoln. The book is not a novel, but rather a series of chapters dealing with events leading up the the defeat and surrender of the Confederacy, the planning of the actual killing of the president, and the pursuit of John Wilkes Booth.

As an aside, when Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Courthouse, Grant's only conditions of surrender was that Lee and the Confederacy lay down their weapons and go home.

Merry Christmas Dave,

I had read reviews of his book and said there are some things that are not accurate. Looks like you do not feel that way?

[Ken Garlock]

Hi Dave. Per O Reilly, the book is accurate with 4 typos that have been corrected by the printer. In all cases the critics have admitted that the error was theirs, with the exception of one reviewer that refuses to admit to error.

Speaking of Presidents, Glen Beck has a new book on on George Washington. I am not a Beck fan, but I do believe he does his home work prior to writing.

Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking with it.......

[Curt Fuller]

This isn't exactly presidential history, but it was such a good book I could hardly put it down.....

http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Thunder-Carson-Conquest-American/dp/1400031109/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323733368&sr=8-1

(http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Thunder-Carson-Conquest-American/dp/1400031109/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323733368&sr=8-1)

[Christopher Pine]

Flags of our fathers... was good book. Not presidential either but interesting!

[Van Huskey]

THE FRONTIER IN AMERICAN HISTORY by Frederick Jackson Turner
THE CIVIL WAR by Shelby Foote
THE RIGHT STUFF by Tom Wolfe
THE SECOND WORLD WAR by Winston Churchhill
THE RISE OF THEODORE ROOSEVELT by Edmund Morris
THE FACE OF BATTLE by John Keegan
THE AMERICAN POLITICAL TRADITION by Richard Hofstadter
THE CONTOURS OF AMERICAN HISTORY by William Appleman Williams