books about: 1815

books about: 1815

books:

1815

Waking Giant: America in the Age of Jackson (American History)

David S. Reynolds

Harper, 2008

Decent Overview
David Reynolds, whose "Beneath the American Renaissance" gave us a cultural tour of antebellum America, now gives us a wider look at the Jacksonian era. While his book provides a decent overview for the casual reader, it lacks much of a new argument for the dedicated ...

Victory of Eagles (Temeraire, Book 5)

Naomi Novik

Del Rey, 2008

Maybe Napoleon really deserves to win
Napoleon has invaded England. Using tactics recommended by his dragon-advisor, and providing dragons with far more rights than those enjoyed by English dragons, Napoleon demoralizes the English army, outmarches and outfights them, and forces them to flee to Scotland. ...

War and Peace

Leo Tolstoy

Knopf, 2007

How to Read War and Peace, and Enjoy It Completely
War and Peace is, without question, the greatest historical novel ever written. However, if you carry a copy of War and Peace with you anywhere, you will be subjected to ridicule of many varieties. This, of course, says more about the critics than the reader. It ...

My Bonny Light Horseman: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, in Love and War (Bloody ...

Louis A. Meyer

Harcourt Children's Books, 2008

Vive L'Empereur! Non. Vive Jacky Faber! Mais oui.
I finished reading MY BONNY LIGHT HORSEMAN, the sixth book in the "Bloody Jack" series, a few weeks ago and am just now getting around to commenting on it. The other reviewers here have basically written about the plot and characters, so I won't repeat what has already ...

What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848 (Oxford History of the United States)

Daniel Walker Howe

Oxford University Press, USA, 2007

Well-deserved praise
This book is truly deserving of the Pulitzer Prize and inclusion in the Oxford History Of the United States series.I was a bit apprehensive when picking up this massive book and deciding whether to purchase. As I randomly thumbed through the pages, every page I read ...

Empire of Ivory (Temeraire, Book 4)

Naomi Novik

Del Rey, 2007

Captivating book
This book (and the 3 before that) is just great. I was getting tired of fantasy, and then I bought the first 3 of the series. I couldn't stop reading ! The books are very interesting because they mix dragons with history. It's a very realistic world with dragons ...

The Pursuit of Glory: The Five Revolutions that Made Modern Europe: 1648-1815 (Penguin History of Europe)

Tim Blanning

Penguin (Non-Classics), 2008

Extensive but Readable
An outstanding review of the period 1650 to 1815 in European history. Filled with many informative and interesting details. I have read a number of works on English, French or German history of this period, but this work does a terrific job of tying them together -- ...

Nick of Time

Ted Bell

St. Martin's Griffin, 2008

great page turner
You do not find books like this any more. You can be a kid again in this book. You are pulled into every page. I have read all of Ted Bells books, but Nick of Time is so different you can't wait to turn the page.

Rhett Butler's People

Donald McCaig

St. Martin's Paperbacks, 2008

The BEST novel I've read in 25 years!
McCaig is a virtuoso of the written word. I have no idea how any true fan of the original GWTW can give it less than 5 stars. McCaig has taken our favorite scoundrel, lover and hero and made him BETTER! He's still all that he ever was, but you are allowed to see the ...

War And Peace (Signet Classics)

Leo Tolstoy

Signet Classics, 2007

The Garnett and Dunnigan translations... details here
This review is broken down into two segments, a Descriptive Summary and two Evaluative Summaries, one each for the Garnett and Dunnigan translations. If you're already very familiar with the story of "War and Peace," you may wish to skip directly to the latter facets ...

Sharpe's Company (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series #13)

Bernard Cornwell

Signet, 2004

A high-water mark in the Rifleman Sharpe series
Bernard Cornwell's series of Sharpe novels has delighted countless readers over the years. Cornwell is (famously or infamously, depending on your perspective) writing these novels out of historical sequence, so even though while "Sharpe's Company" is in the middle of ...

Sharpe's Trafalgar: Richard Sharpe & the Battle of Trafalgar, October 21, 1805 (Richard Sharpe's Adventure ...

Bernard Cornwell

HarperCollins, 2002

Great change of pace after the India books
An homage to Patrick O'Brian's "Master and Commander", the series based on the British Navy of the same period. The fan of both will see numerous similarities. Sharpe's new friend, Captain Joel Chase, is the spitting image of Jack Aubrey. He's a bluff, ...

Sharpe's Enemy (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series #6)

Bernard Cornwell

Penguin Group, 2001

Sharpe clashes with Hakeswille and the French in the Spanish mountains
"Sharpe's Enemy" is a classic Sharpe novel - fast-paced, bloody, and chock full of the highs and lows of the soldier's life. "Enemy," despite its more vicious moments, is also one of the most humorous of all the Sharpe novels. Taken together, this is one of the high ...

Black Powder War (Temeraire, Book 3)

Naomi Novik

Del Rey, 2006

I'd like our world better if there were dragons.
The third book in the Temeraire series was better than the second but still not quite as enjoyable as the first; I think it's a natural progression, since the first book is fun because it is nice and uncomplicated, like Temeraire himself, and the subsequent books ...

Hornblower : Beat to Quarters

C.S. Forester

Back Bay Books, 1985

Historical Fiction at Its Best...and a Grand Hero
C. S. Forester, Beat to Quarters. Patrick O'Brian, Master and Commander I've begun reading C. S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower novels for the fourth or fifth time and I'm enjoying them almost as much as the first time through. Last year, I read about half of Patrick ...