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The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East
Robert Fisk
Vintage, 2007
well worth the weight
I opened this one Christmas, and thought, here's one that I'll never get to.
That is until I actually opened it and started reading. Like many "journalistic" histories this book does jump around a bit, and there were sections I "blip-read", but this is the first ...
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Conquistador: Hernan Cortes, King Montezuma, and the Last Stand of the Aztecs
Buddy Levy
Bantam, 2008
An Excellent Read
"Men of God and men of war have strange affinities" Levy quotes Cormac McCarthy at the outset of this fascinating narrative of Hernàn Cortés and Montezuma. The quote could hardly be more appropriate, since both men were undoubtedly, each in their own way, exactly that: ...
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Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies
Bartolome de Las Casas
Penguin Classics, 1999
Essential Reading
"A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies" is a powerful written protest against the Spanish treatment of the American Indians. Bartolome de las Casas, a Dominican friar, witnessed first-hand the colonization of the Americas by the Spaniards, and felt it his ...
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The Conquest of Happiness
Bertrand Russell
Liveright Publishing Corporation, 1996
gloriously obvious
Essentially a self-help book written by the hypereminent philosopher Bertrand Russell. I have not read any other self-help books I don't think but from what I know this one is completely different: well-thought out, insightful and completely lacking in poppy answers. ...
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The Last Days of the Incas
Kim MacQuarrie
Simon & Schuster, 2008
The most interesting history book I have ever read
The Last Days of the Incas is by far the most interesting history/non fiction book I have ever read. It reads much like a novel, brining the history of the Spanish conquest of Peru into vivid clarity and making the book extremely hard to put down. If you have an ...
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Blood and Thunder: The Epic Story of Kit Carson and the Conquest of the American West
Hampton Sides
Anchor, 2007
Great Blood a lot of Thunder
I have enjoyed this book as much as John Adams. Preconcieved ideas of history are put to rest. For the most part this is a part of history that has not been well documented for me. There was Lewis and Clark and then a big gap. This fills in the gap and is a must read.
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The Conquest of Gaul (Penguin Classics)
Julius Caesar
Penguin Classics, 1983
De Bello Gallico
This was the first translation of the Gallic War I read, and it is still my favorite. The index with all the tribes, forts, etc. is particularly useful (a lot of translations don't have one, and to my knowledge none have as comprehensive of one).
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State of Emergency: The Third World Invasion and Conquest of America
Patrick J. Buchanan
Thomas Dunne Books, 2006
Buchanan
I purchased this book for Fathers' day for my husband. I have not read the book yet,but my husband liked it very much.
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The Conquest of New Spain (Penguin Classics)
Bernal Diaz del Castillo
Penguin Classics, 1963
Great Eyewitness account
Diaz was one of the soldiers who accompanied Cortez to invade the Aztec Empire. His account is one of the best we have of the whole affair. It is not written with much bias and was written to discount historical myths after the invasion had taken place. It is very ...
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The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico
Miguel Leon-Portillo
Beacon Press, 2007
Exceedingly Sweet action!!!
I got this book because I find pre-columbian Mesoamerica fascinating, and I also enjoy the vivid clash of cultures which occured when the Spaniards arrived there. This book describes the conflict between the Aztecs and Spaniards superbly! This book is somewhat unique ...
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1066: The Year of the Conquest
David Howarth
Penguin (Non-Classics), 1981
William advantageously uses his papal,"window of righteousness
Ther are alot of new books out about Hastings,particularly ones that cover the Viking invasions of 1066 and the Godwin family.Howarth seems to sink into an idyllic Anglo-Saxon past (which probably never existed)in his work. There are alot of descriptions of rural ...
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The Great Arab Conquests: How the Spread of Islam Changed the World We Live In
Hugh Kennedy
Da Capo Press, 2007
Superb history of Islamic expansion
In 680, an Iraqi monk asked (I am paraphrasing) "How is it the Arabs created such an enormous empire (by 744 it would stretch from the Pyrenees to the Hindu-Kush) so quickly?" Hugh Kennedy answers this in _The Great Arab Conquests_. His conclusions may surprise you.
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Victors and Vanquished: Spanish and Nahua Views of the Conquest of Mexico (The Bedford Series in History and ...
Stuart B. Schwartz
Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000
My Review
When the British Empire relinquished control to India, the jewel in the British crown, it became evident the age of Imperial European expansionism had come to an end. The period of global decolonization following World War II paved the way for a more critical approach ...
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The Taste of Conquest: The Rise and Fall of the Three Great Cities of Spice
Michael Krondl
Ballantine Books, 2008
A beautifully-written and engaging book
This thoroughly researched and engaging book deserves a prominent place on any food-lover's bookshelf. After reading this beautifully written book, my experiences with spices in my own kitchen will be forever enhanced. Highly recommended.
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Conquest: Sexual Violence and American Indian Genocide
Andrea Smith
South End Press, 2005
Transcends mainstream understandings of sexual violence
Smith's groundbreaking book should be required reading for all rape crisis advocates in North America. Not only does she provide a scholarly examination of the link between colonial genocide and sexual violence, Smith also provides context for contemporary activism ...
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