Hi guys,

I would like to expand my knowledge of history and am seeking books on
the following subjects. The books should be accurate and
well-researched, yet at the same time readable to people who don't
want to pursue a history major or get entangled in complicated
technical terminology. In short, they need to be simultaneously
entertaining and informative.

* Feudal Germany (focusing on its leaders)
* China in the 18th to early 20th century (politics, wars, daily life)
* Japan in the 18th to early 20th century (politics, wars, daily life)
* Hawaii, before and after being conquered and modernized by the USA
* Biographies of: Napoleon; Admiral Horti; Franco; Stalin

Ideally, I would like to be recommended books that you have read or
know to be of value regarding the above criteria.

Incidentally, I am leaving on vacation in a few minutes and might not
have regular Internet access during this time. If you have any
questions, please pose them, but they might not get responded to
immediately.

Please give me recommendations for *all* of the above subjects. (If
you wish, feel free to recommend additional books).

Thanks!

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Request for Question Clarification by omnivorous-ga on 22 Jul 2003 07:04 PDT

Rowl --

Asking the books to be "entertaining and informative" brings to mind
several excellent accounts that are historical fiction.  Do you wish
to include these?

Two very good examples would be James Michener's "Hawaii" and James
Clavell's "Shogun."

Of course in the biography category, it's expected that you'd get
non-fiction accounts.

Best regards,

Omnivorous-GA

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Clarification of Question by rowl-ga on 30 Jul 2003 01:11 PDT

Hi, omnivorous,

Yes, fictitious accounts are fine, as long as they fulfil the need of
informing me, in accurate and opulent detail, of life and politics in
the areas they cover.

Thank you for your two Michener recommendations, which I will add to
my reading list.

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Clarification of Question by rowl-ga on 30 Jul 2003 01:14 PDT

Regarding my clarification above, I meant, "Thanks for you two
Michener and Clavell recommendations", of course.

I can't think of any specifically on your topics, but one that brings
together the policies of Franco and Stalin is George Orwell's
outstanding account of his experiences in the Spanish Civil War,
"Homage to Catalonia". Another superb eyewitness account, this time of
the Bolshevik revolution is "Ten days that shook the world" by the
American journalist John Reed. It's available for free on Bartleby:
http://www.bartleby.com/79/ so you can dip in and see if it catches
your interest.

Thanks a lot for your recommendations!

The best fictional-history books on Japanese history I've read are
"Musashi" and "Taiko", both by Eiji Yoshikawa. They're a bit earlier
than what you asked for (Taiko is late 16th century, Musashi is
16th/17th), but the English translations really make the period come
alive, with great descriptions and wonderful historic characters.
Check them out, if you have any time left after reading all the other
recommendations!