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User:Charles Edward/Personal Library

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Me in my library (not really)

I own a large personal library with books on almost every topic. The largest part of my library is history books, but I also have a very large collection of fictional works. I am going to endeavor to create a list of books here that may be useful to the community should they be needed as sources. I do not expect to ever get more than a fraction of my books listed here. But I can at least go through and add the notable ones, and add new ones as I obtain them.

Many of these are added for memory, my PC is on the opposite end of my home from my library, so it is not convient for me to run back and forth looking up authors and exact titles. I am putting what I recall, and grabbing cites for some of them I have used. If you would like me use one to help source an article, or to look something up, please leave me a note and I will see what I can dig up.

History books

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  • The History of Civilization, volumes 1-10, by Will Durant. An excellent series about 25,000 pages. Each volume focuses on epochs and there is detailed information on many topics. I do not have the later volumes (I believe there are 13). It starts with the History of Orients and ends with Rousseau and the Revolution. So apr. 3500 BCE until 1815 AD. Ceaser and Christ is probably the best book on Roman history I have ever read.

North America

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  • Fowler, William M. (©2005). Empires at War. 104 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York: Walker & Company. ISBN 0802714110. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: location (link) CS1 maint: year (link) : A great book that covers the French and Indian War in excellent detail. There is also a brief synopsis of the the earlier European wars to affect North American starting with King Williams War

Canada

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  • A Great and Noble Scheme: A book about the history of French Acadia, starting with the earliest explorations and ending with the Great Upheaval. There is also substantial information on the Acadian Diaspora
  • A Penguin History of Canada - Mostly the history of Quebec and Ontatio, there is some brief information on the maritimes and the great plains, very little on BC and the Northwest

United States

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  • Common Sense and Other Writing of Thomas Paine: By Thomas Paine, interesting documents from the American Revolutionary era, as well as many other interesting communication between and others like, General Lafayette.
  • A Great Improvisation: About Benjamin Franklin and the negotiations with France in the American Revolution. Book paints Franklin in somewhat of a negative light, but overall the book is a good source. There is also some overview information on the value of the french support and its after affects.
  • George Washington's War: About the American Revolution, a brief section on the early life of Washington and his presidency. By in large it focuses on his personal contributions to the war. Some information regarding the campaign details
  • The Mayflower Pilgrims: A book about the Pilgrims and teh early years of the colony and their years in England and Holland. Contains Bradford's accounts of the time.
  • The Federalist Papers: The actual ones in book form. Unedited. No additional commentary.
  • The American Revolution: Numerous peronsal accounts from the founding fathers. Focuses on papers and letters of the founding fathers
  • The American Story: A general history of United states, starts in Jamestown Colony, ends around 1800. Not very detailed, fairly run of the mill.
  • Liberty: The American Revolution.: A very Basic recounting of the war, but contains numerous high quality documents from the period. Including posters, paintings, etc. Most of these are public domain.
  • Union 1812: An excellent telling of the War of 1812 from the American Prespective. Contains a good synpsis of each of teh generals and each chapter is based on telling one mans part in the war. Like William Henry Harrison, Madison, Jackson, etc.

American Civil War

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  • The Civil War: A Narrative: Volumes 1-3. By Shelby Foote. — and excellent Civil War resource. These books give a wonderful overview of the war with fairly detailed descriptions of more significant military action, including naval actions. It also gives an excellent overview of the politician situations within the governments.
  • Grant's Memoirs- Ullyses S. Grant;s personal recounting of the war.
  • Hard Tack and Coffee: a book about the life of a typical soldier. Detailed info about uniforms, rations, and all manor of information about the life of a soldier and sailor in the war. Covers both sides with excellent detail.
  • Letters and Recollections of General Lee : Not comprhensive, but contains a good number of letters and information from General Lee. Many letters are actual battlefield messages, and communication with the confederate government along with personal communications.

Indiana

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Europe

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  • The Gallic Wars: This book was wrote by Julius Ceasar, there is also an addition written by one of his generals. The book covers the Roman invasion and vacillation of Gaul. There is also one section about the first expedition into Britain I have the original in Latin, I also have an English translation.
  • Civil Wars(Translated):By Julius Ceasar. I have the original in Latin, Covers the Roman civil war of the 60s BCE
  • Alexandrian, Spanish & African Wars, by unknown authors. I have the original in Latin.
  • Over the edge of the world: A book based on the journal of Ferdinand Magellan and other sources that recount in detail the Magellan Expedition.
  • The End of the Old Order: A book detailing the war of the third coalition. Books covers mostly the political developments, but does so in amazing detail. There is a fair explanation of the military aspect of the war
  • Napoleon Bonaparte: A Life : A GREAT read. Very detailed information on the personal life of Napoleon Bonaparte. There is also fair information on the campaigns and planning of the entire Napoleonic era. To me this book seems to miss pretty important aspects of napolean, and generally paints him in a negative light.
  • The Pursuit of Glory : A good overview of European history from 1648-1815. Lots of information, nothing comprehensive.
  • God's Crucible: Islam and the making of Europe : First half of the book is in regards to the rise of Islam in the middle east. Second half is focused mostly on Spain and the cultural advances there. Book is heavily footnoted, and it is easy to dig up sources from it to almost any topic covered in the book. Covers time period 570-1215.
  • The Hundred Years War: Trial by Fire volumes 1 & 2 (I do not have volume 3 but want it) A wonderful and detailed account of the hundred years. If you want to know anything about the episode - it is in this book of it is not known. All aspects of teh wars are noted
  • Stalin: A book about Joseph Stalin. Very detailed, focuses in large part on his personal life. Also alot of information on his political movements and WWII
  • Tyerman, Christopher (fist publisher 2006, 2008 edition). God's War: A New History of the Crusades. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Belknap Press of Harvard University. ISBN 9780674023871. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link) A great book onthe Crusades, including "lesser" crusades against the cathers, eastern europe, etc. Contains detailed political, religious, and military descriptions of each crusade. Contains a brief synopsis on european history from 700-1190. Detailed infro the crusades from the first crusade until Lepanto.

Asia

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  • Genghis Kahn and the making of the modern world: An amazingly good book. Has a forward with some information regarding the fairly new discoveries of Mongolian history texts kept hidden by the Soviet Government but now available. Gives an amazingly detailed information on his life based on teh new sources. Gives information on the campaigns he carried out, his family, and a short part of the book on the empire after his death.
  • God's Crucible: Islam and the making of Europe : First half of the book is in regards to the rise of Islam in the middle east. Second half is focused mostly on Spain and the cultural advances there. Covers time period 570-1215.
  • Osmans's Dream: A very good and detailed book on the history of the Ottoman Empire starting with Osman, the first Sultan. Book ends in the 1920s with the last sultan.
  • A Short History of Byzantium: A condensed version of the three volume work "History of Byzantium". Nothing of significant detail, but an excellent overview of all of Byzantine history beginning with Constantine, ending with the last emporer in teh 1400s.
  • Tyerman, Christopher (fist publisher 2006, 2008 edition). God's War: A New History of the Crusades. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Belknap Press of Harvard University. ISBN 9780674023871. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link) A great book onthe Crusades, including "lesser" crusades against the cathers, eastern europe, etc. Contains detailed political, religious, and military descriptions of each crusade. Contains a brief synopsis on european history from 700-1190. Detailed infro the crusades from the first crusade until Lepanto.
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