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After

The Pity of War: Explaining World War I

Niall Ferguson

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  • Hell in a Very Small Place: The Siege of Dien Bien Phu

    Bernard B. Fall1966

    A detailed account of the 1954 battle between French forces and the Viet Minh. It uses military records to track the collapse of the fortress.

    sardonic → clinical, still military history

    pace0·prose0·bleak0

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • History of the Peloponnesian War

    Thucydides

    A contemporary account of the 5th-century BC conflict between Athens and Sparta. It focuses on military strategy and political speeches.

    sardonic → clinical, still military history

    pace0·prose+1·bleak0

  • The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World in the Age of Philip II, Volume I

    Fernand Braudel

    A history of the 16th-century Mediterranean that prioritizes geography and long-term environmental trends over individual events.

    sardonic → meditative, still historiography

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak-1

  • Confessions

    Augustine of Hippo

    A 4th-century bishop writes a spiritual autobiography addressed to God. He recounts his sinful youth and his eventual conversion to Christianity.

    sardonic → meditative

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak-2

To recover

sardonic → playful

3 more ↓

  • Wielding a Red Sword

    Piers Anthony1986

    An Indian prince avoids an arranged marriage by accepting the supernatural office of War. He wields a sword that draws him into a conflict in Hell.

    pace+1·prose-2·bleak-2

  • Redshirts

    John Scalzi2012

    Low-ranking crew members on a starship realize they are disposable characters in a sci-fi television show. They attempt to escape their fate.

    pace+1·prose-2·bleak-2

  • The Da Vinci Code

    Dan Brown2003

    A symbologist and a cryptologist flee the police while solving puzzles hidden in art. They search for a secret regarding the Holy Grail.

    sardonic → propulsive

    pace+2·prose-2·bleak-2

Faster

3 more ↓

  • Astrophysics for People in a Hurry

    Neil deGrasse Tyson2017

    A summary of the origin of the universe, the laws of physics, and the nature of space and time.

    sardonic → playful

    pace+2·prose-2·bleak-2

  • Steal Like an Artist

    Austin Kleon2012

    A series of short, illustrated principles for creative work. It focuses on remixing existing ideas and establishing productive daily habits.

    sardonic → playful

    pace+2·prose-2·bleak-2

  • Poke the Box

    Seth Godin2011

    A short manifesto encouraging readers to start projects and take initiative. It argues that the greatest risk is staying in place.

    sardonic → earnest

    pace+2·prose-2·bleak-2

Slower

3 more ↓

  • The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World in the Age of Philip II, Volume I

    Fernand Braudel

    A history of the 16th-century Mediterranean that prioritizes geography and long-term environmental trends over individual events.

    sardonic → meditative, still historiography

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak-1

  • Confessions

    Augustine of Hippo

    A 4th-century bishop writes a spiritual autobiography addressed to God. He recounts his sinful youth and his eventual conversion to Christianity.

    sardonic → meditative

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak-2

  • How to Read a Book

    Mortimer J. Adler1940

    This is a guide to active reading techniques for different genres. It outlines levels of reading from basic literacy to syntopical analysis.

    sardonic → mysterious

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak-1

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad

    William Craig

    A chronological account of the 1942-1943 battle between German and Soviet forces. It uses survivor interviews to detail the siege and starvation.

    sardonic → bleak, still military history

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak+1

  • The Third Reich at War

    Richard J. Evans2008

    A chronological history of Nazi Germany from the 1939 invasion of Poland to the 1945 collapse. It details military strategy and the Holocaust.

    sardonic → clinical, still military history

    pace0·prose0·bleak+1

  • The Forgotten Soldier

    Guy Sajer1971

    A teenager from Alsace joins the Wehrmacht and experiences the retreat from the Eastern Front during World War II.

    sardonic → bleak, still military history

    pace+1·prose0·bleak+1