Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Reading for History Class

I have returned to school.  Because of that return, I am reading books about history.  One of my classes is about local history or hometown history, and the other talks about historical theory.  I have been reading books for class over the last three weeks and therefore my fiction count is down a little.

Telling the Truth about History by Appleby, Jacob and Hunt is an account of history and how it has been written and passed along through time.  Once linear, now less so...it is kind of a book that helps history make sense to those who enjoy reading it.  This was written with several readers in mind...so if you love history and want to see how history has come about, this is three authors' take on that.

A Crooked Line by Eley is about one historian and his struggle with history.  Eley wants to find his way and this is written with the academic in mind.  Some thought it was easier to read, others thought it was harder to read but it was interesting in its own way.

Spokane & the Inland Empire edited by Stratton was by far my favorite so far.  This book takes the area in and around Spokane and puts it into perspective, bringing in farming, women, Native Americans, railroad, mining, architecture, and the world expo.  The first essay answers the questions where are you from? and each of the essays after address a portion of that essay.  If you are from the area and dabble in history this may be a great read for you!

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