Registered: Jun 2001
Location: Baton Rouge/Lousiana/States
Posts: 671

So, I have this fancy term paper for Euro History AP coming up. It's a book review, so I'm looking for suggestions on what book to do. It has to pertain to history (it's not confined to Euro) from 1800-1998. Someone fairly opinionated, b/c the paper revolves around whether I agree w/ the author or not. I need a few sources, too, so something well known enough that other people have written about him/her. Nothing that I'll get bogged down in; I don't want to spend most of my time trying to get through the book. Oh, and it'd be a bonus if it's something I can later make into a Social Studies fair project, but that's mostly wishful thinking. Most importantly, I want something interesting that I have fun reading. Something that expands my mind.

Fire away!

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Registered: Apr 2001
Location: 0.50
Posts: 9355

mein kampf.
or "my way", by frank sinatra*.
but be careful, that's how they get you.

* is that even a real book?
no. no it isn't.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 4501

I've heard of a book called Confederates in the Attic that might be really enjoyable. Should be plenty of reviews, both in popular press as well as in academic publications, as well as dissenting opinions. Published in March 1998, but pertains to history well before that actual date.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...ooksbybunkum-20
(I threw in that referral link to help with Asylum costs and such, but you can just re-search if you like, and lose the link).
http://www.randomhouse.com/vintage/read/confederates/(group read guide for the book...gives you an idea of some other topics and such to relate to it)

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Registered: Jun 2001
Location: Baton Rouge/Lousiana/States
Posts: 671

Thanks, Bunkum. That could also be a really cool ss fair project. Anybody else have any other suggestions? I have to turn in the title tomorrow.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: salmon city
Posts: 1407

id write a different sort of term paper,
about how they should stop this monkey business with books and reports, and start teaching some useful skills in schools.
like fishing, or starting a fire with sticks. thats what kids want to know.
write a report like that.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 4501

Hrm, this is probably way too late, if it's due today, but there are two really fun books that came out on European history:

Epidemics and History: Disease, Power and Imperialism, Sheldon Watts...basically talks about how diseases were exchanged between dominant and dominated cultures. Nice chapters on syphillis, the plague, smallpox, cholera, maleria, etc. Fairly wide-ranging, and somewhat controversial.

Fins de Siecle: How Centuries End, 1400-2000, ed. Asa Briggs and Daniel Snowman...a collection of writers who explore distinctive traits that occurred at the ends of centuries historically. Somewhat controversial in that many of these traits can be seen in the middles of centuries as well, for example. Gets into cool millenarian stuff.

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location: baton rouge, la
Posts: 4101

i spoke to her this morning, bunkum, and as of now she's going with Confederates in the Attic. i'm not sure if it's absolutely too late, though, and will refer her her when i speak with her next.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 4501

edit.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 4501

Oh, and by the way, how did the book go over with your teacher? One thing you could do for the project is to do a sort of "outside observer" research project on local re-enactors. I wish I could remember where an old acquaintence of mine ended up down in Louisiana, but he got a job at some park down in Louisiana, directing the historical accuracy of Civil War re-enactments. He had a real passion for it, and collected quite a bit of memorabilia. Dr. John Simon, who recently appeared in a PBS special on the Civil War, is highly against re-enactment groups, and touted this book as something hot.

You'll have a lot of controversy and fun with the book, if that's what you ended up going with.

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