Current Events > Has anyone ever read the historian Gordon S Wood?

(+) Yeah! (+)

How is he? I know he's written quite a few books, and they tend to focus on American history.

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I read The Radicalism of the American Revolution. It's a pretty good book if you want to learn about the revolutionary era, though some of his arguments are a bit out there.

In what way are they out there? As far as I'm aware, he's a respectable historian. Probably teaches at an Ivy League university or something.

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The central argument of the book is that the American Revolution was as radical a revolution as any. It was written in opposition to claims that the American Revolution was more conservative and less... revolutionary than other revolutions like France and Haiti. Most of his arguments along that line are well reasoned but he went really hard on that theme and sometimes it doesn't fit. Like, he argued that the revolution directly led to the eventual abolishment of slavery, which he connected with very loose logic. You should just read it for yourself if you're interested, it's not super dense.

Have you read any other history books? I really enjoy reading history. CE is notorious for never reading nonfiction of any kind, though.

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Background_Guy posted...

I read The Radicalism of the American Revolution. It's a pretty good book if you want to learn about the revolutionary era, though some of his arguments are a bit out there.

Same, and I'm inclined to agree with your assessment in post 4.

Sunhawk posted...

Have you read any other history books? I really enjoy reading history. CE is notorious for never reading nonfiction of any kind, though.

I would recommend Grant's memoirs, as I think the writing is enjoyable and I appreciate the perspective from soldier to general through his military career.

McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom is another book I was assigned in undergrad and I think it's pretty good as far as the Civil War goes.

I'm also partial toward Bloodlands by Timothy Snyder, if you're interested in WW2, the acts of and relationship between Nazi Germany and the USSR, and the Holocaust at all.

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Sunhawk posted...

Have you read any other history books? I really enjoy reading history. CE is notorious for never reading nonfiction of any kind, though.

I haven't read much history recently. Im slowly going through Tobias Wilkinson's The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt, which is a general overview of ancient Egyptian history. Don't know if it's the best book on the subject, but so far it's been really good for me since I didn't know jack about ancient Egypt.

If you want more revolutionary American stuff, I really liked Founding Brothers by Joseph Ellis. That one is really good if you want to know about the Founding Fathers as people, their personalities and rivalries and such. Another Pulitzer winner.

Wood drastically underestimates the impact of social distinctions predicated upon wealth, especially inherited wealth.

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