Books: History

Confiscation: Gold as Contraband 1933-1974 by Kenneth R. Ferguson was a pleasure to read. Ferguson writes well. I met Ken Ferguson in person at a coin show here in Austin. He speaks as intelligently as he writes. Our time together was enlightening. ... (See the whole review)

“Again, I am not arguing that reason alone will get us there; we need legislation and laws to enforce civil rights, and a strong police and military to back up the state’s claim to hold a monopoly on the legitimate use of force to back up those laws. But those forces are themselves premised on being grounded in reason, and the legislati... (See the whole review)

The DIM Hypothesis Leonard Peikoff (2012) The representation of Kant’s philosophy in this book is grossly out of balance, and in this it is like Leonard Peikoff’s earlier representations and those of Ayn Rand. Some errors in intellectual history may not affect Dr. Peikoff’s DIM hypothesis itself. It is easy to imagine that his... (See the whole review)

I had the good fortune to attend the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM) 1982-84. It was the first state residential high school of its kind to specialize in recruiting extremely bright, self-motivated, rising eleventh graders for an intense, two year program of rigorous coursework. Unfortunately, I found the history departme... (See the whole review)

This is the only 19th century book describing Russia which was forbidden in Soviet Union. Normally they loved the criticism of czarist time, but somehow this book analysis was easily applied to them. I remember reading big portions of it typed on typewriter and secretly distributed through SamIzdat. Now I have it on my book-shelve and nobod... (See the whole review)

Coming next month from Yale University Press, ... (See the whole review)

The Emergence of a Scientific Culture ... (See the whole review)

Islamic Science and the Making of the European Renaissance George Saliba (MIT Press 2007) (See the whole review)

This biography is authored by Barbara Tuchman about General Joseph Stilwell . Published by the Macmillan Company New York , New York .It tells how the General dealt with the crises of the second world war in the orient. I found it riveting. I think it is good material for the gallery because the Generals attidude is awesome and many Objectivists wo... (See the whole review)

I did a Toastmasters speech years ago based on this book and present here an outline of that speech.  It encapsulates the essentials of the book along with supplemental material.  I highly recommend that any lover of liberty read this book. ... (See the whole review)

This work goes in hand, historically, with the Ben Bova commentary mindset - a detailed yet interesting write-up of the controversy over the Alien and Sedition Acts.... the Philadelphis Aurora was at the center of the controversy, it being the principle critique-er of the Federalist regime, and as such tremendously despised.....  very much reccomme... (See the whole review)

Cities -- which may go back several ice ages -- began as trading communities of hunters and antedate agriculture. In fact, cities invented farming.  Just as modern farms depend on refrigeration, tractors, and electricity, so, too, did the first farms exist only because of the cities that caused and supported them.   ... (See the whole review)

This is a story often told.  However, based on excerpts from the author's website, I judge this to be a conceptual -- and conceptually moral -- retelling, more than just an adventure or a documentary. In these outtakes, the bold face type is my own highlighting of the clues that led me to judge this as much a work of morality as a mere war-story. ... (See the whole review)

John Adams was the unappreciated genius of the American revolution.  Today, perhaps as a result of being dumbed own by public schooling, we confute the "revolution" with the "war for independence."  The fact is the revolution took place in the minds of the people, from 1765 if not earlier.  That distinction first was made by John Adams.  Historian ... (See the whole review)

This graphic novel was the final work of master cartoonist Will Eisner. Throughout his career he developed most of the important narrative skills of the medium. Over the years he was one of the first to take the medium seriously as a place to tell stories and express ideas. ... (See the whole review)

Think you know Islam?  Everything (well, almost everything) you know about Islam and the Crusades is wrong. Most textbooks and popular history books are written by left-wing academics and Islamic apologists who justify their contemporary political agendas with contrived historical "facts".  But fear not:  Robert Spencer refutes popular myths... (See the whole review)

"Defining and measuring the topology of excellence in the arts and sciences over a span of some three millennia, Charles Murray's Human Accomplishment scales  the alpine peaks of human achievement and then plumbs their foundations. In a world of cultural relativism and sentimental diversity, he dares expound a theory of hierarchy founded on endurin... (See the whole review)

A fast-paced, brilliantly researched exposé of the homosexuality of Hitler and his entourage. ... (See the whole review)

The Rise and Demise of the British World Order and the Lessons for Global Power ... (See the whole review)

The classic world history of the events, ideas and personalities of the twentieth century. While you are unlikely to agree with Johnson all of the time, his understanding of statism and capitalism make this book a refreshing departure from Marxist interpretations of history.

Based on the author's seminal article in Foreign Affairs, Samuel P. Huntington's The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order is a provocative and prescient analysis of the state of world politics after the fall of communism. In this incisive work, the renowned political scientist explains how "civilizations" have replaced nations and... (See the whole review)