Okay, title might seem weird but I did not know how else to put it. Basically, I've loved history all my life. I am currently studying Literature at university, and where I live there is no such things as majors and minors. So to study history I'd have to do a double major, but sadly I cannot. So, I want to learn as much as possible while being self-taught.

That being said, what are some books that are a must read? I'm open to all and every suggestion from all time periods and countries.

Every resource is appreciated! There's something I've done with literature that is searching some English major syllabus and just studying from that, and reading the books they add in the bibliography. However I have yet to find one for History. I don't even know if it's possible, or a good idea.

Thanks in advance!

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The ore was seen as so crucial to the Nazi war effort it was a leading cause for Norway and Denmark being invaded, and the Swedish government also allowed material and soldiers of the Nazis to be moved through their territory throughout the war. So has there ever been any kind of backlash during the war or post-ww2 internationally or domestically?

And if NOT, can we write a decent "how to ask valid /r/AskHistorians question" FAQ that (a) leads to answerable questions and (b) as a subset of that, bans yes/no questions in the submission title?

Yes, this is a meta meta post.

I'm watching Irving Berlin's White Christmas. Near the beginning, the team of Wallace and Davis are performing with their troupe. They are planning to take an overnight train to New York, and Davis wants them to spend the intervening time on a double date. But Wallace says they need to go review an act as a favor to an old army buddy. Davis asks what kind of act, and when Wallace informs him it is a "sister act," he is very disparaging.

My searching for "sister act" turns up nothing except references to the Whooping Goldberg movie franchise. I guess I know why an act was a sister act, but what was so bad about one?

In 1517, the world changed with Martin Luther’s 95 Theses. With a series of conflicts he had in respect partly to the Doctrine of the Catholic Church, he would plunge Europe into a series of conflicts that would last almost two hundred years when Louis XIV would kick out the Huguenots from France. While it is often called The Age of Religious Warfare, there is far more to the era than just arms and warfare.

Religion is a deeply connected part of Medieval European life and would continue to be a part of European life until the contemporary era. To simply uproot a belief system is not possible without massive social upheavals. As a result of Luther’s protests, a new system of Christian belief pops up to challenge the Catholic Church’s domination of doctrine, nobles see ways of coming out of the rule by Kings and Emperors, and trade shifts away from old lanes. With Martin Luther, we see a new world emerge, from the Medieval to the Early Modern.

So today, we welcome all questions about this era of Confessional Conflict. Questions not just about the wars that occurred but the lives that were affected, the politics that changed, the economics that shifted, things that have major impacts to this day.

For our Dramatis Personae we have:

/u/AskenazeeYankee: I would like to talk about religious minorities, not only Jews, but also the wide variety of non-Catholic Christian sects (in the sociological sense) that flourished between 1517 and 1648. Although it's slightly before the period this AMA focuses upon, I'd also like to talk about the Hussites, because they are pretty important for understanding how Protestantism develops in Bohemia and central Europe more generally. If anyone wants to get deep into the weeds of what might be charitably called "interfaith dialogue" in this era, I can also talk a little bit about 'philo-semitism' in the development of Calvinist theology, Finally, I can talk a bit about religious conflict between Orthodox and Catholics in Poland and the Ukraine. The counter-reformation in Poland and Austria had reverberations farther east than many people realize.

/u/DonaldFDraper: My focus is on France and France’s unique time during this era, moving from Catholic stronghold to tenuous pace right until the expulsion of the Huguenots (French Protestants) in 1689.

/u/ErzherzogKarl: focuses on the Habsburg Monarchy and Central Europe

/u/itsalrightwithme: My focus area of study is the early modern era of Spain, France, the Low Countries and Germany, and more specifically for this AMA the Confessional Conflicts brewing in that era. The resulting wars -- the Thirty Years' War, the Eighty Years' War, the French Wars of Religion, and the Habsburg-Ottoman Wars -- are highly correlated and I am very happy to speak to how they are connected.

/u/WARitter: whose focus is on arms and armor of the era, and would be the best on handling purely military aspects of the era.

/u/RTarcher: English Reformations & Religious Politics

We will take your comments for the next few hours and start ideally around 12:00 GMT (7 AM EST) on the 29th of December.

I was just curious as to what time period the distinction between grave robbing and archaeology is made? It just mystifies me that digging up an ancient grave is seen as a big achievement and study, but digging up a more recent grave is seen as an atrocity.

I'm new to the issue, but most places I look are very biased so I can't trust them. Hopefully this subreddit can help.

The issue I'm stuck with before I form my opinion is how the Jews claimed land. From my understanding, the Jews simply migrated and legally bought land that Palestinians were squatting on without proper paperwork. The Jews then kicked out the Palestinians, who saw it as unjust because they didn't consider property rights that much.

Yet, many people smarter than me hold on to the "stealing" narrative. So what am I missing? I'm sure I'm wrong somewhere. Thanks

While having a conversation on the subject of conversion to different religions through history one person was adamant that Christianity spread almost entirely through diplomacy and willing conversions unlike "other" religions. I am sceptical about this, since we don't see pagan communities (Ancient Greek, Roman, Egyptian pantheons etc) around anymore. I argue that this was because they were given the choice to convert or die, while he is adamant that this is not the case.

All the stories I've read from that time (Azazeel) support my case and speak of a lot of persecution and violence done by Christians to pagans. But I would like actual credible and scientific sources. Am I right? Is my friend? I suspect the truth may be somewhere in the middle, if so, what is the proportion of the two? My mind is open.

EDIT: Grammar

My SO has requested Civil War nonfiction for next gifting opportunity. Any recommendations on good layperson-level (as opposed to historian-level) books on the war? She's particularly interested in the person and exploits of General Lee.

I remember reading/hearing German nationalism and the problems that came from it originated when Napoleon occupied parts of Germany. Is there is any historical truth to this?

Wouldn't English or German (Or Russian) have been better?

Did politicians often castigate Germany's Jews as Hitler and the Nazi's later would? If so, can a continuity be drawn between imperial anti-Semitism and the actions of the Nazis?

Many popular portrayals of ancient kingdoms & harems include eunuchs who prototypically act as advisors to the king but oftentimes slip into intrigue & politics. How legitimate are these depictions? How common were eunuchs & why were they castrated? What was daily life like for a eunuch? How long did the eunuch model exist?

Just wanted to add that I'm not referring to today's scene but when was the last time we had this many right-wing nationalists take the world stage. Also if anyone wants to recommend books I'm so open to that too!

--Thanks to the mods who help me rephrase this.