AskHistorians Archive Observer

Any good books on Utah's history

I'm moving cross county to teach in Utah next year but I am unfamiliar with much of Utah's history. Does any one know of any good books that focus on the history of Utah?

1 Answers 2016-05-27

How did the Swiss maintain neutrality throughout the wars?

1 Answers 2016-05-27

I'm Given to understanding that in the late Middle Ages the Ottomans were relatively tolerant non Muslims practicing their religions within the Empire. Did the Islamic religious leaders in the Ottoman empire often/ever object to that policy?

1 Answers 2016-05-27

Was there ever a formal or otherwise legitimate offer of conditional surrender made by Japan during WWII? What were the terms? When was it made and to whom?

I got sucked into a CMV the other day about the atomic bombing, and someone brought this up but I got very conflicting reports when I tried to google it for specifics.

1 Answers 2016-05-27

When did the Pope in Rome start to be considered the head of the Catholic Church? It seems that there was a great amount of disagreement on who lead the church.

1 Answers 2016-05-27

Archeologist Kostas Sismanidis claims to have found Aristotle's tomb in Macedonia. Could this be true? What are the implications?

Greek archaeologists believe they have discovered the lost tomb of Aristotle, the greatest philosopher in history.

Kostas Sismanidis said he was almost sure that a 2,400 year-old domed vault he unearthed in ancient Stagira was the burial place of the man credited with formalising logic.

“I have no hard proof, but strong indications lead me to almost certainty,” said Sismanidis.

Archaeologists have been working painstakingly at the site – the philosopher’s birthplace in 384 BC in the Greek region of Macedonia – for 20 years.

Sismanidis was due to give further details at a world congress in northern Greece of scholars specialised in Aristotle’s work. He said the architecture and location of the tomb, close to Stagira’s ancient square and with panoramic views, supported the belief that it was the philosopher’s final resting place.

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/26/aristotle-burial-place-stagira-macedonia-greece

1 Answers 2016-05-27

I remember a story about an ancient Chinese delegation travelling to the Roman Empire to discuss the Mongol(?) threat, and returning with stories about juggling and democracy. Any truth in this?!

All or most of this may be incorrect, but I'd love to know!

2 Answers 2016-05-27

How are historians starting to use social media to write social history? How do you expect historians to start using it in the future?

Curious first-year history student here. I suspect the potential of social media for general history purposes is endless. Wondering what your thoughts are.

1 Answers 2016-05-27

I just heard someone say that the Ford Motor Co. innovated the 9-5 workday. I thought that was a result of the British labour movement. Which is right?

1 Answers 2016-05-27

What do we know about Irish religious beliefs and practices? What were Irish spiritual priorities?

I'm very interested in ancient Irish myth, belief, and religious practices. My limited understanding of Irish history makes me believe that much of what we know about Irish religion is from Roman accounts or Christianization efforts, with all those attendant biases. However, through these sources and others, what do we know about Irish rituals, spiritual priorities, and cosmology?

While any information about Irish spirituality would be welcome, I'm particularly interested in how this spirituality affected the way Irish people lived their lives.

1 Answers 2016-05-27

Why did Europe switch to the Hindu-Arabic numeral system over the previous Roman numeral system for day to day use?

2 Answers 2016-05-27

How did the Spice Routes, the Silk Road, and the Trans-Saharan trade routes lead to the rise of political entities/empowered existing ones?

For example, Ghana (created by trans-Saharan trade routes (gold trade). What other examples? If you can give sources that answers this question, that would be extremely helpful as well. Thank you!

1 Answers 2016-05-27

What was the most important event(s) that helped establish socialism in Scandinavia?

[deleted]

1 Answers 2016-05-27

Friday Free-for-All | May 27, 2016

Previously

Today:

You know the drill: this is the thread for all your history-related outpourings that are not necessarily questions. Minor questions that you feel don't need or merit their own threads are welcome too. Discovered a great new book, documentary, article or blog? Has your Ph.D. application been successful? Have you made an archaeological discovery in your back yard? Did you find an anecdote about the Doge of Venice telling a joke to Michel Foucault? Tell us all about it.

As usual, moderation in this thread will be relatively non-existent -- jokes, anecdotes and light-hearted banter are welcome.

17 Answers 2016-05-27

In WW2, how did the French resistance compare to other European nations resistance networks?

Did the French have a larger or more effective resistance than their similarly occupied neighbours? Or are they just given better publicity? I always seem to hear much more about resistance in France than other occupied countries.

2 Answers 2016-05-27

Berlin 1945-post reunification book recommendation?

I have checked the reading lists, and while there seem to some great world-centric or US/British-centric Cold War recommendations, I can't see anything on East and West Berlin. While I'm particularly interested in Berlin, any general West and East Germany recommendations would be accepted gratefully too!

And while I'm interested in the divided city, bonus points for anything that follows up with an exploration of how reunification worked.

1 Answers 2016-05-27

AskHistorians Podcast 063 - Milling and Baking in 19th Century Britain

Episode 63 is up!

The AskHistorians Podcast is a project that highlights the users and answers that have helped make /r/AskHistorians one of the largest history discussion forum on the internet. You can subscribe to us via iTunes, Stitcher, or RSS, and now on YouTube. You can also catch the latest episodes on SoundCloud. If there is another index you'd like the cast listed on, let me know!

NEW: The AskHistorians Podcast is now on Google Play!

This Episode:

/u/AgentDCF discusses the changes in styles and technologies in how grain was milled and bread baked as Britain moved into the modern era. The conversation spans from feudal laws and privileges to industrialization and global shipping, as we examine how a basic staple like bread reflects the larger changes to society and the world. (65min)

Questions? Comments?

If you want more specific recommendations for sources or have any follow-up questions, feel free to ask them here! Also feel free to leave any feedback on the format and so on.

If you like the podcast, please rate and review us on iTunes.

Thanks all!

Coming up after that: /u/agentdcf covers changes to 19th Century milling and baking in Imperial Britain, part 2 of 2.

Previous Episodes and Discussion

Want to support the Podcast? Help keep history interesting through the AskHistorians Patreon.

4 Answers 2016-05-27

During WW1 Were there ever any events of deep urban warfare like in the battle of Stalingrad decades later?

1 Answers 2016-05-27

When and why did French become the "official" language of the nobility (for example in Russia in 1800) ?

I'm reading War and Peace of Tolstoy, and most of the dialogues between members of the nobility are in French.

I know that French was used by other nobility in Europe, but I would like to know why French and not another language like for example Italian.

Thank you in advance.

1 Answers 2016-05-27

Was the Roman Republic's political system actually remarkable for its time and place, or do we just remember it that way because out of all the city-states, it was Rome that won?

1 Answers 2016-05-27

During WW1, Why did Hitler choose to enlist in German army, instead of Austrian?

...and how did he escape the Austrian conscription?

thanks

1 Answers 2016-05-27

Any good books on Utah's history

How did the Swiss maintain neutrality throughout the wars?

I'm Given to understanding that in the late Middle Ages the Ottomans were relatively tolerant non Muslims practicing their religions within the Empire. Did the Islamic religious leaders in the Ottoman empire often/ever object to that policy?

Was there ever a formal or otherwise legitimate offer of conditional surrender made by Japan during WWII? What were the terms? When was it made and to whom?

When did the Pope in Rome start to be considered the head of the Catholic Church? It seems that there was a great amount of disagreement on who lead the church.

Archeologist Kostas Sismanidis claims to have found Aristotle's tomb in Macedonia. Could this be true? What are the implications?

I remember a story about an ancient Chinese delegation travelling to the Roman Empire to discuss the Mongol(?) threat, and returning with stories about juggling and democracy. Any truth in this?!

How are historians starting to use social media to write social history? How do you expect historians to start using it in the future?

I just heard someone say that the Ford Motor Co. innovated the 9-5 workday. I thought that was a result of the British labour movement. Which is right?

What do we know about Irish religious beliefs and practices? What were Irish spiritual priorities?

Why did Europe switch to the Hindu-Arabic numeral system over the previous Roman numeral system for day to day use?

How did the Spice Routes, the Silk Road, and the Trans-Saharan trade routes lead to the rise of political entities/empowered existing ones?

What was the most important event(s) that helped establish socialism in Scandinavia?

Friday Free-for-All | May 27, 2016

In WW2, how did the French resistance compare to other European nations resistance networks?

Berlin 1945-post reunification book recommendation?

AskHistorians Podcast 063 - Milling and Baking in 19th Century Britain

During WW1 Were there ever any events of deep urban warfare like in the battle of Stalingrad decades later?

When and why did French become the "official" language of the nobility (for example in Russia in 1800) ?

What exactly is the difference between a crusade and a colony?

Did explorers from Rome or Greece or Carthage ever try and sail south?

Mussolini - Family name changes

Reviews of Simon Schama's "Citizens" on the French Revolution?

Was the Roman Republic's political system actually remarkable for its time and place, or do we just remember it that way because out of all the city-states, it was Rome that won?

During WW1, Why did Hitler choose to enlist in German army, instead of Austrian?