According to Wikipedia, the term boredom originates with Charles Dickens, and the word "to bore" dates back to the 1700s. I'd image, though, that society has had ennui for long before that. What is the earliest recorded mention of existential boredom? Did Sumerians experience existential angst?

I read not long ago that Elvis had more hits on the Billboard R&B chart than any other white artist. On the other hand, I've heard many commentators accuse him of just ripping off black artists, and of course Public Enemy famously slammed him as a "racist, simple and plain" in "Fight the Power."

When Elvis' popularity exploded, did black Americans think he was just another white poseur like Pat Boone, or was he seen as a more "authentic" rocker?

I looked through the books and resources list and couldnt find anything on Bismarck. I'm not sure if I missed anything so sorry if I did, and also sorry for not making an actual question other than "Books?" Delete if necessary I'll understand.

Looking for everything from beginner reading to advanced stuff. Any good books about Bismarck and his policies will be good enough for me. Thank you to any that respond!

I recognize the fact that the US had nukes and felt that would save them some time but why didn't they just want to finish the job early rather than over the next several decades with the Cold War?

I've been doing some reading on the Ottoman Empire and found this to be an odd historical quandary. From what I read, most of the Janissaries were taught Islamic law and culture but never converted to Islam, presumably so they could stay slaves. Why didn't the Janissaries just convert to Islam (or lie about converting) to win their freedom via a loophole?

Hi there, I've never posted here before, so feel free to delete if it's not within regulations. I asked this question over on /r/suggestmeabook, but I thought this sub might be a resource too.

I was on Ancestry.com this week and fell into a 6 hour hole in which I discovered I am related to Anne Boleyn (her father Thomas Boleyn is my 12th great grandfather, apparently). I think this is incredibly fascinating, and wondered if you guys could point me to some great books on her life (and even her family as well). I'm not sure which books are good or where to even start. Thanks!

It always appears that grand parties in European courts were typified by large numbers of the higher classes dancing together, but who invented these dances and how did people from all around the various nations come to learn the same steps?

(I'd also be interested to hear about earlier periods, if anyone knows)

Hello, I'm currently in university, studying the Getto of Lodz, Poland. I'm searching for some statistics of the everyday life in Getto: inhabitants, food prices, etc. I hope something like this exists. I would even be satisfied with some tables with data. Thank you in advance

I can't imagine they just sailed to Africa, waited in some bushes with giant butterfly nets, then jumped out whenever someone passed by.

This part was always left out of the history books. I don't understand why. It seems like one of the more important aspects and to just be forgotten makes no sense to me.

I've been perusing both of them because I have an interest in laws of the past, and I cannot seem to find any outstanding similarities between the two.

(In particular, the 20th century, or 19th-20th, but any time period would be fine)

Did he have hard evidence to back up any of his claims or was it pure propaganda/conspiracy? Why was his rhetoric so convincing to people?

I recently became aware of a book called the famine and the genocide in Perisa. This books claims that circa 10 million Iranians died in a genocidal famine caused mainly the British.How much truth, if any is there to these allegations?