Hello!

I'm looking to find a good read about medeival Europe dynasties, their conflicts and their effects. As I am not well versed in these topics, I am looking for a beginner level book that isn't too dense and involved but at the same time isn't historically inaccurate just to include some "wow" factors. I heard about Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs & Steel but am apprehensive about it as I have seen some mixed reviews. The premise/content presented in the book looks promising nonetheless.

Can you please suggest some books that fit these criteria.

Thanks in advance!

In reading about Mary, Queen of Scots I read that her two legitimate brothers (James and Robert) both died either on or about the same day (21 April 1541) but I can't find any information about how they died. Do we know how they died?

Germany, England and Portugal made treaties with China that gave them small bits of land in big ports for themselves, being Qingdao, Hong Kong and Macau respectively. However this leaves a question as to why Japan was never part of this?

Japan was arguably less of a threat to any European power than China was. And a port there could secure the Sea of Japan for them. Why did no European country pursue any bits of land there?

From what I know, it seems Britain, Spain, Prussia, Austria, Sardinia Piedmont, Bavaria, and a dozen other german states went to war with the new French Government in 1793, and yet were unable to beat them. Why was this?

Technically the PRC sees Taiwan as a province of China, was this an option at the time or a wild fantasy?

Did ancient Japan ever experience or be exposed to ancient Roman warfare tactics while on the battlefield. I know that Japan was very precise in warfare and individual soldiers are very skilled in battle, but the fighting style of Japan seems very much like England during the Colonial wars. I know Oda Nobunaga was very unconventional in battle, but did the tactics of Ancient Rome ever play a part in warfare in Ancient Japan?

Like if the cut the head off the political snake, wouldn’t the rest fall in line? Like Hiroshima and Nagasaki happened then Japan surrendered, but couldn’t that of been the plan the whole time? Not the bombs but major attacks on Japan...

I remember watching the Alamo movie (2004) in which Crockett was captured and bayonetted. But I remember the John Wayne movies showing him going down fighting.

What is the most plausible consensus among historians on how actually Crockett died?

One of the answers I've read to this on previous posts is that American spelling changed the pronunciation, but if that's the case wouldn't Canada still use British pronunciation?

And why did so many Bosnians convert to Islam compared to the rest of Balkans? Did converts face any social repercussions?

after WW2, Yugoslavia had developed a unique economic system based on worker's self-management that provided a third way in the cold war between Western Capitalism and Soviet Communism. While it had it's fair share of issues, it was quite successful for much of it's history and brought years of peace, stability and prosperity that many in the Balkans look back fondly upon (especially considering what came after it)

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however, in 1980 just after the death of Tito, the country began to enter a major economic crisis that brought about inflation, unemployment and drove the one booming economy to a grinding halt. it was a major shock at the time and as someone personally interested in Studying the Yugoslav experiment in a more market-focused form of Socialism, I've yet to figure out what even caused this sudden collapse of a once innovative and effective economic system.

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What caused the collapse of the Yugoslav Economy in 1980? was it a result of the major oil crisis at the time, the large amount of foreign debt the country had accumulated, from contradictions stemming inherently from their worker-run system or as a result of deviating from it towards private enterprise and capitalist reform?

I’m studying japan as a 4th year student and I’ve to come up with my own essay question.

I’ve chosen this era and subject but I’m struggling to find good reading material?

My last name is the same name of a an "ancient town" in the Philippines, and I was just wondering how and why that's the last name?

It seems like my ancestors haven't really moved around a lot either, until they moved to America (for what reason, I don't know)

Does anyone know how the naming system worked during colonial times and what people during this time did?

Thanks.

I was doing research on advertisements and this question popped my mind. I googled but there were no elaborate answers. It makes me curious that how was such a taboo activity advertised without being caught by the respective law.

We only have full plays from three old Greek authors, but we know that there were many other playwrights living during classical Athens. Is it a pure coincidence if only the plays of these three authors survived or do we have elements to prove they were already considered the best of their time soon after their death and thus more easily survived time ?