A good place to start is "Smithsonian Timelines of History: the ultimate visual guide to the events that shaped the World" by DK Publishing. This book lists important events on all of the continents of the world. It is a broad overview, but has an excellent bibliography to lead you to more in depth works on topics that really interest you.
"Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East" by Michael Roaf is a more in depth look the history of the Middle East from the dawn of agriculture up to the conquests of Alexander the Great circa 333 BCE.
Try Crash course, its a series of 10ish minute videos on youtube about history, science, and literature.
Okay. We've had to cull this thread. We have removed:
Requests for the OP to do an AMA. Please... take it to /r/AMA or /r/IAMA or /r/CasualAMA or /r/InternetAMA.
Recommendations for resources to learn about science. Please... take it to the OP's thread over at /r/AskScienceDiscussion.
People sharing their own experiences of home-schooling and/or leaving a religious background. Please... take it to /r/HomeSchoolers or /r/ExChristian.
Please only provide recommendations for history resources for the OP. That's what AskHistorians is about - giving people information about history.
I would suggest you start by looking at our book list in our sidebar, to see if anything there interests you. You should also wander through our Popular Questions to find all sorts of interesting information.
This book is a good start imho: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Short_History_of_Nearly_Everything
(mostly on science and history of science)
I have always enjoyed Isaac Asimov's non-fiction. He wrote numerous history books, including the excellent Asimov's Chronology of the World: The History of the World From the Big Bang to Modern Times.
The Near East: 10,000 Years of History
Constantinople: The Forgotten Empire
Christopher Columbus: Navigator to the New World
Ferdinand Magellan: Opening the Door to World Exploration
The Birth of the United States
Asimov also wrote excellent histories of science and mathematics:
Asimov's Biographical Encyclopedia of Science and Technology
Asimov's Chronology of Science and Discovery
Most of Asimov's non-fiction was aimed at the masses (as was Sagan's Cosmos), so they tend not to go into great depth. However he was excellent at showing how an event or discovery would have direct or indirect impact on a future event or discovery (standing on the shoulders of giants and all that). Most of these were written in the 1960's and 1970's
I think the Crash Course series on world history and American history would be a great place for you to start.
They don't go into huge detail about any single topic but they cover such a large variety of topics in such an engaging way.
Here's Khan Academy's History Section
Great site, with videos explaining tons of different topics.
My own recommendation, and I apologize if it's already been mentioned, is Guns, Germs and Steel. The author Jared Diamond set out to explain how it is that white western Europeans came to dominate the world, and I think he succeeded.
The main reason to read the book (aside from the fact that it is so dang interesting) is that it provides a powerful rebuttal to the argument that white europeans are simply genetically, morally and spiritually superior to the people they conquered. It is shocking to me just how often I've come across that opinion in my own life (I'm just 27, like you), and having a proper response to the question is, I think, very important.
What are you interested in? Do you have a time period or topic that interests you? You seem pretty keen on Christian history, so there are a few books that discuss that I could recommend you.
Or, I could recommend you books that talk more about the craft of history, the practice of the discipline. These books would (hopefully) show that history really isnt one big fixed thing, but a series of smaller, but interconnected, debates about what really happened.
Or, would are you interested in the classics, which have historical significance?
The trick with all this is to figure out what you really like. There are 10,000 history books out there that will put you to sleep, I promise you. Weve gotta figure out which ones wont. So, what interests you?
You might want to check out the works of James Michener.
Each one focuses on a particular time and place -- the middle east, the Chesapeake Bay, many others -- told through the experiences of a particular family or group of linked people. They're novels, but the settings are real and full of historical detail.
For instance: The Source is told through the conceit of an archeological dig in which, as the researchers go down through the layers, you "see" a glimpse of the lives of the people who lived during each time.
A friend of mine is a rabbi and professor of religious studies/ancient languages, and when I asked him if I could trust the history I was learning "on the cheap", replied that Michener had a research team about like that of the Encyclopedia Brittanica and I should go ahead and soak it up.
I'm sure there are many quibbles to be had with some of his details, and there's a whole other argument to be made for/against historical fiction, but if you're trying to rebuild your worldview I don't see anything wrong with doing it through compelling, human, albeit fictional "worlds".
For New World history and a new perspective regarding colonization I would recommend "1491" and "1493", both by Charles C. Mann, the first about the pre-Columbian Americas and the latter about the effects of the Columbian exchange.
Related is "Ecological Imperialism" by Alfred W. Crosby, which highlights how disease and animals allowed European dominion in the New World but not in other places, such as during the Crusades.
Do you like podcasts? Stuff You Missed in History Class and Stuff You Should Know have hundreds of episodes that are free to download and listen to.
First of all: congratulations on getting out. I was raised in a similar household, and like you, I'm still in the process of reconstruction myself (heh, Civil War joke).
If you're at all interested in getting beyond pop history (not that there's anything wrong with that) and into a bit of academic history, I really can't recommend James M. McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom enough. It's a very readable (if lengthy) comprehensive overview of the American Civil War. It's less a narrative (if you want that, Shelby Foote is great) and more an economic, social, political, and military history of the war, beginning some decades beforehand and explaining clearly and in detail the sequence of events that brought about war, continuing through into the war, before concluding with a brief overview of reconstruction. While engrossing, it is also extensively footnoted, enabling you to learn to go deeper by following the sources. Developing the ability to read critically and verify what you read are possibly the most important aspects of history.
Wow. This situation is incredibly interesting.
My advice is to read the book A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. I always find myself recommending that book to people and it is interesting that it fits your criteria exactly.
I really hope you read this and take the time to look into this book.
It was the spark that introduced my scientific curiosity- much like your BBC documentary.
Edit: I just read the rest of the post and saw that you were already recommended this book. I may re read
I'm very glad you got yourself out of that situation.
On a little bit of a different side of things, you might like this:
A History of the World In 100 Objects.
It's a project between the BBC and the British museum, using various objects from the museum to illuminate different eras and cultures. There main part of the project is a podcast about each object that you can listen to that explains its history and the culture that produced it, and the website has pictures of all the objects themselves. I think it might be handy for someone in your situation --- you've got all of world history before you, might as well take a little taste from lots of different things to help you decide what to dive into. I definitely learned about some fascinating people and moments in history, and I found the format helpful to sort of link up different things I already knew a little about --- the project's really good at giving you a true global view, so you have a sense of what was going on in Asia and Africa at the same time that say, Columbus was making his explorations.
A Brief History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. If you enjoy his type of writing, you'll never forget it.
First off, kudos to you for wanting to learn, after what sounds like a shitty early experience with education.
One thing I would advise it not to be too suspicious of college or night school classes. Of course you want to learn to think for yourself rather than just deferring to authority, but most post-secondary classes are very invested in teaching you the critical thinking skills you need to be able to do that. Yes, the professor only offers one opinion/interpretation, but the assigned readings will often offer different views (the best profs will deliberately assign readings with views contrary to their own), and the expectation will be that you will form your own ideas through exposure to different viewpoints. All schooling is flawed, but it has its benefits as well.
Of course, due to money and similar things, postsecondary education is not available to everyone. However, many colleges and universities now make syllabi available online to everyone. Those reading lists may serve as a starting point if you want to do some independent learning. One awesome example of this is MIT OpenCourseware (http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm). They have tons of course material available, in a number of disciplines including history.
Feel free to PM me (OP or anyone else) if you're interested in more open-source material for historical research. I'm an academic librarian (at the beginning of my career - just finished my MLIS, still working as a library assistant) with degrees in history and I would be really happy to point you in the direction of more resources.
For podcasts/radio shows, there is none greater than In Our Time with Melvin Bragg. He brings on three academics to discuss for 30-45 minutes a particular topic. It can go from Ben Franklin to Absolute Zero to Stalin to the history of vaccines. It's a lovely way to hear micro moments in history and science that can go deep but without getting bogged down in minutiae.
In Our Time, Culture, History, Religion, Science.
For more podcasts:
The Born Yesterday Podcast Fantastic podcast, (imo) better than Dan Carlin. Needs a lot of love and support
The History Chicks a little flakey, but a good podcast on women throughout history
The History of English {Language} Very hardcore English language history podcast. The only podcast where I've nearly started sweating just listening to it.
The International Spy Museum Podcast Fantastic tidbit history of the Cold War and espionage throughout history
Irish History Podcast Irish History
Lectures in History American TV records history classes
London School of Economics Public Lectures One of the biggest podcasts online. Covers almost everything
Medieval Archives Medieval history
The National Archives UK discussions on research in their archives, can be hit or miss
New Books in Foreign Policy Any podcast with Marshall Poe is a winner. I think he does a history one too, but not as often
New Books in Public Policy Ditto
Russian Rulers Podcast Fantastic podcast on Russian history, goes pre-Russia right up to now.
Uncensored History of the Blues A podcast that more than punches above its weight. The history of blues, America, racism, music, the great migration in the 1930s, Chicago, the development of modern music industry
When Diplomacy Fails Podcast- an Irish history grad student discusses the lead ups to various wars. Very cute, definitely a learning curve, but entertaining
Also ITunes U is a goldmine of online free class recordings for almost any subject.
I'm not sure if these necessarily meet the standard for this sub, but two layman-friendly and highly interesting books you might like are Lies My Teacher Told Me and Cows, Pigs, Wars, and Witches.
You might want to check out the podcast Hardcore History by Dan Carlin. As Carlin himself is first to point out, he's not a historian; just a history fan. What he does amazingly well, though, is not just tell you what happened, but convey what it must have been like to be there. For example, imagine being a young Roman soldier fighting in the Punic Wars, seeing an elephant for the first time... as it charges at him across the battlefield.
He makes history come alive. That's worth adding to the mix.
I really enjoyed reading "Defenders of the Faith" by James Reston, Jr. Read it in one of my Middle Eastern History classes and it gave me a whole new perspective on the Middle East and their fascinating history.
This world history map with a time slider can be a really handy reference when trying to get a grip on when things happened in relation to each other.
For some interesting looks at more recent American history (in the past 200 years) check out Ken Burns' documentaries; most of thek are on Netflix. "The Civil War" is his best known, but he's done them on everything from the history of national parks to jazz to baseball. There are some depressing moments, especially when he gets into talking about racism and outright genocide, but it's a necessary reality, especially if you were raised with the idea that Manifest Destiny is a real thing that justified atrocities. I'm sure there are people with more formal background who could pick the documentaries apart, but they are still good and he weaves in a lot of quotes from historical figures and other primary sources, along with many photos depicting the people, places and things he's discussing.
If you're looking for something that covers everything in a pretty entertaining format, I would suggest the Cartoon History of the Universe. It's a thoroughly cited series of comic books that inject a good deal of humor and narrative into history. The format leads it a little too heavily into great man history at times, but overall it's fantastic, and features a lot of Chinese and other Asian history that I don't see a lot of in Western books for a general audience.
I think it's important to keep in mind that all history books are biased to some degree. The act of deciding what to include in the book and what to leave out is based on the author's assumptions of what is important. So it's not a question of whether the book is biased but figuring out where the author is coming from and how much of an effort they put into presenting alternate viewpoints. When you read history, or any book really, you should be thinking about who the author is and what he or she is trying accomplish with the story. That will tell you what to look out for.
For instance, nearly all American history books are written by people who are proud of the United States. So you want to pay attention to how they present facts which don't put America in a good light. Some though are written by people who are ashamed of our past so you want to look out for them presenting facts in the manner that reinforces that assumption. To really get an understanding of what happened you need to read more than one or 2 books. Read books with different viewpoints and notice the differences.
Remember too that you have your biases as well. When reading material that just seems natural and right you have to take the most care. It's a lot easier to spot inaccuracies and misrepresentations when they clash with your views. When they follow your predisposition it takes more work to notice that they are misleading you.
Here are my specific recommendations for the formation of America. The best single book I've read is A Leap in the Dark by John Ferling. It covers the entire founding with more care than usual to not overlook the mistakes that were made. For a conservative counterpoint Forrest McDonald's E Pluribus Unum is very good as well. And I always like to recommend Joanne B Freeman's Affairs of Honor which is a great little book for seeing the Founders as human beings.
Good luck!
It's a bit dated, but Guns Germs and Steel talks about why some human civilizations succeed over others and is mostly about ancient history. It's a great look at how human civilization began, though not everything in there is considered historically accurate anymore.
For an amazing view on native American history, 1491 is just outstanding. It'll make you reconsider Columbus as well.
A History of the Modern World, by Palmer, Colton and Kramer is a good start for modern 'world history'. It's rather explicitly Eurocentric (the USA, Asia and Africa only feature in the narrative when the Europeans get there), but a very good read. Very accessible.
It's 'standard issue' for undergraduates in history here in the Netherlands.
For your military history I'd recommend A History of Warfare by John Keegan. It's written in quite a flowery style, and you have to take some of it with a pinch of salt - Keegan bases his conclusions on particular subjects on just one or two historians' views so there's a necessary lack of depth and nuance. But I don't think there's a better overview of the history of warfare (and general history, since warfare is central to everything) in just 400 pages.
If you're looking for the history of countries, EU and many empires I would suggest the videos by CGP Grey on Youtube CGP Grey
For an easy start: look at Crash Course World History on youtube! It's easy going and maybe gives you a nice overview. And it's still absolutely correct and factual!
I was advised that Khan Academy is a good place to start. They have a really great World History Course that will suit you because it is simple and not too full of academic jargon. Good for the ex-ATIer - in my experience with ex-ATIers you can count yourself extremely lucky if you have above a 3rd grade reading level - as it assumes total ignorance of the viewer. It will allow you to start from scratch, from a clean slate, and build yourself up from there. Good luck!
Can't go wrong with In our time from the BBC. The show covers topics from History, Science, Culture and more. It might help you find a specific period of History that really interests you.
Will and Ariel Durant's "The Story of Civilization" is very comprehensive and well-written resource to understanding history and many aspects of sociology and technology.
Edit: I corrected the title of the Durants' eleven-volume series.
you should try CrashCourse they have a lot of great resources on their page in youtube http://www.youtube.com/user/crashcourse
I can't recommend The Well-Trained Mind enough for this purpose. It is a classically-based humanities curriculum for homeschoolers and self-learners. The material itself is very canonical and comes from a somewhat conservative but not wingnut perspective. I think you may find it appealing.
Will and Ariel Durant's "Story of Civilization" is an amazing series of books. There are eleven, and they are quite large books but his writing style is beautiful and very easy to get through. You can possibly find them at the library, or eBay will have the sets as well as individual books.
You could read "The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History of Rome and the Barbarians" by Peter Heather. It's a bit of a monster (570some pages) so I haven't had a chance to read it yet but my Ancient Rome professor last year highly recommended it. It might even give you more insight into the rise of Christianity in Europe as well.
Personally, I've enjoyed the NOVA/NatGeo series on the matter, even if they are a bit dated and the animations can sometimes be cheesy. Here's some on evolution:
What Darwin Never Knew Evolution: The Mind's Big Bang Becoming Human
And here's a good one on geological history:
Happy learning!
There have been some awesome suggestions here, but there have not been many suggestions regarding women, people of color or other marginalized groups in the U.S. or the rest of the world. I have a BA in history and an MA in US Women's History and have some suggestions leaning in that direction. I made a wishlist (for you, not me) in Amazon! (sorry if that is lazy but there were way too many to simply list here!). They include books that I have read (+ a few I am interested in reading) that look at the histories of "everyone else" though please understand this is in no way comprehensive, but some good surveys to start and a few more "up close" studies that were especially enlightening to me personally. Will add to it as I think of more things. Good luck!
There's always more Connections. I don't know how much of the series you watched, but there were a total of three seasons. James Burke, the presenter and writer of the show, also writes books on occasion. I've yet to look into his written works, but if they're anything like his televised works then I think you'll enjoy them.
Also, props to your brother for sneaking you Cosmos. If you enjoy Carl Sagan's style, I can't recommend The Cosmic Connection and The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark highly enough.
Hey /u/JohnlillyEccoofficer,
I would highly recommend Fernand Braudel's A History of Civilizations. It's pretty much a grand overview of separate civilizations of the world and its track their existence to contemporary times. You'll learn a lot about the Muslim world, Black Africa, the Far East, Western Europe, the Europe of "the east", and the European civilizations of the "new world" (North to South America).
This would give you a good general overview of history and I would recommend this be the first book for you to read. If there's anything else you're interested in, give me a reply with what you're looking for and I'll do my very best to find you something you might enjoy.
All the best, and good luck!
Though dubious as an "academic source," Larry Gonick's Cartoon History of the Universe is a unique starting point that illustrates the (loose) history of mankind and civilization, in comic strips! Take what's said with a grain of salt as some facts are exaggerated/understated for humour, and understand that at heart it's not meant to be used as a serious academic source, it's fun and still helps people get a good general idea of what's up!
The Cartoon History of the Universe series. It is one of the things that as a kid, so entrenched a love of history in me, and as the last volume only came out recently when I was well into my twenties, I can assure you they are just as entertaining now as they were when I was ten. The main caution I would give is that especially with the older volumes, some of the history is simply out of date. What we thought in the 1980s isn't what we think now! And also, he sometimes latches onto pop history errors and repeats them. But all in all, the general information in the book is good, and there is no better presentation out there as far as I'm concerned.
May I suggest go on iTunes U. Lots of textbooks and courses you can take, all free. Lots of resources.
The Western Tradition is a really good, if older, video series that used to air on PBS. It covers a huge time period and shows tons of artwork and such from each period. It's available free here: https://www.learner.org/resources/series58.html
I'd also recommend The Teaching Company, they offer lectures on nearly everything that you can load on an iPod or phone and listen to from anywhere. They can be expensive, but if you're so inclined they are readily available through file sharing sites. The official web site is http://www.thegreatcourses.com.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL77A337915A76F660
Above is a link to lectures from a Yale course "The Early Middle Ages" which spends a lot of time considering various "heresies" and the impact of Christianity on the Roman/Byzantine Empires. It is not a book, however, I found this series of lectures to be quite coherent and balanced.
A mixture of science and history (even though it's a primarily science-based show), PBS's NOVA has a wonderful treasure trove of episodes that explain not just scientific principles, but how the ancients did it and how that influences developments in the fields of history and science today. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/
good luck with your education! One I have recently read which is an interesting insight into the past is Histories by Herodotus written around 440BC. He's considered to be the first real historian and I find his manner and style fascinating. (on my phone can't do a more sophisticated link) http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=the+histories+by+herodotus&tag=hydrukspg-21&index=aps&hvadid=34799146201&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17886869707799051390&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=m&ref=pd_sl_1p868skjro_b
The booklist is a wonderful resource. I'm not sure though if my favorites are listed there so I'll mention them here. "The Discoverers" by Daniel Boorstin is a sort of 'history of history' and immensely eye opening about human history around the world. And for something completely different, I recommend the DVD set of "Civilisation" from Lord Clark. A very euro-centric sort of art/history done for BBC back in the late 60s where he visits over 100 locations in 13 countries. Perhaps a bit dry by today's standards but endlessly fascinating.
"Big History" by David Christian is an interesting combination of science and history. It's a bit long, but so is history!
Also, there are a number of universities that offer online classes for free. Check out Coursera. I've taken several and had a good experience.
For works on religion, I recommend The History of God by Karen Armstrong and Pagans and Christians by Robin Lane Fox. I would also recommend you do some research into things like the Jesus Seminar.
There is an excellent and accessible book published by the British Museum called A History of the World in 100 Objects which focuses on 100 artifacts in the Museum's collection and the rich history behind them.
I've immersed myself in science and history my whole life and quite possibly the best book I've ever come across that condenses everything in a sequential order is "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson.
In A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson trekked the Appalachian Trail—well, most of it. In A Sunburned Country, he confronted some of the most lethal wildlife Australia has to offer. Now, in his biggest book, he confronts his greatest challenge: to understand—and, if possible, answer—the oldest, biggest questions we have posed about the universe and ourselves. Taking as territory everything from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization, Bryson seeks to understand how we got from there being nothing at all to there being us. To that end, he has attached himself to a host of the world’s most advanced (and often obsessed) archaeologists, anthropologists, and mathematicians, traveling to their offices, laboratories, and field camps. He has read (or tried to read) their books, pestered them with questions, apprenticed himself to their powerful minds. A Short History of Nearly Everything is the record of this quest, and it is a sometimes profound, sometimes funny, and always supremely clear and entertaining adventure in the realms of human knowledge, as only Bill Bryson can render it. Science has never been more involving or entertaining.
The book is simply amazing. I learn something new from it everytime I read it and I highly recommend it to everyone from an uneducated teenager to a PhD carrying senior!
While you're at it, I would also recommend the rest of his books. Bryson is an amazing nonfiction writer (I daresay one of the best in the world) and his penmanship will captivate you. Just search for him on Amazon and pick another one of his books up in a category that interests you as he writer about a very broad range of topics.
Edit: Also, I highly recommend "Guns, Germs, and Steel" by Jared M. Diamond. and Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt
These may not be exactly what you're looking for, but I cannot recommend Daniel J. Boorstin's The Discoverers and The Creators highly enough. They cover the scientific and artistic histories of the world in an interesting and broad yet detailed way. There's a third book, The Seekers, that covers philosophical history which I intend to read this summer, and I'm sure it's just as good. They're long, but well worth the read.
He has also evidently done a trilogy on the United States, and again, I'm sure it's great even though I haven't read it.
I'd also recommend When Asia Was The World by Stewart Gordon; it was required reading for my world history class last semester (I'm an undergrad) and it's a quick and fascinating read about the lives of people of various cultures and times in Asia.
I was assigned Africa in World History by Erik T. Gilbert for that class as well. I didn't like the style very much - it reads more like a textbook than the others I've mentioned- but you might enjoy it since you're looking for books about Africa.
Good luck, and enjoy your reading! (:
If you're interested in Abrahamic religious history, I would recommend also some reading on early Islam as well-Fred Donner's Muhammed and the Believers is a good starting point. The literature on the Ancient Near East is so mind-bogglingly voluminous that I can't really come up with a good starting point, but do you have any specific areas within that field you're interested in?
Try "The Outline of History" by HG Wells. It will give you a good over-view of history up to about WW2 and manages to not be Euro-centric.
I really enjoyed Jacques Barzun's "From Dawn to Decadence". Not a complete history (starts around the Protestant Reformation), but coming from an interesting perspective (that of an individual who was quite brilliant.. may he rest in peace).
I'd also recommend Dan Carlin's Hardcore History podcast. It's chock full of good information, and all of it is presented in an easy to digest, exciting format. As a person who grew up with radical Christians, I'd recommend the episode "Prophets of Doom" detailing how the explosion of Lutheran thinking caused massive unrest in the German city of Munster. There is also some good stuff about Genghis Khan, the Romans, and various Germanic tribes available. All the episodes are very long and are great to listen to on long car rides or while exercising. You can find episodes here through the Stitcher app, or on iTunes in their original format. (though on iTunes, the older episodes are not available.)
Enjoy all the new history you get to learn about! :D
Cheers,
-Brik
A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn is great for US history.
A People's History of the United States of America by Howard Zinn.