Need a few more books to fill in the knowledge gaps.

by KrankenwagenKolya

I've referred to the AH master book list many times for sources and have yet to be disappointed by any of the books I've purchased, however, certain topics, peoples, or persons are lacking representation on the list so I'm looking for recommendations on the following topics:

  • Charlemagne

  • The Huns under Attila

  • The World's Fairs from 1851-67

  • The Reconquista or the war between Christians and Muslims in medeval Europe

  • Any books about the political, economic, or artistic history of Rennaissance-era Italy

  • Native American tribes in New England or the northeast America either before or after the Columbian exchange

I'm usually a fan of single volume histories a la Osman's Dream or Wilkinson's Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt but any recommendations would be great.

VermeersHat

Here are a few books from my list on Native New England:

Brooks, Lisa. The Common Pot: The Recovery of Native Space in the Northeast. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2008.

Cronon, William. Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists, and the Ecology of New England. New York: Hill and Wang, 1983.

O’Brien, Jean. Firsting and Lasting : Writing Indians out of Existence in New England. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2010.

All well-executed studies. The second is probably on the list under environmental history -- it's still a very compelling read.

MarcelloD

In regards to the Reconquista:

  • Moorish Spain by Richard Fletcher. Great text explaining the political and social structure of Moorish Spain leading up to the clashes with the Catholic powers of the north and ultimately, its downfall.

  • Medieval Iberia: Readings from Christian, Muslim, and Jewish Sources by Olivia Constable. Primary sources with great introductions to documents from the Reconquista and Medieval Iberian culture in general.

Renaissance Italy:

  • Painting and Experience in Fifteenth-Century Italy: A Primer in the Social History of Pictorial Style by Michael Baxandall. A nice, detailed study of painting evolution throughout the 15th century in the Italian City States.

  • Renaissance Florence by Gene Brucker. Excellent read for a quick crash course on how Renaissance politics (specifically in Florence) fueled the art industry.

  • The Patron's Payoff: Conspicuous Commissions in Italian Renaissance Art by Jonathan K. Nelson, Richard J. Zeckhauser and Michael Spence. A more recent and up to date study in the relationship between patron and artist during the Renaissance.