I study Mao-era China and relationships/aid with Caribbean countries in the early 1970s. I’ve been recently looking at doing some research on China and Madagascar in the same era after coming across some interesting primary source material.

But I’ve had trouble finding much that zooms out and gives me a better grasp of the post-colonial/political situation facing Madagascar. I’ve looked at a book by Noah Cobb, but it’s not fantastic.

So — a bit of an obscure request, but does anyone study E.Africa/France and Empire/ etc., and have some articles/books that could fit the bill? I have university affiliation and access to most anything, but since I’m not an Africanist, I’m not sure where to start. My French is not great, but could probably make sense of a short article still. I have Chinese sources, but any recommendations in that regard would be useful, too!

I'm trying to understand the end of the Western Roman Empire and 'what happened next'. My current reading list is a series of fairly 'overview' books by Peter Brown, Peter Heather, Bryan Ward-Perkins, Chris Wickham, Adrian Goldsworthy.

I'm looking both for book recommendations and suggestions of interesting themes/controversies I should be looking out for when reading as I find I absorb more when I have these in my mind. Currently looking out for arguments in areas like collapse vs. decline, external vs. internal factors. Any suggestions of other live debates worth keeping an eye out for?

I am currently reading China: Tradition and Transformation by John K. Fairbank and Edwin O. Reischauer. The book often gives a geopolitical analysis of surrounding countries and European interference, delving into the domestic politics of, for example, Japan, Korea, Russia and Britain. I find it very nice to see these modest overviews of other nations when considered relevant, and as such, was hoping to find book recommendations that do not shy away from going in a little depth about other nations.

Two questions: I was wondering if there is a more modern book that gives a nice detailed overview of the History of China, as this book is from 1979. And I was wondering what book anyone (that considers themselves to be an expert) would recommend about the complete history of Japan.

It would be ideal if these books occasionally gave overviews of power dynamics within other states, as Fairbank and Reischauer do. I specifically point this out because I have read many books on Russia, and while those complete histories are exciting, they often neglect the nitty-gritty of European or Asian power dynamics which influence Russia's policy. (A good example is Russia and the Russians by Geoffrey Hosking. I loved the book but felt unsatisfied when it came to positioning Russia in the geopolitical perspective, both in the pre-modern and modern period).

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My primary (academic) focus has been on Russia and I have recently discovered China and Japan, after avoiding them for years because they seemed too daunting. I have decided it is time to properly read up on those countries (and perhaps Korea as I progress).

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Any recommendations are very much appreciated!

Seeking recommendations for a good book on Early Britain. The exact period is a little fuzzy even to me. Including Roman England is fine; Definitely covering post-Roman through, say, War of the Roses?

Frankly I'd be as happy or happier with multiple books covering different periods in that range, if there's no single volume. Academic-level reading is fine with me; popular history is fine too.

Looking for recommendation for a book about German Freikorps (Free corps) actions in Baltics and Germany. An advanced level book would be preferable if possible, but it seems like this topic is really undeserved and I can barely find anything in English at all.

Would like to dig a bit deeper on Eurasian steppe nomads, especially Scythians. I started my quest from Mongols trough Secret History of Mongols and The Mongol Art Of War. I have grown somewhat fascinated with the Scythian period. What would be a good book to start from?

I'm particularly interested in learning more about Asian civilizations particularly around 500-1500 CE. I'd also be interested in South/Central America at the start of colonization, Vikings.

I’d be interested in any good book on religious military orders like the Knights Templar, including books about the Knights Templar. Doing a bit of writing and looking to history for inspiration. :)

I am looking for a book on the history of college football. In particular I am interested in two topics:

1. The evolution of the rule set from rugby to what we know today.
2. The evolution of the culture surrounding the game, with a particular focus on early college football. An example of what I mean here is that my alma mater, Oberlin, was something of a football powerhouse in the late 1800’s. What was football like when small schools could dominate? And what factors lead to the collapse of many small football programs?