Finished reading Norman Davies' God's Playground: A History of Poland the other day. This was a two-volume history (Vol. 1 was up to 1795, Vol. 2 was 1795 to the present), and is probably the best English-language history of Poland out there (that there aren't many options helps, but it is still good). It was originally published in 1980, but I have the revised edition from 2005, so it has a couple chapters on the 1980s and post-Communist era. I've also owned these books for nearly a decade, and am embarrassed to say that while I cited them several times in university I never actually read through them, so was glad to do that.

Davies doesn't strictly organize them chronologically. While that is how it is set up for good portions of the books, he also has chapters on specific themes (religion, nobility, peasantry, politics, etc). This works really well in helping to give context to events, and allows for a broader look at Poland. He writes really well, and makes good use of primary sources throughout (including Polish originals, which is nice). The edition I read, the 2005 revised one, does feel rushed in his description of Solidarity and the post-Communist era, but that can be forgiven being that it is all relatively new and hasn't been contextualized from a historic viewpoint (though he makes good observations about the future of Poland that fit in with what's going on now). I will critique the publisher though, as the text was not that clear, and the maps and diagrams were all but useless as a result, but having seen the 1980 version I know that was an issue with this printing.

I also found it funny that Davies' referenced himself (without naming himself) and the book itself, in the updated section, noting that the book was clandestinely translated in the 1980s, and served as an updated history of Poland that came out right when Poland was in the world conscience. This wasn't a full-out exaggeration either, as the books have been used in Polish schools as a textbook for the past several years.

Book I'm reading: Michael Edward Moore's A Sacred Kingdom: Bishops and the Rise of the Frankish Kingdom about how the clerical prelates shaped the development of Frankish society and politics. I'm only a couple of chapters in, so I haven't learned a ton yet, but it is interesting to see the increasing pushback on the idea of Germanic sacral kingship, which was practically an article of faith not too long ago.

Book I like: Since we're coming up on July 4th, I wanted to boost John Phillip Reid's 4 volume Constitutional History of the American Revolution. A law professor at NYU, Reid tackles the legal, jurisprudential, and constitutional arguments underlying Whig claims in the Revolutionary era. Reid moves the conversation away from classical republicanism and Lockean liberalism towards the English common lawyers and constitutional theorists. He's a fun read with an at times pugnacious writing style - the footnotes in some of his books can get quite salty. He even treats certain technical questions like the difference between internal and external taxation, which he argues wasn't all that important, and the role the constitutional status of Ireland played in these debates.

Currently reading Medieval Christianity: A New History, by Kevin Madigan.

I like the book, and I understand that as an overview, it really can't cover all grounds with the kind of depth I'd expect from more specialized works. However, I do find it weird that there's way more coverage of religious orders (Dominicans, Franciscans) than Crusades, considering it's the latter that most readers will associate with the Middle Ages.

Which also brings me to another (e)book I recently finished, The Crusades: A Very Short Introduction, by Christopher Tyerman. For an introductory work for the Crusades, it's less about the military history of the Crusades, and instead focuses on the cultural and religious backgrounds for the act of crusading, as well as some commentaries on how the image of Crusades is used in contemporary politics.

In short, I think I should get a book that delves more into the military aspect of the Crusades, since that's what I expected to get from Tyerman work, and which is surprisingly not covered enough in Madigan.

Recommendation Request:

Evolution of Naval vessels from 1860-1904 (or smaller parts thereof). Just finished Drachinifel's excellent video , "Sail to Steam to Iron", and have been poking around wikipedia, looking at post-ironclad vessels. If you can recommend a book that goes into the various types of ironclad (Breastwork/Central Battery/Etc.), the role of armored, unarmored, and protected cruisers, and the transition to Pre-dreadnoughts, that's what I'm looking for.

Basically looking for a survey of the various naval vessels used in this transitional period. Bonus points if it looks at non-european navies, too (i.e. south america)

Request: any recommendations on complex historical fiction narratives? I've been reading Ken Follet's Century Trilogy and his Kingsbridge series and want to read other fiction works set in historical time periods

Recommendation Request: I want to buy a book about Mehmet the Conquerer as a gift. Which book about him would you recommend?

Recommendation Request: Looking for English-language sources on the Varangian Guard, the abandonment of Greenland, the Hanseatic League, technology in early-modern Netherlands, or Viking-Age Ireland. Primarily reading for interest, so overviews and less dense works are appreciated. Thanks for the help!

Recommendation Request: Survey books on French history

There appears to be a surprising shortage of survey books that span French history. There is one "brief history" in the Cambridge Press series, but it's historiographical approach is quite 'specific', with an overly heavy emphasis on class relations that makes it hard to see the forest for the trees, for someone approaching for the first time. As many other reviewers of that book have noted, it is a class and economic history, rather than a linear and straightforward political/cultural history.

Wondering if anyone has any recommendations. Can be a series of books, if necessary, but a compact survey version is preferred. I know Francois Furet's history of the French Revolution belongs to a series spanning most of French history, but the rest of the books are expensive and hard to find, and take more of a specialized approach than what I'm seeking.

Recommendation Request: First Wave of Feminism

Books that deal with everyday women during that period. Also of the protagonists, cultural impact, legacy, etc. Thanks in advance.

Recommendation Request: I started reading the prince and got really interested in the multiple italian principalities, their conflicts etc. Are there any good books discussing the italian region during 15th and 16th century in greater detail?

Any suggestions for books on colonialism or slavery in the Caribbean/South America/Central America? Even better if it analyzes those topics within a broader framework that incorporates North America, Europe, and Africa. I'd prefer something scholarly but still accessible to laypersons. The only reading I've done on the topic is Laurent DuBois's Avengers of the New World: The Story of the Haitian Revolution. Thanks!