Historical genre books (71)


1.

A Bridge Too Far by Cornelius Ryan EN

Rating: 4     12 Votes
Country: Europe / Ireland flag Ireland
Description:
The Battle of Arnhem, one of the most dramatic battles of World War II, was as daring as it was ill-fated. It cost the Allies nearly twice as many casualties as D-Day. This is the whole compelling story, told through the vast cast of characters involved. From Dutch civilians to British and American strategists, its scope and ambition is unparalleled, superbly recreating the terror and suspense, the heroism and tragedy of this epic operation.
Recommended: 22 Oct 2022

2.
A Short History of England

A Short History of England by Simon Jenkins EN

Rating: 2     1 Vote
Description:
Which battle was fought 'For England, Harry and St George'? Who demanded to be painted 'warts and all'? What - and when - was the Battle of the Bulge?In A Short History of England, bestselling author Simon Jenkins answers all these questions - and many more - as he tells the tumultuous story of a fascinating nation. From the invaders of the dark ages to today's coalition, via the Tudors, the Stuarts and two world wars, Jenkins weaves together a gripping narrative with all the most important and interesting dates in his own inimitable style. Until now there has been no short history of England ... continue
Recommended: 10 Jan 2023

3.

A Spare Life by Lidija Dimkovska EN

Rating: 5     1 Vote
Description:
Zlata and Srebra are 12-year-old twins conjoined at the head. It is 1984 and they live in Skopje, which will one day be the capital of Macedonia but is currently a part of Yugoslavia.A Spare Life tells the story of their childhood, from their only friend Roze to their neighbor Bogdan, so poor that he one day must eat his pet rabbit. Treated as freaks and outcasts--even by their own family--the twins just want to be normal girls. But after an incident that almost destroys their bond as sisters, they fly to London, determined to be surgically separated. Will this be their liberation, or only mor... continue
Recommended: 20 Feb 2022

4.

Alamut by Vladimir Bartol EN

Rating: 4     10 Votes
Country: Europe / Slovenia flag Slovenia
Description:
Alamut takes place in 11th Century Persia, in the fortress of Alamut, where self-proclaimed prophet Hasan ibn Sabbah is setting up his mad but brilliant plan to rule the region with a handful of elite fighters who are to become his "living daggers." By creating a virtual paradise at Alamut, filled with beautiful women, lush gardens, wine and hashish, Sabbah is able to convince his young fighters that they can reach paradise if they follow his commands. With parallels to Osama bin Laden, Alamut tells the story of how Sabbah was able to instill fear into the ruling class by creating a small army... continue

5.
An Inland Voyage

An Inland Voyage by Robert Louis Stevenson EN

0 Ratings
Description:
Robert Louis Stevenson was not only a gifted writer, he was also an indefatigable traveller. An Inland Voyage, first published in 1878, is Stevenson's earliest book. It describes a voyage undertaken with this Scottish friend Sir Walter Grindlay Simpson, mostly along the Oise River from Belgium through France, in the autumn of 1876. Stevenson and Simpson each had a wooden canoe rigged with a sail, propelled with double-bladed paddles, a style that had recently become popular. An Inland Voyage paints a delightful picture of Europe in a more innocent time, with quirky innkeepers, travelling enter... continue

6.
An Unexpected Light

An Unexpected Light: Travels in Afghanistan by Elliott, Jason EN

Rating: 5     4 Votes
Description:
A riveting combination of history and travel, filled with modern anecdotes, traditional wisdom, and profound insights, vividly brings to life the exotic land of Afghanistan. Reprint.

7.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy EN

Rating: 4.1     19 Votes
Country: Europe / Russia flag Russia
Description:
Presents the classic nineteenth-century Russian novel in which a young woman is destroyed when she attempts to live outside the moral law of her society.
Recommended: 16 Sep 2022

8.

Babette's Feast by Karen Blixen EN

0 Ratings
Country: Europe / Denmark flag Denmark
Description:
These five rich, witty and magical stories from the author of Out of Africa include one of her most well known tales, ‘Babette’s Feast’, which was made into the classic film. It tells the story of a French cook working in a puritanical Norwegian community, who treats her employers to the decadent feast of a lifetime. There is also a real-life Prospero and his Ariel in ‘Tempests’, a mysterious pearl-fisher in ‘The Diver’ and a brief, tragic encounter in ‘The Ring’. All the stories have a mystic, fairy-tale quality, linked by themes of angels, the sea, dreams and fate. They were among the last t... continue

9.

Bolla by Pajtim Statovci EN

Rating: 3     1 Vote
Country: Europe / Kosovo flag Kosovo
Description:
From the author of National Book Award finalist Crossing comes an unlikely love story in Kosovo with unpredictable consequences that reverberates throughout a young man's life—a dazzling tale full of fury, tenderness, longing, and lust. “Devastating in the most beautiful ways. From the first pages you realize that you are in the hands of an absolute artist.” —Torrey Peters, author of Detransition, Baby April 1995. Arsim is a twenty-four-year-old, recently married student at the University of Pristina, in Kosovo, keeping his head down to gain a university degree in a time and place deeply hosti... continue

10.

Broken April by Ismail Kadare EN

Rating: 3.5     15 Votes
Country: Europe / Albania flag Albania
Description:
Gjorg is a young mountaineer who (much against his will) has just killed a man in order to avenge the death of his older brother, and who expects to be killed himself in accordance with the Code that regulates life in the Albanian highlands. A young couple on their honeymoon has come to this place to study its age-old customs-including the blood feud. In Broken April, Ismail Kadare intersects the fates of both Gjorg and the young couple with visions of an unending cycle of obligatory murder and the horrifying effects it has on their respective lives. "Dostoevskian in its dark vision."--Kirkus ... continue
Recommended: 04 Sep 2022


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