So I had to have a separate section for historical, non-fictional books. I love history, I have a wide range of interests and each book I read makes me want to travel to that area. There are so many places I want to see, because of what I've read, that I would need 3 lifetimes to do it all.
My current passions are Russia and the Congo. I must go there. I'm obsessed. I live, eat and breathe those two places.
1.) Russia: The Once and Future Empire from Pre-History to Putin - Philip Long worth
Stephan bought this for me as a surprise, knowing my obsession with Russia. And I love it. It goes right to the beginning, talking about genetics and language all the way to current when the book was written. Russia is so in depth, so many different cultures under one country, and they all helped to create Russia. Its just incredible, and you realize that there hasn't been a civilization quite like Russia, ever. They are very unique to the world.
2.) Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar - Simon Sebag Montefiore.
You want to know about Stalin, then this is the book! An incredibly detailed biography, it also gives you some insight into how he was as a person, with his wife and his daughter and other children. It doesn't just give you facts, it makes Stalin into a person. There is a pre-book to this, called The Young Stalin which details his life before he came into power. I am DYING to get this book, I must have it. Or my collection will be incomplete.
3.) King Leopold's Ghost - Adam Hochschild
This gives you a horrifying glimpse into the horrors that the Congo went through at the hands of white man, and what it was like, how prosperous it was, before white man even saw it. And you will hate King Leopold, such an evil stupid man.
There should also be a book on what happened to the Congo right after they got their independence from Belgium in the 60's (read The Poisonwood Bible to find out about THAT horror), and how their one chance at changing their situation pummeled to the ground when a certain country decided to show them how "democracy" works.
4.) Diamonds, Gold and War: The British, the Boers, and the Making of South Africa - Martin Meredith
Based around the diamond rush, this book is EXTENSIVE. Very in depth, very complicated, as is always the case. It's very informative.
5.) Habs Heroes: The Greatest Canadiens Ever from 1 to 100 - Ken Campbell
Yes, there's one on my Habs. And there will be more. Now, I don't think 100 is really accurate, it's stretching it a bit. But there have been many, many greats with the Habs. More so than other teams. They are truly a dynasty.
6.) Man o'War: A Legend of Lightening - Dorothy Ours
I love horses, so its natural that this one will be in there. Man o'War is my favourite American race horse, he was the greatest that ever lived. Greater than even Secretariat, he lost only 1 race and that was due to his jockey and not his inability. Secretariat won a race by 31 lengths, Man o'War won one by 100 lengths. It is said that his owners never let his run at his fastest, for fear that he would break his legs. No one ever found out his true potential. He either tied the record or broke it almost every race. He carried the most weight of any horse during his time. Someone good with numbers did some calculations, based on the tracks in the 20's and the tracks now (which have been changed in order to help the horses run faster), and if Man o'War had run on today's tracks, his records would still stand, they would be unbeatable. He set the records that horses like Secretariat broke. Some of his records stood for 30 years before they were broken. He was an incredible horse.
7.) The Ghost with Trembling Wings: Science, wishful thinking and the search for lost species
- Scott Weidensaul
This book explores the vanishing species. About 80 a day (seriously!!) we lose a species of animal or plant. However, every once in awhile one of these lost species resurfaces, or we see signs of them. This book is based on those possibilities.
8.) The Geography of the Canadian North: Issues and Challenges - Robert M. Bone
This is a book I had to read for one of my cultural geography courses, great book on a subject many people don't know much about.
9.) A Concise History of Canada's First Nations - Olive Patricia Dickason
Another book I had to read for another cultural geography course. I love it. This course changed my life. I loved it, and so I kept the textbook.
