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Kist Reads\ \ Kist\ \ • Mar 10 2025

[This is the (work-in-progress) result of my efforts to create a Master List of history books that I’ve read and would recommend. More books will be added to each section and new topics will be included over the coming weeks and months.\ \ I’ve included a quick note and excerpts from descriptions for each book, along with buckets for five-star reads, the “best of the rest” and biographies. I may tweak this approach in the future and feedback is always welcome!\ \ In the future I will be vetting and adding community recommendations, especially to fill out topics where I’m lacking. I've also linked short-form/written reviews (if available).\ \ UPDATES\ \

3/13 created "English History", added 8 books. Added 2 books to "Roman History".\ \
3/21 created "Mesopotamia/Near East", added 8 books. Added links to buy for all books.\ \
4/11 created "African History", added 7 books. Added 2 books to "Roman History".\ \
4/29 created "Greek History", added 11 books.\ \
5/1 added 3 books to "Roman History".\ \
6/26 created "United States History", added 10 books. Added 1 book to "Greek History". Added 1 book to "Roman History". Added 1 book to "English History". Added 18 links to video reviews.\ \
7/30 added 1 book to "African History". Added 1 book to "United States History". Added 2 links to video reviews.\ \
10/9 created "Asian History", added 6 books. Created "French History", added 5 books. Added 1 book to "Greek History".\ \
11/19 created "Prehistory", added 4 books. Added 4 books to "United States History". Added 3 books to "Asian History". Added topic order. Added several missing video review links.\ \
12/5 created "German History", added 6 books. Added 1 book to "Mesopotamian History". Added 1 book to "African History". Added 2 books to "English/British History". Added 1 book to "Chinese History".\ \
1/6/26 created "Maritime History", added 3 books. Added 1 book to "Asian History". Added 1 book to "German History".\ \
2/23/26 added 3 books to "United States History". Added 2 books to "Asian History". Added 1 Book to "Maritime History". Added 1 book to "Greek History".\ \
4/17/26 added several photos of featured books. Changed "American History" to "United States History", added 3 books. Created "Latin America/Caribbean History", added 6 books. Added 1 book to "French History". Changed "Mesopotamian/Near East History" to "Mesopotamian/West Asian History", added 1 book.\ \
6/30/26 created "Steppe History", added 7 books. Added 1 book to "United Sates History". Added 1 book to "Roman History". Added 1 book to "African History". Added 1 book to "Latin American History".\ \ \ Topic Order: United States > Latin America > Roman > English/British > French > German > Mesopotamian/West Asian > African > Greek > Asian > Steppe > Prehistory > Maritime\ \ UNITED STATES HISTORY\ \ The Five Star Bunch\ \ Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis by Jonathan Blitzer\ \ Perfect blend of personal stories and academic history of immigration. (VIDEO REVIEW)\ \ Description: "... weaving the stories of Central Americans whose lives have been devastated by chronic political conﬂict and violence with those of American activists, government officials, and the politicians responsible for the country’s tragically tangled immigration policy... layered picture of this vast and unremitting conﬂict."\ \ The War Before the War: Fugitive Slaves and the Struggle for America's Soul from the Revolution to the Civil War by Andrew Delbanco\ \ \ \ Academic in tone and (incredible) detail regarding the several aspects surrounding slavery.\ \ Description: "... the story of America’s original sin—slavery—through politics, law, literature, and above all, through the eyes of enslavedblack people who risked their lives to flee from bondage, thereby forcing the nation to confront the truth about itself. The struggle over slavery divided not only the American nation but also the hearts and minds of individual citizens faced with the timeless problem of when to submit to unjust laws and when to resist.\ \ Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty\ \ Prepare to be super pissed off about the opioid epidemic and its causes. ( VIDEO REVIEW )\ \ Description: "... the saga of three generations of a single family and the mark they would leave on the world... chronicles the multiple investigations of the Sacklers and their company, and the scorched-earth legal tactics that the family has used to evade accountability... a portrait of the excesses of America’s second Gilded Age, a study of impunity among the super elite and a relentless investigation of the naked greed and indifference to human suffering that built one of the world’s great fortunes."\ \ Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen\ \ Try not to obsessively think about this for weeks after reading it. ( VIDEO REVIEW )\ \ Description:"...explores this ticking-clock scenario, based on dozens of exclusive new interviews with military and civilian experts who have built the weapons, have been privy to the response plans, and have been responsible for those decisions should they have needed to be made... examines the handful of minutes after a nuclear missile launch."\ \ War by Sebastian Junger\ \ Less history, more boots-on-the-ground look at how humans react in extraordinary and tense circumstances.\ \ Description: "... follows a single platoon through a 15-month tour of duty in the most dangerous outpost in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley. Through the experiences of these young men at war, he shows what it means to fight, to serve, and to face down mortal danger on a daily basis."\ \ All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror by Stephen Kinzer\ \ Reads like a tense, page-turning novel. Helped shape the way I thought about America's relationship with the Middle East.\ \ Description: "... brings to life the 1953 CIA coup in Iran that ousted the country’s elected prime minister, ushered in a quarter-century of brutal rule under the Shah, and stimulated the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and anti-Americanism in the Middle East."\ \ Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by James McPherson\ \ \ \ The gold standard of single-volume Civil War histories.\ \ Description: "... fast-paced narrative fully integrates the political, social, and military events that crowded the two decades from the outbreak of one war in Mexico to the ending of another at Appomattox... This authoritative volume makes sense of that vast and confusing "second American Revolution" we call the Civil War, a war that transformed a nation and expanded our heritage of liberty."\ \ How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith\ \ Beautiful writing mixed with a dark history and awkward personal experiences. Fascinating range of angles with brilliant execution. ( VIDEO REVIEW )\ \ Description:"A deeply researched and transporting exploration of the legacy of slavery and its imprint on centuries of American history... illustrates how some of our country's most essential stories are hidden in plain view... Informed by scholarship and brought to life by the story of people living today... a landmark of reflection and insight that offers a new understanding of the hopeful role that memory and history can play in making sense of our country and how it has come to be."\ \ The Best of the Rest\ \ The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton 1775-1777 by Rick Atkinson (The Revolution Trilogy, Book 1)\ \ Very detailed and well researched blow-by-blow account that excels at making you feel like you're there. ( WRITTEN REVIEW )\ \ Description: "... recounts the first twenty-one months of America’s violent war for independence... a tale of heroes and knaves, of sacrifice and blunder, of redemption and profound suffering."\ \ Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution by Mike Duncan\ \ Feels like his podcasts, but in a book. Duncan levels up in this balanced biography. (VIDEO REVIEW)\ \ Description: " Few in history can match the revolutionary career of the Marquis de Lafayette. Over 50 incredible years at the heart of the Age of Revolution, he fought courageously on both sides of the Atlantic. He was a soldier, statesman, idealist, philanthropist, and abolitionist... His remarkable life is the story of where we come from and an inspiration to defend the ideals he held dear."\ \ The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family by Annette Gordon-Reed\ \ Super detailed, ambitious, investigative academic work that achieves its stated goal of telling the story of the Hemingses from their perspective.\ \ Description: "...tells the story of the Hemingses, whose close blood ties to our third president had been systematically expunged from American history until very recently. Now, historian and legal scholar Annette Gordon-Reed traces the Hemings family from its origins in Virginia in the 1700s to the family’s dispersal after Jefferson’s death in 1826."\ \ Captive Paradise: A History of Hawaii by James L. Haley\ \ Read this on the plane to Hawaii and it shed a lot of light on some history I didn't know.\ \ Description: "... the story of King Kamehameha I, The Conqueror, who unified the islands through terror and bloodshed, but whose dynasty succumbed to inbreeding; of Gilded Age tycoons like Claus Spreckels who brilliantly outmaneuvered his competitors; of firebrand Lorrin Thurston, who was determined that Hawaii be ruled by whites; of President McKinley, who presided over the eventual annexation of the islands."\ \ Wake: The History of Women-Led Slave Revolts by Rebecca Hall\ \ Graphic novel that is part history, part investigation, part personal reckoning and incredibly powerful.\ \ Description:"...tells the “riveting” (Angela Y. Davis) story of Dr. Rebecca Hall, a historian, granddaughter of slaves, and a woman haunted by the legacy of slavery. The accepted history of slave revolts has always told her that enslaved women took a back seat. But Rebecca decides to look deeper, and her journey takes her through old court records, slave ship captain’s logs, crumbling correspondence, and even the forensic evidence from the bones of enslaved women from the “negro burying ground” uncovered in Manhattan. She finds women warriors everywhere."\ \ 1776 by David McCullough\ \ Like watching a fast-paced, tense war drama unfold in real time. ( VIDEO REVIEW )\ \ Description: "... tells the intensely human story of those who marched with General George Washington in the year of the Declaration of Independence—when the whole American cause was riding on their success, without which all hope for independence would have been dashed and the noble ideals of the Declaration would have amounted to little more than words on paper."\ \ Puerto Rico: A National History by Jorell Meléndez-Badillo\ \ Exactly the type of sweeping and accessible intro I was looking for.\ \ Description: "... sheds light on the vibrant cultures of the archipelago in the centuries before the arrival of Columbus, and captures the full sweep of Puerto Rico’s turbulent history in the centuries that followed, from the first indigenous insurrection against colonial rule in 1511—led by the powerful chieftain Agüeybaná II—to the establishment of the Commonwealth in 1952... deftly portrays the contemporary period and the intertwined though unequal histories of the archipelago and the continental United States."\ \ The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women by Kate Moore\ \ Haunting narrative history covering brave women who were royally screwed over and how they fought back. ( VIDEO REVIEW )\ \ Description:"They had been poisoned by the radium paint. Yet their employers denied all responsibility. And so, in the face of unimaginable suffering - in the face of death - these courageous women refused to accept their fate quietly and instead became determined to fight for justice. Drawing on previously unpublished sources... The Radium Girls is an intimate narrative account of an unforgettable true story..."\ \ The Last of the Doughboys: The Forgotten Generation and Their Forgotten World War by Richard Rubin\ \ \ \ A deeply personal oral history that also provides context of the larger events surrounding each veteran.\ \ Description: "... the most sweeping look at America’s First World War in a generation, a glorious reminder of the tremendously important role America played in the war to end all wars, as well as a moving meditation on character, grace, aging, and memory."\ \ Bitter Fruit: The Story of the American Coup in Guatemala by Stephen Schlesinger & Stephen Kinzer\ \ Super engaging and infuriating.\ \ Description: "... a comprehensive and insightful account of the CIA operation to overthrow the democratically elected government of Jacobo Arbenz of Guatemala in 1954."\ \ And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic by Randy Shilts\ \ A powerful and detailed chronicle of the AIDS crisis that blends investigative journalism with personal stories.\ \ Description:"... Shilts' expose revealed why AIDS was allowed to spread unchecked during the early 80's while the most trusted institutions ignored or denied the threat. One of the few true modern classics, it changed and framed how AIDS was discussed in the following years..."\ \ Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy by Heather Ann Thompson\ \ Uncovers a ton of facts that were covered up, super well research and detailed. Deserved the Pulitzer that it got.\ \ Description:"On September 9, 1971, nearly 1,300 prisoners took over the Attica Correctional Facility in upstate New York to protest years of mistreatment. Holding guards and civilian employees hostage, the prisoners negotiated with officials... sheds new light on every aspect of the uprising and its legacy, giving voice to all those who took part in this forty-five-year fight for justice: prisoners, former hostages, families of the victims, lawyers and judges, and state officials and members of law enforcement."\ \ Fear and Fury: The Reagan Eighties, the Bernie Goetz Shootings, and the Rebirth of White Rage by Heather Ann Thompson\ \ Draws interesting parallels and will probably piss ya off a fair bit.\ \ Description:"On December 22, 1984, in a graffiti-covered New York City subway car, passengers looked on in horror as a white loner named Bernhard Goetz shot four Black teens, Darrell Cabey, Barry Allen, Troy Canty, and James Ramseur, at point-blank range... the man the tabloid media had dubbed the “Death Wish Vigilante” would become a celebrity and a hero to countless ordinary Americans who had been frustrated with the economic fallout of the Reagan 80s..."\ \ Kill Anything That Moves: The Real American War in Vietnam by Nick Turse\ \ Misses in some aspects but effectively brings to light a litany of horrific events. ( VIDEO REVIEW )\ \ Description: "Drawing on more than a decade of research in secret Pentagon files and extensive interviews with American veterans and Vietnamese survivors, Turse reveals for the first time how official policies resulted in millions of innocent civilians killed and wounded. In shocking detail, he lays out the workings of a military machine that made crimes in almost every major American unit all but inevitable..."\ \ A People's History of the United States: 1492-Present by Howard Zinn\ \ Controversial polemic that takes a hard leftist/socialist stance against traditional historical narratives.\ \ Description:"... the only volume to tell America's story from the point of view of—and in the words of—America's women, factory workers, African-Americans, Native Americans, the working poor, and immigrant laborers... Covering Christopher Columbus's arrival through President Clinton's first term... features insightful analysis of the most important events in our history."\ \ LATIN AMERICAN/CARIBBEAN HISTORY\ \ The Five Star Bunch\ \ Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis by Jonathan Blitzer\ \ \ \ Perfect blend of personal stories and academic history of immigration. (VIDEO REVIEW)\ \ Description: "... weaving the stories of Central Americans whose lives have been devastated by chronic political conﬂict and violence with those of American activists, government officials, and the politicians responsible for the country’s tragically tangled immigration policy... layered picture of this vast and unremitting conﬂict."\ \ The Best of the Rest\ \ War Against All Puerto Ricans: Revolution and Terror in America's Colony by Nelson A. Denis\ \ A controversial and gripping polemic that reads like a thriller.\ \ Description: "... tells the story of a forgotten revolution and its context in Puerto Rico's history, from the US invasion in 1898 to the modern-day struggle for self-determination. Denis provides an unflinching account of the gunfights, prison riots, political intrigue, FBI and CIA covert activity, and mass hysteria that accompanied this tumultuous period in Puerto Rican history."\ \ Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent by Eduardo Galeano\ \ A bit dated yet necessary work to understand the history of interference in Latin America. (VIDEO REVIEW)\ \ Description: "... organized the various facets of Latin American history according to the patterns of five centuries of exploitation... fuses scientific analysis with the passions of a plundered and suffering people."\ \ Puerto Rico: A National History by Jorell Meléndez-Badillo\ \ Exactly the type of sweeping and accessible intro I was looking for.\ \ Description: "... sheds light on the vibrant cultures of the archipelago in the centuries before the arrival of Columbus, and captures the full sweep of Puerto Rico’s turbulent history in the centuries that followed, from the first indigenous insurrection against colonial rule in 1511—led by the powerful chieftain Agüeybaná II—to the establishment of the Commonwealth in 1952... deftly portrays the contemporary period and the intertwined though unequal histories of the archipelago and the continental United States."\ \ The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L'Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolution by CLR James\ \ A basic understanding of the French Revolution is recommended to get the most out of this landmark text.\ \ Description: "This powerful, intensely dramatic book is the definitive account of the Haitian Revolution of 1794-1803... It is the story of the French colony of San Domingo, a place where the brutality of master toward slave was commonplace and ingeniously refined. And it is the story of a barely literate slave named Toussaint L'Ouverture, who led the black people of San Domingo in a successful struggle against successive invasions..."\ \ Bitter Fruit: The Story of the American Coup in Guatemala by Stephen Schlesinger & Stephen Kinzer\ \ Super engaging and infuriating.\ \ Description: "... a comprehensive and insightful account of the CIA operation to overthrow the democratically elected government of Jacobo Arbenz of Guatemala in 1954."\ \ Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs by Camilla Townsend\ \ Almost reads like epic fantasy at times. Tells the story from the much needed viewpoint of the Aztecs.\ \ Description: "... the history of the Aztecs is offered in all its complexity based solely on the texts written by the indigenous people themselves... presents an accessible and humanized depiction of these native Mexicans, rather than seeing them as the exotic, bloody figures of European stereotypes."\ \ ROMAN HISTORY\ \ The Five Star Bunch\ \ 1453: The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and the West by Roger Crowley\ \ Equal coverage of the declining Byzantines and the rising Ottomans. Very balanced, clear, and accessible. ( VIDEO REVIEW )\ \ Description:"... the taut, vivid story of this final struggle for the city, told largely through the accounts of eyewitnesses... At the center is the contest between two inspirational leaders, Mehmed II and Constantine XI, fighting for empire and religious faith, and an astonishing finale in a few short hours on May 29, 1453 – a defining moment for medieval history... both a gripping work of narrative history and an account of the war between Christendom and Islam that still has echoes in the modern world."\ \ Rubicon: The Triumph and Tragedy of the Roman Republic by Tom Holland\ \ \ \ Details the civil wars that led to the Fall of the Roman Republic and the establishment of the Roman Empire with tremendous flair.\ \ Description:“Rubicon paints a vivid portrait of the Republic at the climax of its greatness—the same greatness which would herald the catastrophe of its fall. It is a story of incomparable drama.”\ \ Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the House of Caesar by Tom Holland\ \ Explores a very messy family doing Very Important Things. A great follow-up to Rubicon.\ \ Description: “...Intrigue, murder, naked ambition and treachery, greed, gluttony, lust, incest, pageantry, decadence—the tale of these five Caesars continues to cast a mesmerizing spell across the millennia.”\ \ The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History of Rome and the Barbarians by Peter Heather\ \ A comprehensive, objective and well-researched take that will give you a great foundation of knowledge for how the Empire fell.\ \ Description:“...relates the extraordinary story of how Europe's barbarians, transformed by centuries of contact with Rome on every possible level, eventually pulled the empire apart.”\ \ Carthage Must Be Destroyed: The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Civilization by Richard Miles\ \ A rare pro-Carthiginian account of the epic battle between two superpowers for domination of the Western Mediterranean. (will be cross-posted in African history as this is moreso a Carthiginian story than a Roman one) ( VIDEO REVIEW )\ \ Description: “Drawing on a wealth of new research… charts the entirety of Carthage's history, from its origins among the Phoenician settlements of Lebanon to its apotheosis as a Mediterranean empire whose epic land-and-sea clash with Rome made a legend of Hannibal and shaped the course of Western history… reintroduces readers to the ancient glory of a lost people and their generations-long struggle against an implacable enemy.\ \ A Rome of One’s Own: The Forgotten Women of the Roman Empire by Emma Southon\ \ \ \ 21 profiles of 21 women in chronological order from the earliest days of Rome through the Imperial period. Entertaining and informative. ( VIDEO REVIEW )\ \ Description: “This is a history of women who caused outrage, led armies in rebellion, wrote poetry; who lived independently or under the thumb of emperors. Told with humor and verve as well as a deep scholarly background… highlights women overlooked and misunderstood, and through them offers a fascinating and groundbreaking chronicle of the ancient world.”\ \ The Best of the Rest\ \ Emperor of Rome: Ruling the Ancient Rome by Mary Beard\ \ A cultural study of the powerful and weird lives of emperors.\ \ Description:"...not your typical chronological account of Roman rulers... Beard asks different, often larger and more probing questions... Effortlessly combining the epic with the quotidian, Beard tracks the emperor down at home, at the races, on his travels, even on his way to heaven..."\ \ SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard\ \ General, cultural overview covering the 8th century BC to ~212 AD. ( VIDEO REVIEW )\ \ Description: “...examines not just how we think of ancient Rome but challenges the comfortable historical perspectives that have existed for centuries. With its nuanced attention to class, democratic struggles, and the lives of entire groups of people omitted from the historical narrative for centuries…”\ \ Alaric the Goth: An Outsider's History of the Fall of Rome by Douglas Boin\ \ Accessible and effective perspective shift that centers the "barbarians" through the lens of an influential Goth and his people. ( VIDEO REVIEW )\ \ Description:"The marginalized Goths, marked by history as frightening harbingers of destruction and of the Dark Ages, preserved virtues of the ancient world that we take for granted... reveals the Goths’ complex and fascinating legacy in shaping our world."\ \ The Storm Before the Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic by Mike Duncan\ \ Explores the period leading up to the Fall of the Roman Republic by focusing on the years between 146-78 BC where several domestic issues came to a head.\ \ Description: “...dives headlong into the first generation to face this treacherous new political environment. Abandoning the ancient principles of their forbearers, men like Marius, Sulla, and the Gracchi brothers set dangerous new precedents that would start the Republic on the road to destruction…”\ \ The Rise of Rome: The Making of the World’s Greatest Empire by Anthony Everitt\ \ Accessible overview that unpacks Rome’s path to empire. Works great as an introduction to Ancient Roman history.\ \ Description: “Rome’s decline and fall have long fascinated historians, but the story of how the empire was won is every bit as compelling. With The Rise of Rome, one of our most revered chroniclers of the ancient world tells that tale in a way that will galvanize, inform, and enlighten modern readers.”\ \ How Rome Fell: Death of a Superpower by Adrian Goldsworthy\ \ Goldsworthy is a good man, and thorough.\ \ Description: "... examines the painful centuries of the superpower’s decline. Bringing history to life through the stories of the men, women, heroes, and villains involved... uncovers surprising lessons about the rise and fall of great nations... this is the story of how an empire without a serious rival rotted from within, its rulers and institutions putting short-term ambition and personal survival over the wider good of the state."\ \ In the Name of Rome: The Men Who Won the Roman Empire by Adrian Goldsworthy\ \ Bite-sized profiles on the most iconic and effective Roman generals from the early Republic to the fall of the East.\ \ Description: "... offers a new perspective on the Empire by focusing on its greatest generals... offering in-depth insight into his leadership skills and victories, as well as each one’s pioneering strategies, many of which are still used today... this absorbing, reader-friendly history tells the complete story of Roman warfare..."\ \ Scipio Africanus: Greater Than Napoleon by BH Liddell Hart\ \ Well-researched and interesting case for "The Hammer of Africa" as one of the most skilled military generals in history.\ \ Description: ... fascinating portrait of this extraordinary commander... Not only military enthusiasts and historians but all those interested in outstanding men will find this magnificent study absorbing and gripping."\ \ The Restoration of Rome: Barbarian Popes and Imperial Pretenders by Peter Heather\ \ \ \ Makes sense of a garbled period of history with fascinating profiles on important figures of the age.\ \ Description: “...each of the three greatest immediate contenders for imperial power - Theoderic, Justinian, and Charlemagne - operated with a different power base but was astonishingly successful in his own way... a captivating narrative of the death of an era and the birth of the Catholic Church.”\ \ The Rise of Rome: From the Iron Age to the Punic Wars by Kathryn Lomas\ \ Similar to Everitt's book above but with a more scholarly and archaeological lean while still remaining accessible.\ \ Description:"...reconstructs the diplomatic ploys, political stratagems, and cultural exchanges whereby Rome established itself as a dominant player in a region already brimming with competitors... identifies nascent political structures that unified the empire’s diverse populations, and finds the beginnings of Italian peoplehood."\ \ The Ghosts of Cannae: Hannibal and the Darkest Hour of the Roman Republic by Robert L. O'Connell\ \ A unique angle to a well-known battle and delightfully sassy in some of its arguments. Very strong on military matters. ( VIDEO REVIEW )\ \ Description: "... brilliantly conveys how Rome amassed a giant army to punish Carthage’s masterful commander, how Hannibal outwitted enemies that outnumbered him, and how this disastrous pivot point in Rome’s history ultimately led to the republic’s resurgence and the creation of its empire..."\ \ The Roman Empire in Crisis, 248-260: When the Gods Abandoned Rome by Paul N. Pearson\ \ Way more entertaining than I expected from such a muddled period.\ \ Description: "a narrative history of a dozen years of turmoil that begins with Rome's millennium celebrations of 248 CE and ends with the capture of the emperor Valerian by the Persians in 260..."\ \ A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome by Emma Southon\ \ A unique angle written with incredible insight and wit. ( VIDEO REVIEW )\ \ Description:“...examines a trove of real-life homicides from Roman history to explore Roman culture… we see how the Romans viewed life, death, and what it means to be human… An entertaining and informative look at the unique culture of crime, punishment, and killing in Ancient Rome.\ \ The Spartacus War by Barry Strauss\ \ An honest effort to reconstruct the life of Spartacus without attempting to reimagine his history by filling in the gaps with conjecture.\ \ Description: “...the extraordinary story of the most famous slave rebellion in the ancient world, the fascinating true story behind a legend that has been the inspiration for novelists, filmmakers, and revolutionaries for 2,000 years.”\ \ The War That Made the Roman Empire: Antony, Cleopatra, and Octavian at Actium\ \ Straightforward recounting of one of the most important moments in Roman History.\ \ Description: “...two powerful men remained in Rome—Antony and Caesar’s chosen heir, young Octavian, the future Augustus. When Antony fell in love with the most powerful woman in the world, Egypt’s ruler Cleopatra, and thwarted Octavian’s ambition to rule the empire, another civil war broke out… essential history that features three of the greatest figures of the ancient world.”\ \ The Roman Revolution by Ronald Syme\ \ Makes the case that a revolution was necessary for Rome to correct its disastrous course.\ \ Description: “...a profound and unconventional treatment of a great theme - the fall of the Republic and the decline of freedom in Rome between 60 BC and AD 14, and the rise to power of the greatest of the Roman Emperors, Augustus... presented in an unconventional narrative, which quotes from ancient evidence, refers seldomly to modern authorities, and states controversial opinions quite openly.”\ \ The Fall of Rome: And the End of Civilization by Bryan Ward-Perkins\ \ Scholarly counterargument to the theory that the fall of the Roman Empire was more of a transition.\ \ Description: “...contends that a key problem with the new way of looking at the end of the ancient world is that all difficulty and awkwardness is smoothed out into a steady and positive transformation of society. Nothing ever goes badly wrong in this vision of the past. The evidence shows otherwise.”\ \ Biographies (description excerpts will be added soon!)\ \ Messalina by Honor Cargill-Martin - 5* ( VIDEO REVIEW )\ \ Augustus by Anthony Everitt\ \ Cicero by Anthony Everitt\ \ Hadrian by Anthony Everitt\ \ Caesar by Adrian Goldsworthy - 5*\ \ Agrippina by Emma Southon - 5*\ \ ENGLISH/BRITISH HISTORY\ \ The Five Star Bunch\ \ The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England by Dan Jones\ \ \ \ My first dive into English history. Sweeping in scope, super accessible, and with an eye for the story.\ \ Description: "...vividly resurrects this fierce and seductive royal dynasty and its mythic world... This is the era of chivalry, of Robin Hood and the Knights Templar, the Black Death, the founding of Parliament, the Black Prince, and the Hundred Year’s War. It will appeal as much to listeners of Tudor history as to fans of Game of Thrones."\ \ The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors by Dan Jones\ \ Jones is excellent at boiling down complex subjects like this and making them accessible to a general audience.\ \ Description:"...the actual historical backdrop for Game of Thrones... describes how the longest reigning British royal family tore itself apart until it was finally replaced by the Tudors... this is a bold and dramatic narrative history that will delight listeners who like their history with a healthy dose of bedlam, romance, and intrigue."\ \ The Brothers York: A Royal Tragedy by Thomas Penn\ \ Incredible detail on the end of the Plantagenets and rise of the Tudors. Main focus is on Edward IV and his two brothers' exploits.\ \ Description: "... The story of three remarkable brothers, two of whom were crowned kings of England and the other an heir presumptive, whose antagonism was fueled by the mistrust and vendettas of the age that brought their family to power. The house of York should have been the dynasty that the Tudors became. Its tragedy was that it devoured itself."\ \ The Best of the Rest\ \ The Battle of Hastings: The Fall of the Anglo-Saxons and the Rise of the Normans by Jim Bradbury\ \ A straightforward recounting of this key battle with a heavy focus on the makeup and strategies of the opposing armies. Dry but decent enough.\ \ Description: "... an examination of the military development of the two sides up to 1066, detailing differences in tactics, arms, and armor. The core of the book is a move-by-move reconstruction of the battle itself... places the battle in the military context of eleventh-century Europe."\ \ The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann\ \ \ \ Reads like a novel and is just a crazy, gripping yarn.\ \ Description: "... a page-turning story of shipwreck, survival, and savagery, culminating in a court martial that reveals a shocking truth. The powerful narrative reveals the deeper meaning of the events on The Wager, showing that it was not only the captain and crew who ended up on trial, but the very idea of empire."\ \ Unruly: The Ridiculous History of England's Kings and Queens by David Mitchell\ \ A humorous look at a large swath of English history. Nothing groundbreaking but is quite fun and would work as a great introduction to the subject.\ \ Description:"...explores how early England’s monarchs, while acting as feared rulers firmly guiding their subjects’ destinies, were in reality a bunch of lucky bastards who were mostly as silly and weird in real life as they appear today in their portraits... Taking us back to King Arthur (spoiler: he didn’t exist), Mitchell tells the founding story of post-Roman England up to the reign of Elizabeth I (spoiler: she dies)."\ \ The Anglo-Saxons: A History of the Beginnings of England: 400 - 1066 by Marc Morris\ \ Learn all about how England fought to become England!\ \ Description: "... the turbulent history of these people across the next six centuries... It explores how they abandoned their old gods for Christianity, established hundreds of churches, and created dazzlingly intricate works of art. It charts the revival of towns and trade, and the origins of a familiar landscape of shires, boroughs, and bishoprics... see how a new society, a new culture, and a single unified nation came into being."\ \ The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold\ \ Being a woman in Victorian England sucked and Rubenhold does justice to the victims by focusing on their lives and not their demise/killer.\ \ Description:"Polly, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine and Mary-Jane are famous for the same thing, though they never met... the year of their murders: 1888. Their murderer was never identified, but the name created for him by the press has become far more famous than any of these five women. Now, in this devastating narrative of five lives, historian Hallie Rubenhold finally sets the record straight, and gives these women back their stories."\ \ Biographies\ \ The Greatest Knight: The Remarkable Life of William Marshal, the Power Behind Five English Thrones by Thomas Asbridge\ \ Accessible and fascinating, learn about this stretch of history through the lens of this honorable fella. ( VIDEO REVIEW )\ \ Description: "...A leading retainer of five English kings, Marshal served the great figures of this age... and was involved in some of the most critical phases of medieval history."\ \ Henry V: The Astonishing Triump of England's Greatest Warrior King by Dan Jones\ \ Unique gambles to use present tense and start at the young Henry's apprenticeship, both of which paid off. ( VIDEO REVIEW )\ \ Description: "...one of the most intriguing characters in all medieval history, but one of the hardest to pin down... he saved a shattered country from economic ruin, put down rebellions, and secured England’s borders; in foreign diplomacy, he made England a serious player once more. Yet through his conquests in northern France, he sowed the seeds for three generations of calamity at home, in the form of the Wars of the Roses... a historical titan whose legacy has become a complicated one..."\ \ Henry VIII: The King and His Court by Alison Weir\ \ A comprehensive look at an iconic figure. A couple slight slogs but overall a solid balance of story and information.\ \ Description: "...records the many complex human dramas that swirled around Henry while deftly weaving in an account of the intimate rituals and desires of England’s ruling class... Packed with colorful description, meticulous in historical detail, rich in pageantry, intrigue, passion, and luxury... renders King Henry VIII, his court, and the fascinating men and women who fought for its pleasures and rewards."\ \ FRENCH HISTORY\ \ The Revolutionary Temper: Paris, 1748-1789 by Robert Darnton\ \ Great mix of bottom-up and top-down history, unpacking how regular folk circulated a litany of grievances that led to the French Revolution.\ \ Description: "... explores eighteenth-century Paris as an information society much like our own... As public trust in royal authority eroded and new horizons opened for them, Parisians prepared themselves for revolution."\ \ Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution by Mike Duncan\ \ Feels like his podcasts, but in a book. Duncan levels up in this balanced biography. (VIDEO REVIEW)\ \ Description: " Few in history can match the revolutionary career of the Marquis de Lafayette. Over 50 incredible years at the heart of the Age of Revolution, he fought courageously on both sides of the Atlantic. He was a soldier, statesman, idealist, philanthropist, and abolitionist... His remarkable life is the story of where we come from and an inspiration to defend the ideals he held dear."\ \ House of Lilies: The Dynasty That Made Medieval France by Justine Firnhaber-Baker\ \ \ \ Super solid introduction to French history and a great complement to The Plantagenets by Dan Jones.\ \ Description: "The definitive history of the crusading dynasty that made the French crown the wealthiest and most powerful in medieval Europe and forged France as we know it today... tells the epic story of the Capetian dynasty of medieval France, showing how their ideas about power, religion, and identity continue to shape European society and politics today."\ \ The Last Duel: A True Story of Crime, Scandal and Trial by Combat by Eric Jager\ \ Two dickheads think they're really badass while really they're just putting a poor woman through a bunch of mess.\ \ Description: "In the midst of the devastating Hundred Years’ War between France and England, Jean de Carrouges, a Norman knight fresh from combat in Scotland, returns home to yet another deadly threat. His wife, Marguerite, has accused squire Jacques Le Gris of rape. A deadlocked court decrees a trial by combat between the two men that will also leave Marguerite’s fate in the balance. For if her husband loses the duel, she will be put to death as a false accuser."\ \ The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L'Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolution by CLR James\ \ A basic understanding of the French Revolution is recommended to get the most out of this landmark text.\ \ Description: "... the definitive account of the Haitian Revolution of 1794-1803, a revolution that began in the wake of the Bastille but became the model for the Third World liberation movements from Africa to Cuba. It is the story of the French colony of San Domingo... And it is the story of a barely literate slave named Toussaint L'Ouverture, who led the black people of San Domingo in a successful struggle against successive invasions..."\ \ A New World Begins: The History of the French Revolution by Jeremy Popkin\ \ A comprehensive, chronological reconstruction. Exactly what I hoped it'd be.\ \ Description:"The French Revolution’s principles of liberty and equality still shape our ideas of a just society—even if, after more than two hundred years, their meaning is more contested than ever before... Based on decades of scholarship, A New World Begins will stand as the definitive treatment of the French Revolution."\ \ GERMAN HISTORY\ \ The Five Star Bunch\ \ The Third Reich Trilogy ( The Coming of the Third Reich , The Third Reich in Power , The Third Reich at War ) by Richard J Evans\ \ \ \ The definitive work on this period. 2,500 total pages of detailed yet addicting (and haunting) history.\ \ Description: "[Coming] A masterful synthesis of a vast body of scholarly work integrated with important new research and interpretations, Evans’s history restores drama and contingency to the rise to power of Hitler and the Nazis, even as it shows how ready Germany was by the early 1930s for such a takeover to occur... [Power] Chronicles the incredible story of Germany's radical reshaping under Nazi rule... [War] Portrays a society rushing headlong to self-destruction and taking much of Europe with it."\ \ Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin by Timothy Snyder\ \ Keeps the focus on one region of two overlapping periods of extreme state violence from ~1930-1945.\ \ Description: "... Assiduously researched, deeply humane, and utterly definitive, Bloodlands is a new kind of European history, presenting the mass murders committed by the Nazi and Stalinist regimes as two aspects of a single story."\ \ The Best of the Rest\ \ Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland by Christopher R. Browning\ \ This one will mess with your noodle. One of the best at unpacking the psychology behind wartime atrocities.\ \ Description: "... the true story of Reserve Police Battalion 101 of the German Order Police, which was responsible for mass shootings as well as round-ups of Jewish people for deportation to Nazi death camps in Poland in 1942. Browning argues that most of the men of RPB 101 were not fanatical Nazis but, rather, ordinary middle-aged, working-class men who committed these atrocities out of a mixture of motives..."\ \ The Faithful Executioner: Life and Death, Honor and Shame in the Turbulent Sixteenth Century by Joel F. Harrington\ \ A fascinating look at the profession and legal system, one of my favorite concepts.\ \ Description: "... an account of the 394 people Meister Frantz Schmidt executed, and the hundreds more he tortured, flogged, or disfigured for more than forty-five years in the city of Nuremberg. But the portrait of Schmidt that gradually emerged was not that of a monster... Deemed an official outcast, Meister Frantz sought to prove himself worthy of honor and free his children from the stigma of his profession."\ \ Blood & Iron: The Rise and Fall of the German Empire by Katja Hoyer\ \ The no nonsense, brisk primer before jumping into Nazi Germany (with no Sonderweg nonsense).\ \ Description: "... In this unique study of five decades that changed the course of modern history, Katja Hoyer tells the story of the German Empire from its violent beginnings to its calamitous defeat in the First World War."\ \ False Prophets & Preachers: Henry Gresbeck's Account of the Anabaptist Kingdom of Münster by Christopher S. Mackay\ \ \ \ Academic work that's still accessible and with great notes to get as close as we can to this bonkers story.\ \ Description:"In February 1534, a radical group of Anabaptists, gripped with apocalyptic fervor, seized the city of Münster and established an idealistic communal government that quickly deteriorated into extreme inequality and theocratic totalitarianism... adhered closely to Gresbeck’s own words to produce the first complete and accurate English translation of this important primary source."\ \ The Dictators: Hitler's German, Stalin's Russia by Richard Overy\ \ Super well-researched academic work with a solid thesis, only held back by being a bit dry.\ \ Description:"... the first major historical work to analyze the two dictatorships together in depth, Richard Overy gives us an absorbing study of Hitler and Stalin, ranging from their private and public selves, their ascents to power and consolidation of absolute rule, to their waging of massive war and creation of far-flung empires of camps and prisons."\ \ MESOPOTAMIAN/WEST ASIAN HISTORY\ \ The Five Star Bunch\ \ Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes by Tamim Ansary\ \ Sweeping in coverage, conversational in tone. A great introduction to multiple topics throughout history. ( VIDEO REVIEW )\ \ Description: "...the rich story of world history with the evolution of the Muslim community at the center. His story moves from the lifetime of Mohammed through a succession of far-flung empires, to the tangle of modern conflicts that culminated in the events of 9/11..."\ \ From Cyrus to Alexander: A History of the Persian Empire by Pierre Briant\ \ \ \ Translated from French. An academic and comprehensive THICC BOI powerhouse and a great book to have handy for reference.\ \ Description:"...attempts to understand how such an Empire emerged, developed, and faded. Though firmly grounded in the evidence, the author’s discussions do not avoid persistent questions and regularly engages divergent interpretations and alternative hypotheses. This book is without precedent or equivalent, and also offers an exhaustive bibliography and thorough indexes."\ \ 1453: The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and the West by Roger Crowley\ \ Equal coverage of the declining Byzantines and the rising Ottomans. Very balanced, clear, and accessible. ( VIDEO REVIEW )\ \ Description:"... the taut, vivid story of this final struggle for the city, told largely through the accounts of eyewitnesses... both a gripping work of narrative history and an account of the war between Christendom and Islam that still has echoes in the modern world."\ \ All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror by Stephen Kinzer\ \ Reads like a tense, page-turning novel. Helped shape the way I thought about America's relationship with the Middle East.\ \ Description: "... brings to life the 1953 CIA coup in Iran that ousted the country’s elected prime minister, ushered in a quarter-century of brutal rule under the Shah, and stimulated the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and anti-Americanism in the Middle East."\ \ The Best of the Rest\ \ Games Without Rules: The Often-Interrupted History of Afghanistan by Tamim Ansary\ \ Another conversational, opinionated, and informative banger from Ansary.\ \ Description: "... draws on his Afghan background, Muslim roots, and Western and Afghan sources to explain history from the inside out and to illuminate the long, internal struggle that the outside world has never fully understood. It is the story of a nation struggling to take form, a nation undermined by its own demons while every 40 to 60 years a great power disrupts whatever progress has been made..."\ \ 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline\ \ Academic yet readable with an emphasis on archaeology.\ \ Description:"...the gripping story of how the end was brought about by multiple interconnected failures, ranging from invasion and revolt to earthquakes, drought, and the cutting of international trade routes... a sweeping panorama of the empires and globalized peoples of the Late Bronze Age... shows that it was their very interdependence that hastened their dramatic collapse and ushered in a dark age that lasted centuries."\ \ Assyria: The Rise and Fall of the World's First Empire by Ekhart Frahm\ \ Leans on recent archaeology to re-write/update the history of the Old Assyrian, Middle Assyrian and Neo-Assyrian periods. A no frills, solid piece of work.\ \ Description:"...tells the epic story of Assyria and its formative role in global history... nearly two centuries of research now permit a rich picture of the Assyrians and their empire beyond the battlefield: their vast libraries and monumental sculptures, their elaborate trade and information networks, and the crucial role played by royal women."\ \ Persian Fire: The First World Empire and the Battle for the West by Tom Holland\ \ \ \ A "popular history" narrative, told with Holland's usual flair. Covers the Persians and Greeks fairly equally.\ \ Description:"In the fifth century BC, a global superpower was determined to bring truth and order to what it regarded as two terrorist states. The superpower was Persia, incomparably rich in ambition, gold, and men. The terrorist states were Athens and Sparta, eccentric cities in a poor and mountainous backwater: Greece... examines a conflict of critical importance to both ancient and modern history."\ \ Persians: The Age of Great Kings by Lloyd-Llewellyn Jones\ \ An honest attempt at telling the "Persian version" of Achaemenid history often told by Greek and other Western sources.\ \ Description:"...the epic story of this dynasty and the world it ruled. Drawing on Iranian inscriptions, cuneiform tablets, art, and archaeology, he shows how the Achaemenid Persian Empire was the world’s first superpower—one built, despite its imperial ambition, on cooperation and tolerance... the definitive history of the Achaemenid dynasty and its legacies in modern-day Iran..."\ \ Weavers, Scribes, and Kings: A New History of the Ancient Near East by Amanda H. Podany\ \ Sweeping and heavy on archeology. Brings to life figures that range from kings to average citizens. ( VIDEO REVIEW )\ \ Description:"...a gripping journey from the creation of the world's first cities to the conquests of Alexander the Great. The book is built around the life stories of many ancient men and women, from kings, priestesses, and merchants to brickmakers, musicians, and weavers. Their habits of daily life, beliefs, triumphs, and crises, and the changes that people faced over time are explored through their own written words and the buildings, cities, and empires in which they lived."\ \ AFRICAN HISTORY\ \ The Five Star Bunch\ \ Africa is Not a Country: Notes on a Bright Content by Dipo Faloyin\ \ Shatters stereotypes in a conversational tone that's easily digestible yet incredibly thought-provoking. (VIDEO REVIEW)\ \ Description: "So often, Africa has been depicted simplistically as a uniform land of famines and safaris, poverty and strife, stripped of all nuance. In this bold and insightful book, Dipo Faloyin offers a much-needed corrective, weaving a vibrant tapestry of stories that bring to life Africa’s rich diversity, communities, and histories..."\ \ King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa by Adam Hochschild\ \ Meet King Dickhead, who seized vast swathes of territory and visited untold horrors on the Congo. ( VIDEO REVIEW )\ \ Description:"...A tale far richer than any novelist could invent... the horrifying account of a megalomaniac of monstrous proportions. It is also the deeply moving portrait of those who defied Leopold: African rebel leaders who fought against hopeless odds and a brave handful of missionaries, travelers, and young idealists who went to Africa for work or adventure but unexpectedly found themselves witnesses to a holocaust and participants in the twentieth century’s first great human rights movement."\ \ Carthage Must Be Destroyed: The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Civilization by Richard Miles\ \ \ \ A rare pro-Carthiginian account of the epic battle between two superpowers for domination of the Western Mediterranean. ( VIDEO REVIEW )\ \ Description: “Drawing on a wealth of new research… resurrects the civilization that ancient Rome struggled so mightily to expunge. This monumental work charts the entirety of Carthage's history, from its origins among the Phoenician settlements of Lebanon to its apotheosis as a Mediterranean empire whose epic land-and-sea clash with Rome made a legend of Hannibal and shaped the course of Western history…"\ \ White Malice: The CIA and the Covert Recolonization of Africa by Susan Williams\ \ Staggering and frustrating while still maintaining a solid flow. ( VIDEO REVIEW )\ \ Description:"...unearths the CIA’s covert operations from Ghana to the Congo to the UN, which frustrated the attempts of Africa’s new generation of nationalist leaders to establish democratic governance. These revelations dramatically upend the conventional wisdom that African nations failed to establish effective, democratic states on their own accord. As the old European powers moved out, the US moved in."\ \ The Best of the Rest\ \ An African History of Africa: From the Dawn of Humanity to Independence by Zeinab Badawi\ \ A sweeping, general history of Africa. A few minor errors but still works as a decent sampler platter. ( VIDEO REVIEW )\ \ Description: "...guides us through Africa's spectacular history - from the very origins of our species, through ancient civilizations and medieval empires with remarkable queens and kings, to the miseries of conquest and the elation of independence... unearths buried histories from across the continent and gives Africa its rightful place in our global story."\ \ The Golden Rhinoceros: Histories of the African Middle Ages by François-Xavier Fauvelle\ \ A collection of essays covering various eras/locations.\ \ Description:"From the birth of Islam in the seventh century to the voyages of European exploration in the fifteenth, Africa was at the center of a vibrant exchange of goods and ideas... carefully pieces together the written and archaeological evidence to tell an unforgettable story that is at once sensitive to Africa’s rich social diversity and alert to the trajectories that connected Africa with the wider Muslim and Christian worlds."\ \ Carthage's Other Wars: Carthaginian Warfare Outside the 'Punic Wars' Against Rome\ \ Could also be titled "Carthage's Wars in Mostly Sicily". An academic look at an otherwise obscure history.\ \ Description: "Carthage was the western Mediterranean’s first superpower, long before Rome, and her military history was powerful, eventful, and chequered even before her ‘Punic Wars’ against Rome... the first full-length study dedicated to these other wars which furthered Carthage’s interests for over half a millennium..."\ \ Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives by Siddharth Kara\ \ Part investigative journalism, part travelogue, will make you feel guilty the next time you pick up your phone. ( VIDEO REVIEW )\ \ Description:"...the searing first-ever exposé of the immense toll taken on the people and environment of the Democratic Republic of the Congo by cobalt mining, as told through the testimonies of the Congolese people themselves..."\ \ How Europe Underdeveloped Africa by Walter Rodney\ \ \ \ Scholarly work that details how colonialism and slavery pillaged Africa to benefit Europe.\ \ Description:"...incisively argues that grasping "the great divergence" between the west and the rest can only be explained as the exploitation of the latter by the former. This meticulously researched analysis of the abiding repercussions of European colonialism on the continent of Africa has not only informed decades of scholarship and activism, it remains an indispensable study for grasping global inequality today."\ \ Biographies\ \ Hannibal: Rome's Greatest Enemy by Philip Freeman\ \ Quick, solid work that would serve as a great refresher or introduction.\ \ Description: "...one of the greatest military leaders in history almost destroyed Rome. Hannibal, a daring African general from the city of Carthage, led an army of warriors and battle elephants over the snowy Alps to invade the very heart of Rome's growing empire."\ \ GREEK HISTORY\ \ The Five Star Bunch\ \ The Histories by Herodotus (Tom Holland translation)\ \ Without Herodotus, so much history gets lost to time, and Holland crushes this translation.\ \ Description: " Herodotus is not only the father of the art and the science of historical writing but also one of the Western tradition's most compelling storytellers... he laid bare the intricate human entanglements at the core of great historical events... infused his magnificent history with a continuous awareness of the mythic and the wonderful."\ \ Ghost on the Throne: The Death of Alexander the Great and the Bloody Fight for His Empire by James Romm\ \ \ \ Skillfully makes sense of the complicated Wars of the Diadochi, highlighting events and figures that are often overlooked in an entertaining style.\ \ Description: "...s ix of Alexander’s Macedonian generals, spurred by their own thirst for power and the legend that Alexander bequeathed his rule “to the strongest,” fought to gain supremacy... brings to life the cutthroat competition and the struggle for control of the Greek world’s greatest empire."\ \ The Best of the Rest\ \ The Spartans: The World of the Warrior Heroes of Ancient Greece by Paul Cartledge\ \ A balanced, concise and well-rounded examination of a truly whacky experiment.\ \ Description:"...examines the rise and fall of this singular society. In a narrative that resounds with the battle cries of the ancient Greeks, he takes a compelling look at the many illustrious Spartan figures from the worlds of history and legend, including Lycurgus, Lysander, King Leonidas, and Helen of Troy and Sparta."\ \ Pandora's Jar: Women in Greek Myths by Natalie Haynes\ \ Witty and informative re-examination of how women are portrayed in Greek Myth.\ \ Description:"...revolutionizes our understanding of epic poems, stories, and plays, resurrecting them from a woman’s perspective and tracing the origins of their mythic female characters... brings nuance and care to the millennia-old myths and legends and asks the question: Why are we so quick to villainize these women in the first place—and so eager to accept the stories we’ve been told?"\ \ Persian Fire: The First World Empire and the Battle for the West by Tom Holland\ \ A "popular history" narrative, told with Holland's usual flair. Covers the Persians and Greeks fairly equally.\ \ Description:"In the fifth century BC, a global superpower was determined to bring truth and order to what it regarded as two terrorist states. The superpower was Persia, incomparably rich in ambition, gold, and men. The terrorist states were Athens and Sparta, eccentric cities in a poor and mountainous backwater: Greece... examines a conflict of critical importance to both ancient and modern history."\ \ The Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan\ \ Takes a more analytical approach than Thucydides with an interesting perspective.\ \ Description: "... presents a new account of this vicious war of Greek against Greek, Athenian against Spartan... a magisterial work of history written for general readers, offering a fresh examination of a pivotal moment in Western civilization... a chronicle of the rise and fall of a great empire and of a dark time whose lessons still resonate today."\ \ Alexander at the End of the World: The Forgotten Final Years of Alexander the Great by Rachel Kousser\ \ A lot of the same story you'll find elsewhere but with some new angles/archaeology to consider.\ \ Description:"...vividly brings to life Alexander’s labyrinthine, treacherous final years, weaving together a brilliant series of epic battles, stunning landscapes, and nearly insurmountable obstacles. Meticulously researched and grippingly written, Kousser’s narrative is an unforgettable tale of daring and adventure, an inspiring portrait of grit and ambition, and a powerful meditation on the ability to learn from failure."\ \ The Sacred Band: Three Hundred Theban Lovers and the Last Days of Greek Freedom by James Romm\ \ Enjoyable and approachable look at Theban history from ~379 BC to 338 BC through the framework of their elite warrior unit. ( VIDEO REVIEW )\ \ Description: "The story of the Sacred Band, an elite 300-man corps recruited from pairs of lovers, highlights a chaotic era of ancient Greek history, four decades marked by battles, ideological disputes, and the rise of vicious strongmen. At stake was freedom, democracy, and the fate of Thebes, at this time the leading power of the Greek world."\ \ Dividing the Spoils: The War for Alexander the Great's Empire by Robin Waterfield\ \ More dry than Romm's treatment but extends the story further in the timeline.\ \ Description:"... revives the memory of the Successors of Alexander and their great contest for his empire. It was the Successors--battle-tested companions of Alexander such as Ptolemy, Perdiccas, Seleucus, and Antigonus the One-Eyed--who consolidated Alexander's gains. Their competing ambitions, however, eventually led to the break-up of the empire... draws upon a wide range of historical materials, providing the first account that makes complete sense of this highly complex period."\ \ Creators, Conquerors & Citizens: A History of Ancient Greece by Robin Waterfield\ \ Very solid and accessible introduction for Greek history newbies.\ \ Description:"... the best single-volume account of ancient Greece in more than a generation... a comprehensive narrative of seven hundred years of history, from the emergence of the Greeks around 750 BCE to the Roman conquest of the last of the Greco-Macedonian kingdoms in 30 BCE... incorporates the most recent scholarship by classical historians and archaeologists and asks his readers to think critically about Greek history."\ \ Biographies\ \ Olympias: Mother of Alexander the Great by Elizabeth Carney - 5*\ \ \ \ Scholarly monograph that puts a microscope to what the sources said about this fascinating woman. ( VIDEO REVIEW )\ \ Description:"The definitive guide to the life of the first woman to play a major role in Greek political history, this is the first modern biography of Olympias. Presenting a critical assessment of a fascinating and wholly misunderstood figure... penetrates myth, fiction and sexual politics and conducts a close examination of Olympias through historical and literary sources, and brings her to life as she places the figure in the context of her own ancient, brutal political world."\ \ Alexander the Great by Paul Cartledge\ \ A non-chronological detailing of Alexander's actions and what they meant through the framework of a variety of topics.\ \ Description:"...accessible, reliable, and intimate portrait of Alexander III of Macedon, the man himself, brilliantly evoking his remarkable political and military accomplishments, cutting through the myths to show why he was such a great leader... explores our endless obsession with Alexander and gives us insight into both his capacity for brutality and his sensitive grasp of international politics."\ \ Demetrius: Sacker of Cities by James Romm\ \ Would recommend reading Romm's Ghost on the Throne first, otherwise the first few chapters will have your head spinning. After that though this is a solid continuation of the Wars of the Diadochi.\ \ Description:"The life of Demetrius (337–283 BCE) serves as a through-line to the forty years following the death of Alexander the Great (323–282 BCE), a time of unparalleled turbulence and instability in the ancient world. With no monarch able to take Alexander’s place, his empire fragmented into five pieces... tells the story of Demetrius the Besieger’s rise and spectacular fall but also explores his vibrant inner life and family relationships to depict a real, complex, and recognizable figure."\ \ Philip & Alexander: Kings & Conquerors by Adrian Goldsworthy - 5*\ \ A comprehensive look at this father-son duo that, unlike other treatments, gives proper coverage to Philip. ( VIDEO REVIEW )\ \ Description: "Alexander the Great's conquests staggered the world... He claimed to be the son of a god, but he was actually the son of Philip II of Macedon. Philip inherited a minor kingdom that was on the verge of dismemberment, but despite his youth and inexperience, he made Macedonia dominant throughout Greece. It was Philip who created the armies that Alexander led into war against Persia... the groundbreaking biography of two men who together conquered the world."\ \ ASIAN HISTORY\ \ The Five Star Bunch\ \ The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II by Iris Chang\ \ Shocking yet necessary.\ \ Description: " In December 1937, the Japanese army swept into the ancient city of Nanking. Within weeks, more than 300,000 Chinese civilians and soldiers were systematically raped, tortured, and murdered... Drawing on extensive interviews with survivors and documents brought to light for the first time, Iris Chang’s classic is the definitive history of this horrifying episode."\ \ Sengoku Jidai: Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu: Three Unifiers of Japan by Danny Chaplin\ \ \ \ Super detailed, scholarly work that is the go-to reference on the period (in English anyway). ( VIDEO REVIEW )\ \ Description: "Japan's Sengoku Jidai, known as the 'Warring States Period,' was a time of profound crisis and upheaval, characterized by constant warfare and social unrest... This groundbreaking narrative history of the Sengoku era weaves together the epic tales of these three figures for the first time..."\ \ Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick\ \ Mix of micro/macro history that hits hard with personal stories.\ \ Description:"... follows the lives of six North Korean citizens over fifteen years—a chaotic period that saw the death of Kim Il-sung, the rise to power of his son Kim Jong-il (the father of Kim Jong-un), and a devastating famine that killed one-fifth of the population... brings to life what it means to be living under the most repressive regime today..."\ \ Gwangju Uprising: The Rebellion for Democracy in South Korea by Hwang Sok-yong, Lee Jae-Eu & Jeon Yong-Ho\ \ Meticulous reconstruction of a watershed moment in South Korean's history. Academic and brutal. ( VIDEO REVIEW )\ \ Description: "On May 18, 1980, student activists gathered in the South Korean city of Gwangju to protest the coup d’état and the martial law government of General Chun Doo-hwan. The security forces responded with unmitigated violence. Over the next ten days hundreds of students, activists, and citizens were arrested, tortured, and murdered. The events of the uprising shaped over a decade of resistance to the repressive South Korean regime and paved the way for the country’s democratization."\ \ The Best of the Rest\ \ Korea: A New History of South & North by Victor D. Cha and Ramon Pachecho Pardo\ \ A perfect and brisk introduction that will take you all the way up to the modern day debate surrounding unification.\ \ Description:"... draw on decades of research to explore the history of modern Korea, from the late nineteenth century, Japanese occupation, and Cold War division to the present day... This comprehensive history sheds light on the evolving identities of the two Koreas, explaining the sharp differences between North and South, and prospects for unification."\ \ A Brief History of Japan: Samurai, Shogun and Zen: The Extraordinary Story of the Land of the Rising Sun by Jonathan Clements\ \ Does what it says on the tin. Solid primer.\ \ Description:"... blends documentary and storytelling styles to connect the past, present and future of Japan, and in broad yet detailed strokes reveals a country of paradoxes..."\ \ A Brief History of the Samurai: The Way of Japan's Elite Warriors by Jonathan Clements\ \ Like the above, does what it says on the tin. Solid primer.\ \ Description:"... one of the first full histories of the art and culture of the Samurai warrior. The Samurai emerged as a warrior caste in Medieval Japan and would have a powerful influence on the history and culture of the country from the next 500 years. Clements also looks at the Samurai wars that tore Japan apart in the 17th and 18th centuries and how the caste was finally demolished in the advent of the mechanized world."\ \ Yakuza: Japan's Criminal Underworld by David E. Kaplan and Alec Dubro\ \ \ \ Serves as a comprehensive and academic introduction.\ \ Description:"... the first book to reveal the extraordinary reach of Japan's Mafia... tells the full story or Japan's remarkable crime syndicates, from their feudal start as bands of medieval outlaws to their emergence as billion-dollar investors in real estate, big business, art, and more."\ \ Some People Need Killing: A Memoir of Murder in My Country by Patricia Evangelista\ \ Devastating blend of memoir and reportage about state-sanctioned murder. ( VIDEO REVIEW )\ \ Description: "For six years, journalist Patricia Evangelista documented killings carried out by police and vigilantes in the name of then president Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs... a brilliant dissection of the grammar of violence and an investigation into the human impulses to dominate and resist."\ \ The Great Successor: The Divinely Perfect Destiny of Brilliant Comrade Kim Jong Un by Anna Fifield\ \ Dabbles in schoolyard bullying its subject but has stretches that make a better attempt at a balanced portrayal and overall has some great insight.\ \ Description: " The behind-the-scenes story of the rise and reign of the world's strangest and most elusive tyrant, Kim Jong Un... reconstructs Kim's past and present with exclusive access to sources near him and brings her unique understanding to explain the dynastic mission of the Kim family in North Korea... a captivating portrait of the oddest and most secretive political regime in the world."\ \ Blossoms in the Wind: Human Legacies of the Kamikaze by M.G. Sheftall\ \ Fascinating angle with firsthand accounts from suicide pilots that survived.\ \ Description:"... interviews with the few remaining survivors of Japan's kamikaze corps, a thought-provoking study offers a revealing glimpse into the lives, attitudes, beliefs, and mindsets of former kamikaze pilots who never completed their suicidal missions."\ \ The Story of China: The Epic History of a World Power from the Middle Kingdom to Mao and the China Dream by Michael Wood\ \ 4,000 year sweeping sampler platter that works as a solid introduction to Chinese history.\ \ Description:"... takes a fresh look at the Middle Kingdom in the light of the recent massive changes inside the country... the book begins with China's prehistory... looks at particular periods and themes that are now being reevaluated by historians... explores the encounter with the West... and the extraordinarily rich debates in the late nineteenth century that pushed China along the path to modernity."\ \ Biographies\ \ The Girl with Seven Names: Escape from North Korea by Hyeonseo Lee\ \ What a doggone rollercoaster this one is, sweet Christmas.\ \ Description:"An extraordinary insight into life under one of the world’s most ruthless and secretive dictatorships – and the story of one woman’s terrifying struggle to avoid capture/repatriation and guide her family to freedom... Aged seventeen, she decided to escape North Korea. She could not have imagined that it would be twelve years before she was reunited with her family."\ \ First They Killed My Father: A Daugther of Cambodia Remembers by Loung Ung\ \ \ \ A shocking memoir that serves as a personal introduction to the Cambodian genocide perpetrated by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge.\ \ Description: "... in April 1975, Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge army stormed into the city, forcing Ung's family to flee and, eventually, to disperse... an unforgettable memoir of a family shaken and shattered, yet miraculously sustained by courage and love in the face of unspeakable brutality."\ \ STEPPE HISTORY\ \ The Five Star Bunch\ \ Genghis Khan's Greatest General: Subotai the Valiant by Richard A. Gabriel\ \ Serves as both an academic, military biography and a brisk narrative introduction to a super underrated general. Is not without its valid criticisms but it's a personal favorite.\ \ Description: "... the story of Subotai the Valiant, a warrior for Genghis Khan and one of the greatest generals in military history. Subotai commanded armies whose size, scale, and scope of operations surpassed those led by any other commander in the ancient world..."\ \ The Best of the Rest\ \ The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World by David W. Anthony\ \ Scholarly work that earns its reputation. A definitive text on Proto-Indo-European (PIE) origins. Haven't read this cover-to-cover but have used it multiple times to cross-reference with related books.\ \ Description:"... lifts the veil that has long shrouded these original Indo-European speakers, and reveals how their domestication of horses and use of the wheel spread language and transformed civilization..."\ \ The Secret History of the Mongols (translated by Christopher P. Atwood)\ \ An oft-cited, must-have reference when reading about the Mongols.\ \ Description: "... combines insider history and verse to chronicle the life of Genghis Khan and the empire he founded. Following Genghis from his early years... we witness the birth of a new regime, and a unified Mongolia whose hordes swept across the steppe and remade the medieval world."\ \ The Horde: How the Mongols Changed the World by Marie Favereau\ \ Mixed bag scholarly work about The Golden Horde/Ulus of Jochi. How you get on with it will depend on how convincing you find Favereau's thesis.\ \ Description: "... takes us inside one of the most powerful sources of cross-border integration in world history. The Horde was the central node in the Eurasian commercial boom of the 13th and 14th centuries and was a conduit for exchanges across thousands of miles..."\ \ Empires of the Steppes: A History of the Nomadic Tribes Who Shaped Civilization by Kenneth W. Harl\ \ \ \ If you can get past the frustrating formatting and disjointing timeline hopping, you'll find a sweeping, balanced and fascinating history of several nomadic empires.\ \ Description: "... From a single region emerged a great many peoples—the Huns, the Mongols, the Magyars, the Turks, the Xiongnu, the Scythians, the Goths—all of whom went on to profoundly and irrevocably shape the modern world... re-creates the lives and world of these often-forgotten peoples from their beginnings to the early modern age."\ \ The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women Across the Ancient World by Adrienne Mayor\ \ Can be repetitive trying to argue its thesis that Greek Amazons were inspired by the women of Scythian tribes but does contain loads of interesting information.\ \ Description:"... tells how amazing new archaeological discoveries of battle-scarred female skeletons buried with their weapons prove that women warriors were not merely figments of the Greek imagination... reveals intimate, surprising details and original insights about the lives and legends of the women known as Amazons."\ \ Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford\ \ Seeks to rehabilitate the Mongols' image. Found parts of the thesis lacking but it works very well as an accessible introduction.\ \ Description: "... From the story of his rise through the tribal culture to the explosion of civilization that the Mongol Empire unleashed, this brilliant work of revisionist history is nothing less than the epic story of how the modern world was made."\ \ PREHISTORY\ \ The Five Star Bunch\ \ The Rise & Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of Their Lost World by Steve Brusatte\ \ Everything you'd want a dino book to be.\ \ Description:"... masterfully tells the complete, surprising, and new history of the dinosaurs, drawing on cutting-edge science to dramatically bring to life their lost world and illuminate their enigmatic origins, spectacular flourishing, astonishing diversity, cataclysmic extinction, and startling living legacy... An electrifying scientific history that unearths the dinosaurs’ epic saga..."\ \ The Best of the Rest\ \ The Smart Neanderthal: Bird Catching, Cave Art, & the Cognitive Revolution by Clive Finlayson\ \ More about birds than I expected but comes with some interesting new theories.\ \ Description: "... casts a new light on the Neanderthals and the "Cognitive Revolution"... argues that there was no revolution and, instead, modern behaviour arose gradually and independently among different populations of Modern Humans and Neanderthals... overturns classic narratives of human origins, and raises important questions about who we really are."\ \ The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by David Graeber & David Wengrow\ \ A radical series of arguments that will make you rethink what you thought you knew about human history. ( VIDEO REVIEW )\ \ Description: " A dramatically new understanding of human history, challenging our most fundamental assumptions about social evolution―from the development of agriculture and cities to the origins of the state, democracy, and inequality―and revealing new possibilities for human emancipation."\ \ Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death & Art by Rebecca Wragg Sykes\ \ \ \ Beautiful reframing of the Neanderthals based on the newest archaeological evidence. Nerdy (complimentary) and readable.\ \ Description: "... uses her experience at the cutting-edge of Palaeolithic research to share our new understanding of Neanderthals, shoving aside clichés of rag-clad brutes in an icy wasteland... Above all, they were successful survivors for more than 300,000 years, during times of massive climatic upheaval..."\ \ MARITIME HISTORY\ \ Over the Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe by Laurence Bergreen\ \ Just a bonkers story about a man trying to become the biggest dick on earth.\ \ Description:"A majestic tale of discovery that changed many long-held views about the world... During their remarkable voyage around the world the crew endured starvation, disease, mutiny, and torture."\ \ The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann\ \ Perfect for people trying to get into nonfiction: a fast-paced and fascinating banger. ( WRITTEN REVIEW )\ \ Description: " On January 28, 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the coast of Brazil. Inside were thirty emaciated men, barely alive, and they had an extraordinary tale to tell... a grand tale of human behavior at the extremes told by one of our greatest nonfiction writers."\ \ The Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing\ \ One of the greatest survival stories ever told.\ \ Description: In August 1914, polar explorer Ernest Shackleton boarded the Endurance and set sail for Antarctica, where he planned to cross the last uncharted continent on foot. In January 1915, after battling its way through a thousand miles of pack ice and only a day's sail short of its destination, the Endurance became locked in an island of ice. Thus began the legendary ordeal of Shackleton and his crew of twenty-seven men. When their ship was finally crushed between two ice floes, they attempted a near-impossible journey over 850 miles of the South Atlantic's heaviest seas to the closest outpost of civilization.\ \ A Night to Remember: The Classic Account of the Final Hours of the Titanic\ \ \ \ The ultimate introduction to kick off your Titanic obsession. Quick, tense and brilliant.\ \ Description:"... a completely riveting account of the Titanic's fatal collision and the behavior of the passengers and crew, both noble and ignominious... classic minute-by-minute re-creation is as vivid now as it was upon first publication fifty years ago.\ \ (TO BE CONTINUED)\ \ Upgrade for $5 or login](https://kistreadsbooks.binderybooks.com/item/yf6GM9IVM1ezeA2fjmZd/)

The Kist Master List - History Books (Updated 6/30/26)

Kist Reads\ \ Kist\ \ • Jul 27

[SICKOOOOOOOS! Let me know the books you plan on reading this week in the comments and I'll share with you everything I got planned. Let's boogie!\ \ READING\ \ REVIEW\ \ DEFIANCE: A MEMOIR OF AWAKENING, REBELLION, AND SURVIVAL IN SYRIA by LOUBNA MRIE (nonfiction memoir)\ \ Progress: Finished\ \ I feel like I've spent a month with this one with the stops and starts, but again, that was my fault starting too many books at the same time. The final half of this is A LOT, I mean there's some super heartbreaking stuff in here. There's so many angles to this one and I credit Mrie for exploring all of them without losing any of the energy it carried throughout. I kept a running log of notes so hopefully my full review will be coherent but one fact I'll highlight here is that apparently they put corn on pizza in Syria? What do y'all think of that?\ \ STREETS OF LAREDO by LARRY MCMURTRY [Lonesome Dove - Pub Order #2/Chronological Order #4] (western fiction)\ \ Progress: 427/538\ \ Another bite taken out of this puppy and while most of the qualms I noted last week still stand, I am finding the story taking a path that is more gripping than it was in the first half. It's still not going to touch the genius of Lonesome Dove but that's a crazy bar to hit.\ \ 1177 B.C.: THE YEAR CIVILIZATION COLLAPSED by ERIC H. CLINE (nonfiction history)\ \ Progress: 51/179\ \ It lost out in the History Sickos vote but it's one I was gonna read anyway. I read this a long time ago but after having watched The Odyssey, I was pulled back to it for reasons that will become clear with this snippet from Barry Strauss' introduction:\ \ \ \ PREVIEW/AUGUST BOOK CLUB PICKS\ \ It'll be all about the book clubs for my next reads, and the winners are:\ \ FICTION SICKOS BOOK CLUB: The Odyssey by Homer(any translation)\ \ HISTORY SICKOS BOOK CLUB: Black Flag, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America's Most Notorious Pirates by Eric Jay Dolin\ \ EVERYTHING ELSE\ \

Publishing News: No formal announcement yet for our second acquisition but I can tell you that the other was revealed in our Discord like a Scooby Doo villain last week!\ \
Game of the Week: I'm fully addicted to Assassin's Creed Odyssey for the fourth time (playing as Kassandra, of course). I'm up to level 17 and am starting to hunt down these doggone cultists.\ \
Show of the Week: No idea tbh. Maybe Frieren S2?!\ \
Movie of the Week: We gotta figure out a Jurassic Park watch-along in the Discord I think.\ \
Content News: New YouTube is up! In this one I'm ranking the books the Fiction Sickos have read this year.\ \
I'll be on vacation next week so there won't be an update. It's the week before the wee emperor starts school again so I wanted to spend more quality time with him. I do have plenty of stuff to film (or clip out from YT) so you may not even notice other than the missing update.\ \ \ Upgrade for $5 or login](https://kistreadsbooks.binderybooks.com/item/NiJ1z6UNGppT9AKoem1J/)

Weekly Checkpoint + August Book Club Winners!

5 books

Kist Reads\ \ Kist\ \ • Jul 21

[It's time to vote on what the Fiction & History Sickos Book Clubs will be reading in August! I'll have the polls up later this evening in our Discord and those will run for 3 days. Bribery and bullying is expected and encouraged. Below are the four books for each club that will be put up in the vote with a back cover blurb for each. \ \ A quick reminder that to participate in the voting/discussions, you'll need a membership at the Sicko or above tier, that unlocks those channels in our Discord.\ \ Here they the options:\ \ FICTION SICKOS BOOK CLUB OPTIONS \ \ THE ODYSSEY by HOMER (any translation)\ \ We all know what this is and why it's here, right? Cool. Moving on.\ \ THE MOUNTAINS SING by NGUYỄN PHAN QUẾ MAI\ \

"With the epic sweep of Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko or Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing and the lyrical beauty of Vaddey Ratner’s In the Shadow of the Banyan, The Mountains Sing tells an enveloping, multigenerational tale of the Trần family, set against the backdrop of the Việt Nam War. Trần Diệu Lan, who was born in 1920, was forced to flee her family farm with her six children during the Land Reform as the Communist government rose in the North. Years later in Hà Nội, her young granddaughter, Hương, comes of age as her parents and uncles head off down the Hồ Chí Minh Trail to fight in a conflict that tore apart not just her beloved country, but also her family."\ \ JAWS by PETER BENCHLEY\ \ "A great white shark terrorizes the beautiful summer getaway of Amity Island, and a motley group of men take to the water to do battle with the beast. A heart-pounding novel of suspense and a brilliant meditation on the nature of humanity, Jaws is one of the most iconic thrillers ever written."\ \ BUTCHER'S CROSSING by JOHN WILLIAMS\ \ "It is the 1870s, and Will Andrews, ﬁred up by Emerson to seek “an original relation to nature,” drops out of Harvard and heads west. He washes up in Butcher’s Crossing, a small Kansas town on the outskirts of nowhere. Butcher’s Crossing is full of restless men looking for ways to make money and ways to waste it. Before long Andrews strikes up a friendship with one of them, a man who regales Andrews with tales of immense herds of buffalo, ready for the taking, hidden away in a beautiful valley deep in the Colorado Rockies. He convinces Andrews to join in an expedition to track the animals down. The journey out is grueling, but at the end is a place of paradisal richness. Once there, however, the three men abandon themselves to an orgy of slaughter, so caught up in killing buffalo that they lose all sense of time. Winter soon overtakes them: they are snowed in. Next spring, half-insane with cabin fever, cold, and hunger, they stagger back to Butcher’s Crossing to ﬁnd a world as irremediably changed as they have been."\ \ HISTORY SICKOS BOOK CLUB OPTIONS \ \ 1177 BC: THE YEAR CIVILIZATION COLLAPSED by ERIC H. CLINE\ \ "In 1177 B.C., marauding groups known only as the "Sea Peoples" invaded Egypt. The pharaoh's army and navy managed to defeat them, but the victory so weakened Egypt that it soon slid into decline, as did most of the surrounding civilizations. After centuries of brilliance, the civilized world of the Bronze Age came to an abrupt and cataclysmic end. Kingdoms fell like dominoes over the course of just a few decades. No more Minoans or Mycenaeans. No more Trojans, Hittites, or Babylonians... A compelling combination of narrative and the latest scholarship, 1177 B.C. sheds new light on the complex ties that gave rise to, and ultimately destroyed, the flourishing civilizations of the Late Bronze Age―and that set the stage for the emergence of classical Greece."\ \ THE SIXTH EXTINCTION: AN UNNATURAL HISTORY by ELIZABETH KOLBERT\ \ "Over the last half a billion years, there have been five mass extinctions, when the diversity of life on earth suddenly and dramatically contracted. Scientists around the world are currently monitoring the Sixth Extinction, predicted to be the most devastating extinction event since the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs. This time around, the cataclysm is us... provides a moving account of the disappearances occurring all around us and traces the evolution of extinction as concept, from its first articulation by Georges Cuvier in revolutionary Paris up through the present day. In the ten years since the book was originally published, evidence of the Sixth Extinction has continued to mount, making its message more urgent than ever..."\ \ HOW TO HIDE AN EMPIRE: A HISTORY OF THE GREATER UNITED STATES by DANIEL IMMERWAHR\ \ "A pathbreaking history of the United States’ overseas possessions and the true meaning of its empire... tells the fascinating story of the United States outside the United States. In crackling, fast-paced prose, he reveals forgotten episodes that cast American history in a new light... Rich with absorbing vignettes, full of surprises, and driven by an original conception of what empire and globalization mean today, How to Hide an Empire is a major and fully enjoyable work of history."\ \ BLACK FLAGS, BLUE WATERS: THE EPIC HISTORY OF AMERICA'S MOST NOTORIOUS PIRATES by ERIC JAY DOLIN\ \ "Set against the backdrop of the Age of Exploration, Black Flags, Blue Waters reveals the surprising history of American piracy’s “Golden Age” - spanning the late 1600s through the early 1700s - when lawless pirates plied the coastal waters of North America and beyond... depicts the star pirates of this period, among them the towering Blackbeard, the ill-fated Captain Kidd, and sadistic Edward Low, who delighted in torturing his prey. Upending popular misconceptions and cartoonish stereotypes..."](https://kistreadsbooks.binderybooks.com/item/0F4fCT8iZc0fJTFoH93O/)

Fiction/History Sickos August Book Options! (polls go live tonight!)

8 books

Kist Reads\ \ Kist\ \ • Jul 20

[Aren't Monday's fantastic when you're basically unemployed?! I dig 'em, as I get to go climbin' early in the morning and hopefully distract y'all while you work with an update on what I've been reading. As usual, let me know what you've read and are planning to read in the comments and here's what I'm workin' with..\ \ READING\ \ REVIEW\ \ MEN AT ARMS by TERRY PRATCHETT [City Watch #2, Discworld #8] (satirical fantasy)\ \ Progress: Finished\ \ I had complaints last week about this taking a while to leverage the strong hook from the beginning and am happy to report that the final third did indeed deal with that hook in a satisfying manner. I realized how invested I was in getting to know a certain character when they met some trouble but thankfully I overreacted, so I was pulled in by multiple strands. Doesn't live up to the excellence of Guards! Guards! but did further cement my interest in reading through Discworld.\ \ STREETS OF LAREDO by LARRY MCMURTRY [Lonesome Dove - Pub Order #2/Chronological Order #4] (western fiction)\ \ Progress: 254/538\ \ Lonesome Dove became an instant all-timer for me when I read it in January of last year and I'm finally back in the LD Universe, huzzah! I have mixed feelings on this one so far. McMurtry's character work continues to be elite, but I God I am struggling to get invested in the plot due to a main character I find frustrating for reasons I won't get into here and the marriage of two characters that seems insane even though McMurtry does give them Very Good Reasons. I guess a lot can happen in 15 years. Either way, still enjoying it overall, yeehaw, etc..\ \ DEFIANCE: A MEMOIR OF AWAKENING, REBELLION, AND SURVIVAL IN SYRIA by LOUBNA MRIE (nonfiction memoir)\ \ Progress: 184/417\ \ We're back to this puppy and it's still just as good as I remember. I tend to read history from a long, long time ago, so it's really interesting to see this rebellion from another country play out with social media playing a big role (including how they navigate the security concerns around it). Mrie's keen observations stand out as she details everything from the mundane to the horrific and I'm very much back on the train with this one.\ \ PREVIEW\ \ Whatever I read next will likely be determined after I see which way the History Sickos/Fiction Sickos Book Club votes go, which will be posted tomorrow. So get yer butt in the Discord if you're not yet so you can make your voice heard.\ \ EVERYTHING ELSE\ \

Publishing News: I keep teasing this but last week the contract for our imprint's second acquisition was signed and finalized and an announcement plan is being fleshed out (and y'all will hear about it first!). Stay tuned!\ \
Game of the Week: I'd love for this to be Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced but I'm holding out hope, and holding out unit, they add an FOV slider to console because I can't see a damn thing, which is a shame because when I can see what's happening it friggin' rocks. This week will be fairly busy due to some business commitments but I'm still hoping to rock some Civilization VI. Lately I've been selecting leaders I haven't won with yet just to keep things fresh.\ \
Show of the Week: The Traitors UK fixes all my issues with the American version, the main one being that they don't use any "reality hoppers", whereas the American version is all hoopleheaded reality show veterans I just refuse to care about. I've been binging the hell out of it and am already on S3E9.\ \
Movie of the Week: The Odyssey was everything I hoped for and more. Even my wife, who typically couldn't give a fig about Homer, was locked in for every single minute of the three hour runtime. This one will constantly be in the re-watch rotation for years to come. Might be time to read Emily Wilson's translation, hmm...\ \
Content News: After the poll last week about this type of content, I've decided to keep the written version of the Weekly Checkpoint for Mondays and film the short-form video version of it on Tuesdays. So if you voted "Why Not Both?!", you won.\ \ \ Upgrade for $5 or login](https://kistreadsbooks.binderybooks.com/item/LpWpjtFXYqRTiV7xdQrl/)

Weekly Checkpoint!

3 books

Kist Reads\ \ Kist\ \ • Jul 16

[\ \ Upgrade for $5 or login](https://kistreadsbooks.binderybooks.com/item/88jVuvftqnAvr8E7YKxW/)

[EARLY ACCESS YOUTUBE] Ranking the 2026 History Sickos Book Club Reads (So Far)

Just past the midway point of the year is a great time to check in on what we've been reading in the History Sickos Book Club!

7 books

Kist Reads\ \ Kist\ \ • Jul 13

[Poll:\ \ In what format would you like the Weekly Checkpoints?\ \ SICKOOOOOOOS! You know what it is by now, time to tell me what you're reading this week in the comments (or what you finished recently) and I'll do the same (plus some other media and life updates).\ \ READING\ \ REVIEW\ \ NOT BUILT IN A DAY: HOW SLAVERY MADE THE ROMAN EMPIRE by EMMA SOUTHON\ \ Progress: Finished\ \ I've praised this book here, there, and everywhere and will continue to do so, so I'll go in a different direction. Our equivalent of the "Viggo broke his toe for real in this scene" over-cited piece of LOTR trivia is "did you know I'm in the acknowledgements of Not Built In a Day"? I've known this for a while, but seeing it in the natural flow of finishing this wonderful book did fill me with the good 'n' fuzzies. One of my very first videos with my book account was about Southon's Agrippina biography and I remember telling somebody that she doesn't know it yet but we are gonna be besties. And now we are, which is dope as hell.\ \ MEN AT ARMS by TERRY PRATCHETT [City Watch #2, Discworld #8] (satirical fantasy)\ \ Progress: 302/428\ \ You know what I found to be absolutely riiiiipping now that I'm older, dude? A tasty multi-book fantasy world that I can appreesh. Men at Arms has a strong hook and it's taking a while to cash in on that, but it does seem that we are in the stages of ramping up towards the real stakes. The Carrot/Vimes arcs are getting stronger and I want to know everything about Angua.\ \ As a side note I think part of my delay in picking up Discworld is that I was never drawn in by the covers, which is shallow I know, but I'm happy to find these style of covers that give me the full on 90s quirky fantasy vibes that match the style of this world.\ \ \ \ DEFIANCE: A MEMOIR OF AWAKENING, REBELLION, AND SURVIVAL IN SYRIA by LOUBNA MRIE (nonfiction memoir)\ \ Progress: 102/417\ \ No new progress made but as promised this is now my priority nonfiction read so I'll have more to say on it soon.\ \ PREVIEW\ \ I need to order the next Discworld so while I wait I'm either going to dive back into the cowboy life with Streets of Laredo or I'll decide to be a Hobbgoblin by starting The Rain Wild Chronicles. Yesterday I went book shopping in my own home to hunt for a nonfiction to have on deck and in the process started vetting options for the next History Sickos Book Club vote. So what I read next will probably be dependent on what you weirdos vote on when that goes live.\ \ EVERYTHING ELSE\ \

A Complement of Scoundrels got another review from a trad publication, this time from Publishers Weekly(who are the biggest of their kind!), check out this blurb: "... an imminently delightful cast working a deliciously complex scheme filled with well-developed politics and moments of true catharsis. Indeed, Lockwood imbues this tale of cynical criminals with a surprising amount of heart. Fans of Scott Lynch’s The Lies of Locke Lamora and Robert Jackson Bennett’s Foundryside will want to check it out."\ \
Getting on ADHD meds was apparently a good decision, as my work flow has become much more efficient (when I'm not bugged eyed snorting Civilization VI and Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced). Meaning all the videos for this week are already shot, huzzah! Reminder that the TikTok blackout is still happening for another couple of weeks, simply because I hate that app and need a break from it.\ \
I saw John Cena recommend Million Dollar Secret and I gotta say, he was right. I inhaled both seasons and enjoyed the psychological complexity. I'm chasing that same high with The Traitors and while it has some of the same aspects (and the endgame of S1 was super strong), the mid-episode challenges are mostly useless gibberish and I feel less connected to seasoned reality hoppers, especially when they're coming from Bravo shows. So any recommendation for competitive reality shows that aren't filled with unbearable C-listers would be appreciated.\ \
Connor McGregor found Jesus and Jesus promptly fried the ligaments in his knee. Fair play to Big J.\ \
Spain is making me root for France and Argentina is making me root for England in the World Cup semifinals... and I resent both of them for it. Nobody could ever make me hate Jude Bellingham tho (heja BVB fam!).\ \
Haven't hit the climbing gym since last Tuesday as I've been trying to not aggravate a minor TFCC sprain and the gym was unexpectedly closed this morning. Basically it's a common wrist strain that you feel from your pinky to the lower, inside forearm. It's mostly fine now but certain movements (like turning the key to the medicinal gummy safe) are unpleasant. I am gnawing at the bars of my enclosure waiting to get back to it.\ \
Now that we've been doing these Weekly Checkpoints for some weeks, I'm curious if you're missing the old video format. I've included a poll to gauge where y'all are at with this. The idea behind the switch was to provide y'all with more exclusive content while also accommodating for the fact that I typically climb on Monday mornings and making that a filming day wasn't super optimal. Happy to reassess depending on how y'all vote.\ \ \ Upgrade for $5 or login](https://kistreadsbooks.binderybooks.com/item/AzhMs3a7hkHCu9WLoVot/)

Weekly Checkpoint! + Content Poll

5 books

Kist Reads\ \ Kist\ \ • Jul 7

[Hey hey gonna make this intro super quick because World Cup is on. Let me know what you're reading this week in the comments and I'll fill ya in on what I'm planning on reading with my eyeballs. There's a buncha updates at the bottom on other stuff. Let's boogie!\ \ READING\ \ REVIEW\ \ GUARDS! GUARDS! by TERRY PRATCHETT [City Watch #1, Discworld #8] (satirical fantasy)\ \ Progress: Finished\ \ Everybody that said I would love this was correct and I stand by what I said last week about it. I started #2 of City Watch, Men at Arms, today! The plan is to read that and maybe #3 of City Watch, Feet of Clay, before inserting a standalone into the rotation. Fantasy worlds with massive catalogs can be intimidating but there's nothing like vibing with the first book you pick up in one of those because it means you have so much goodness to get to.\ \ JURASSIC PARK by MICHAEL CRICHTON\ \ Progress: Finished\ \ The Fiction Sickos Book Club "Jurassic July" has been a huge hit for me thanks to this book. Just finished it this morning and holy hell balls I loved it. It's been a while since I'd read Crichton (the last one was maybe Next over a decade ago) and I'd forgotten how smooth and bingeable his writing is. Over the past few days I've been watching the movies as well and I'm all the way through Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. My stepson is a massive JP fan and he recently read this book and it's been great connecting with him about the differences between the book and movie and our preferences for each.\ \ I can't believe it took me this long to read it, get the hell in the Discord and chat with us about it if you're reading it!\ \ Progress: Finished\ \ NOT BUILT IN A DAY: HOW SLAVERY MADE THE ROMAN EMPIRE by EMMA SOUTHON\ \ Progress: 227/357\ \ I could share a billion highlights in the Discord forum for our History Sickos Book Club pick this month and I've been enjoying the discussion in there. Everyone should know by now that Southon is my favorite Roman historian in the book game so all the usual praise I heap on her for being brilliant and witty apply here.\ \ DEFIANCE: A MEMOIR OF AWAKENING, REBELLION, AND SURVIVAL IN SYRIA by LOUBNA MRIE (nonfiction memoir)\ \ Progress: 102/417\ \ No progress as I didn't even mean to get this far into it and have pivoted to the book club book. Nothing at all against this book as I will pick it back up immediately after I'm done with the current read.\ \ EVERYTHING ELSE\ \

Monthly Wrap Discord Video Call is tonight at 8pm EST! These are always packed and wild so come hang for the shenanigans.\ \
We have a winner for the Heated Rivalry giveaway! S/O Cat4141! (check your email if you haven't yet)\ \
I'm fed up with TikTok and am going to be taking a break from posting there until late in the month, and even then it will be in a limited capacity. TL;DR their support team continues to be entirely useless and incompetent. That won't impact other content on YT/IG/FB so if you don't watch me on TikTok you probably won't notice different.\ \
We're so very close to announcing the second book acquisition for Kist Reads. Hoping everything is all signed, sealed and delivered today and then we can map out an announcement plan to share with y'all.\ \
I started ADHD meds today which is either going to make me crazy locked in on productive work stuff or Civilization VI, who can say?!\ \
The current TV watches are House of the Dragon, Narcos and The Boys. I'll need something new to binge when there are no sports I care about happening.\ \
World Cup fever is still dominating my watch schedule. Bummer about the US stinking it up last night, currently watching Egypt 1-0 up on Argentina which is a shocker. Less shocking is VAR being Slow-Mo Big Brother bullshit and ruining a part of sports that I love (chaotic injustice perpetrated by a human). OH MAKE THAT 2-0 EGYPT?!\ \ \ Upgrade for $5 or login](https://kistreadsbooks.binderybooks.com/item/PGLP0grRYR9hmvsmoo2f/)

Weekly Checkpoint + A Buncha Updates!

5 books

Kist Reads\ \ Kist\ \ • Jul 3

It's time for a giveaway! I have a stunning, special edition of Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid done by Acrylicpics Bookish Nook.\ \ To enter the giveaway, be a "Kist Reads" Follower, Sicko, Mega Sicko or Sicko Society tier in the US or Canada and leave a comment on this post (it can be an emoji or whatever, it's just so we can expedite the winner selection & shipping). And yes, I cover the shipping costs. In return all I ask is that you consider upgrading your sub while you're here to support the publishing imprint, but that isn't required.\ \ Terms & conditions* at the bottom. Here it is:\ \ \ \ I'll randomly draw the winner by 7/7 and reach out via email if you've won. Good luck!\ *No purchase necessary. Open to legal residents of the United States and Canada, 18 years of age or older. Void where prohibited by law.\ \ How to enter:\ \ Open to all “Kist Reads” Bindery members – any tier (including free “Follower” members). Comment to enter (limit 1 entry per person).\ \ Prize Value: $34.95\ \ Timing: Runs 7/3/26 - 7/7/26\ \ Winner Selection & Notification:\ \ Winner will be selected at random and notified via email within 3 days of the giveaway’s end. The winner must respond within 3 days to claim their prize.\ \ Canadian Requirement:\ \ If the selected winner is a Canadian resident, they must correctly answer a time-limited skill-testing question to claim the prize.\ \ Other Details:\ \ By entering, you agree to these rules and all applicable federal, state/provincial, and local laws. No cash substitute. Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, or misdirected entries or for delivery issues. Any applicable taxes, duties, or customs fees are the responsibility of the winner.\ \ Sponsor:\ \ Kist Reads, Sun City Center, FL\ \ Kistreadsbooks@gmail.com

GIVEAWAY! Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid - Special Edition Paperback

1 book

Kist Reads\ \ Kist\ \ • Jun 29

[Sickos, we got the official book club picks ready to rock and it's Monday so I wanna know what y'all are reading this week in the comments while I lay out what I got goin' on. Let's boogie!\ \ FICTION SICKOS BOOK CLUB\ \ It's Jurassic July baby! We are reading Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, which needs no extra context, everybody knows what it is. It's my first time reading the novel after seeing the movie a billion times so I'm excited about seeing the differences. We might have to do a watch-along in the Discord for this one after people have had a chance to take 'er down.\ \ HISTORY SICKOS BOOK CLUB\ \ It's become my life's mission to introduce folks to this historian's work and that continues on with me going full dictator with Not Built in a Day: How Slavery Made the Roman Empire by Emma Southon (UK title: Servus).\ \ Here's the blurb:\ \

From acclaimed author of A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and historian Emma Southon, a groundbreaking history of Ancient Rome that explores how the empire was built, fueled, and shaped by its enslaved people.\ \ When Julius Caesar conquered Gaul he boasted that he killed a million Gauls and enslaved a million more. This is the truth about the Roman empire: Rome could not function without slavery as it underpinned every single part of their economy. Without the millions of people snatched from their homes in the aftermath of war, kidnapped from the streets, sold into slavery as punishment, or born into it as “home bred slaves”, the Roman empire’s great aqueducts and temples could never have been built. There would be no coins or tiles to find in fields, no limitless manpower for the army and navy that conquered the Mediterranean, no marble palaces or underfloor heating, and certainly no life of unimaginable luxury for the one percent who didn’t even tie their own shoes. For the first time, Not Built in a Day tells their stories.\ \ \ \ READING\ \ REVIEW\ \ THE HORDE: HOW THE MONGOLS CHANGED THE WORLD by MARIE FAVEREAU (scholarly historical nonfiction)\ \ Progress: Finished\ \ I ranted about this one last week and have a video recorded that'll likely go up tomorrow about a pretty bold revisionist take that Favereau slipped in the epilogue. Overall, there's a ton of good info here when Favereau sticks to the facts but it's a recommendation that comes with big caveats due to some unconvincing arguments and dry, repetitive writing. I'll be a adding a stack of Mongol recs to the pinned Master List this week.\ \ WE WILL BE JAGUARS: A MEMOIR OF MY PEOPLE by NEMONTE NENQUIMO(Indigenous environmental memoir)\ \ Progress: Finished\ \ I was nearly finished with this last week and highly recommended it, then followed that up with more detail on YouTube. I also clipped that out for short-form so there's plenty of places to get my take on this but the bottom line is pick this one up.\ \ AND THE BAND PLAYED ON: POLITICS, PEOPLE AND THE AIDS EPIDEMIC by RANDY SHILTS (historical nonfiction)\ \ Progress: 457/605\ \ Didn't finish this like I planned but we made good progress and I continue to appreciate the level of detail in this THICC BOI. Am discussing it more in-depth in the Discord forums as it's the History Sickos Book Club pick for June.\ \ DEFIANCE: A MEMOIR OF AWAKENING, REBELLION, AND SURVIVAL IN SYRIA by LOUBNA MRIE (nonfiction memoir)\ \ Progress: 102/417\ \ Randomly picked this up the other night just to sample it and ended up chewing through the first hundred pages. The tag line you'll hear me say about this in the eventual review is definitely going to be some form of "daughter of an assassin for the regime joins the revolution" because I can think of no better way to describe it. That's some badass fantasy shit, but make no mistake, this is nonfiction and Mrie has one helluva story and is one helluva writer.\ \ GUARDS! GUARDS! by TERRY PRATCHETT [City Watch #1, Discworld #8] (satirical fantasy)\ \ Progress: 328/403\ \ Finally! Finally, I have spread some Discworld book cheeks and I'm having a wonderful time. This gives me serious Monty Python vibes and I'm loving the zany nature of it all. We have a Discworld bussy forum in our Discworld where I've been dropping thoughts and highlights if that's your kinda thing. I'm in the home stretch and will likely finish tonight and resume the series after I finish Jurassic Park.\ \ EVERYTHING ELSE\ \ Currently watching the World Cup as I write this up (Japan is up on Brazil!), and that'll be on all week. For my re-watch I'm going with Narcos but I'll need a different background show for work (bcuz no habla), so I think I'll go with a random season of Alone. Of course, House of the Dragon, and I may even re-watch that while also taking in the weekly episodes (which I haven't started yet tbh).\ \ I was planning on starting some other video games but instead started doing steppe people runs on Civilization VI. No regrets.\ \ Upgrade for $5 or login](https://kistreadsbooks.binderybooks.com/item/6xwogxfGma0U0FMdomsX/)

July Book Club Picks + Weekly Checkpoint

7 books

Kist Reads\ \ Kist\ \ • Jun 23

(VIDEO) Rating the top 10 books I've read so far in 2026!

I've read 38 books so far in 2026 and they span all genres so let's dig into the top 5 fiction and top 5 nonfiction reads at the mid-year point!

Kist Reads\ \ Kist\ \ • Jun 12

[Sickos! Yesterday, digital copies of A Complement of Scoundrels by S.V. Lockwood were delivered to Sicko+ subscribers and physical copies began shipping to Mega Sicko/Sicko Society members. If you got that email, you were among the members who joined before the 3/10/26 cutoff to receive those early copies. HUZZAH!\ \ I found this gem in a pile of manuscripts last year and since then the whole team has been working on it daily, so this is a huge moment for everyone involved. And as I've said many times and will continue to say, this book and the Kist Reads publishing imprint only exists because this community exists and I'm forever grateful to every single one of you.\ \ We're so happy to get this to you 3 months before its official release in September, which also means you have a very important role to play regarding its success!\ \ Why We Chose It...\ \ A Complement of Scoundrels is a high-stakes, female-led fantasy heist packed with elaborate schemes, betrayals, and sharp banter between its plucky crew. At its center is Myria Cadessa, a cunning thief determined to reclaim what was stolen from her. The world crackles with magic, flavored with touches of steampunk and Ancient Roman influence. The writing is remarkably polished, there's a constant sense of momentum and tension, and the whole thing is just so damn clever. Here's the back cover blurb for more on it:\ \

There are many ways to bring down the man who betrayed you—and Myria Cadessa has thought of them all.\ \ Cracking the Elysius Vault should’ve made Myria the richest thief in all Carintheum. Instead, it shattered her crew and left her rotting in jail while her double-crossing master walked away with everything that should’ve been hers.\ \ But now she’s out, and it’s time to settle the score. Reunite her crew? A pleasure. Steal back everything her erstwhile leader took? And then some. She’ll just need to trick the king of all tricksters, with the law on her heels, and a troublesome new ally whose loyalties seem as conflicted as his feelings for Myria. It’s the most audacious heist she’s ever attempted, but she failed her crew once. This time, she’ll make it right—at any cost.\ \ A Complement of Scoundrels is a bold, raucous journey through the underbelly of an empire where the devil’s rules reign, and morality, loyalty, and friendship are values few can afford. But where there’s a wit, there’s a way—and Myria has plenty of that.\ \ As we prepared the book for publication, we also reached out to established fantasy authors for their thoughts.\ \ John Gwynne said:\ \ “I loved this. Starting with a heist and morphing into a revenge story; it's a terrific debut. Well-drawn, sympathetic characters lead the way, with an ensemble of rogues and a gallery of side characters, a beautifully constructed world and a villain to loathe. This is a book I would highly recommend. A lot of fun with an emotional punch.”\ \ Nicholas Eames added:\ \ "A stunningly imaginative debut. Lockwood’s prose is smart, sharp, and relentlessly charming. The city of Carintheum, from its vibrant streets to the seedy warrens of the grayside, is as colourful and compelling as the characters who inhabit it. I was hooked from the very first page, and I seriously doubt I’ll read a better book this year."\ \ Those reactions from respected/beloved authors confirmed what I already knew; we have a certified banger on our hands. And now it's in your hands! I hope this slaps for you the same way it did for me and that you get caught up in all the impossible situations Myria and the crew keep finding themselves in. Most of all, I hope you have a great time.\ \ A Few Ways You Can Help...\ \ 1. Read it and talk about it!\ \ One of the biggest things you can do is simply share your experience. Post reading updates, share favorite characters, memorable quotes, best schemes, a twist that caught you off guard, or moments that made you laugh. If you post anything on socials feel free to tag me, S.V. Lockwood, and Bindery so we can celebrate alongside you.\ \ 2. Add it to your Goodreads / StoryGraph shelves\ \ This is an underrated signal that readers are interested in a book before release. They help recommendation algorithms surface the book to new readers, give retailers and booksellers another data point that people are paying attention, and provide publishers (us) with an early indication of audience interest (I get a report on these numbers every month, they're important!). In short, it only takes a few seconds but it's one of the easiest ways to support a forthcoming release.\ \ 3. Leave an honest review\ \ Once you've finished the book, consider leaving a rating or review on Goodreads, StoryGraph, Amazon or wherever you track your reading. And I mean it when I say "honest". I know not every book is for everyone and the goal here is to help readers decide whether this is a book they'll love. Thoughtful reviews help books find the right audience and they're one of the most valuable things you can do for an author.\ \ 4. Join the conversation\ \ I've set up a buddy read forum in our Discord where we can share reactions, first impressions, theories, updates, etc.. I'd love to chat about this one with you and witness how you experience it for the first time.\ \ 5. Recommend it to a friend\ \ If you're reading the book and think of someone who would love it, tell them about it! Word of mouth remains one of the most powerful forces in publishing and every recommendation helps the book reach readers who might otherwise never discover it.\ \ What's Next?\ \ We're continuing to build momentum toward publication day and there are even more exciting developments happening behind the scenes, including the development of the audiobook (we sold the audiobook rights to Tantor Media, one of the leading audiobook publishers in fantasy and science fiction!). We've nailed down the perfect narrator for it in Gabrielle Baker, and I can't f'n wait to hear the final product.\ \ Thank you again for helping make all this possible and I can't wait to hear what you think.](https://kistreadsbooks.binderybooks.com/item/IMWVoq2vkWDX3I5K9r35/)

You Have the Book, Now Let's Launch It to the Moon!

1 book

Kist Reads\ \ Kist\ \ • Jun 8

Sickooooooos! Monday's = Weekly Checkpoint, tell me what you've been reading and plan to read in the comments and I'll let ya know what I got goin' on!\ \ READING\ \ REVIEW\ \ AUGUSTUS by JOHN WILLIAMS (historical fiction)\ \ Progress: Finished\ \ Who could've possibly known I would've loved this?! Seriously though, I mentioned last week that I was loving, and I ended up still loving it. I can't think of any good reason to deduct any star points. I especially appreciated the way the story of Julia (Augustus' scandalized daughter) was tweaked and how we got to poke around inside her head. The final letter was so brilliantly executed so it stuck the landing perfectly as well. John Williams is 2 for 2 with me so I'll just have to keep trying him until he misses.\ \ EMPIRES OF THE STEPPES: A HISTORY OF THE NOMADIC TRIBES WHO SHAPED CIVILIZATION by KENNETH W. HARL (historical nonfiction)\ \ Progress: 198/410\ \ Still having a love/hate relationship with this one for all the previous reasons plus CAN A BROTHER GET A MAP?! I'm not the best with geography so having to constantly look up places like Transoxiana or Mount Beideng is a pain in the ass. Still, when HAAAARL eventually gets on a roll and into the meat and potatoes of the story of one of these steppe empires or confederations, it's excellent for those stretches. I just finished Attila's portion so I'm going to guess the next chapter is about the power vacuum that created, the conflict among his sons, and how the Germanic vassals were like alright y'all are cooked we're outta here.\ \ THE SPEAR CUTS THROUGH WATER by SIMON JIMENEZ (fantasy)\ \ Progress: 95/518\ \ The Fiction Sickos Book Club pick for this month is a re-read of one of my all-timers and the confusion in the early portions the first time around is now just pure admiration for how skillfully Jimenez sets up this super odd and ambitious world/story. I understand if some of y'all bow out early as it's very much an all-or-nothing book (as we discussed during the Monthly Wrap call last night that went on for hours), but I feel bad for those that do because if this hits you when you're in the right headspace there's really nothing like it.\ \ PREVIEW\ \ I didn't make as much process as I thought I would with my nonfiction read so I'm hoping to finish that this week and get to the History Sickos pick for June: And the Band Played On.\ \ After Spear Cuts, I'll likely be doing another re-read of a favorite, The Lies of Locke Lamora, as this is the first Year of the Scoundrel Book Box for the Sicko Society members and it seems most of those have been delivered (huzzah!).\ \ Might be time to get back into Berserk?!\ \ EVERYTHING ELSE\ \ Better Call Saul is still my background show, I think I'm halfway through S3. I loved Killing Eve S1 so I'll be continuing on with that. I've been re-watching the hilarious Jury Duty with my wife, who hasn't seen it yet, and will be finishing S1 tonight. We also finished S2 of Four Seasons, which we loved.\ \ I'm almost done beating all the missions again in Tropico 6 so I think I'll finish my Disco Elysium playthrough after.\ \ Speaking of games, it's a few months out but I've linked up with another book content creator who is going full-time and we have made a handshake deal to start livestreaming some party games (think REPO, Peak, etc.) with a group of folk we've played with before. Will keep you updated there.\ \ I got my second V5 at the climbing gym today! Progress!\ \ And a reminder that I'll be filming a YouTube Q&A this week, and I'm giving y'all first crack and submitting your questions, which you can do here.\ \ Upgrade for $5 or login

Weekly Checkpoint - What I'm Reading/Watching/Playing/Doing!

6 books

Kist Reads\ \ Kist\ \ • Jun 7

[Sickos! I'll be filming a Q&A on YouTube this week and y'all are, hopefully, going to be the ones providing me with questions, which I will then, in turn, answer (I think that's how Q&A's go). So. Yeah. Hit me with any questions you have in the comments here, I'll pull the best ones (or ones I can answer best), and include them in the video. It can be about anything (within reason, obv). Fire away!\ \ MONTHLY WRAP YAP...\ \ Also for those that aren't in the Discord, we're having our Monthly Wrap live video/voice call tonight around 8pm EST. These usually go for an hour or more and we'd love to have you hang out! Be subscribed at the Sicko tier or above to unlock that Discord channel.\ \ OTHER STUFF...\ \

I'll see y'all tomorrow for a Monday Reading Update on here\ \
Have you pre-ordered A Complement of Scoundrels by S.V. Lockwood yet? The kindle version is on sale for $3.99!\ \
We've locked down our audiobook narrator for ACoS, more on that soon but I loved their sample\ \
Audible is currently having their summer sale where Prime Members can get the Audible Standard Plan for 3 Months Free(#amazonaffiliate), it's a great excuse to try audiobooks if you haven't yet as you can cancel anytime\ \
My boss (me) approved my birthday vacation request so I'll be mostly MIA the week of 6/15. I'll have some content pre-filmed and I'll still be in the Discord hangin' out so not much will change for y'all tbh\ \ \ Join for free or login](https://kistreadsbooks.binderybooks.com/item/6Px4vyg8SISWUCYjszym/)

Submit your questions for a YouTube Q&A + Monthly Wrap Call & Other Stuff

1 book

Kist Reads\ \ Kist\ \ • Jun 1

Hey hey Sickos, the Monday Update/Weekly Checkpoint is back after a brief hiatus due to day drinking all Memorial Day weekend. Tell me what you've been reading and plan to read and let's boogie!\ \ READING\ \ REVIEW\ \ THE ROMAN EMNPIRE IN CRISIS, 248-260: WHEN THE GODS ABANDONED ROME by PAUL N. PEARSON (historical nonfiction)\ \ Progress: Finished\ \ This attempted to be a mix of academic and popular history and it pulled that off pretty well. I was concerned how interesting Pearson could make this as most historians just blitz through this run. The first half was super strong when working through Philip the Arab and Decius, and the rest wasn't too shabby either. Was not as bored as I thought I'd be and I become obsessed with that scamp Decius, so that's worth somethin'. Falls in the 3.5 - 3.75 range with a yes recommendation for Roman nuts.\ \ PARABLE OF THE TALENTS [EARTHSEED #2] by OCTAVIA E. BUTLER (speculative fiction)\ \ Progress: Finished\ \ I was promised this was bleaker than Parable of the Sower and damn did it deliver on that. I did a full review of those two books on YouTube so I'll keep it brief. Loved it. 5 stars.\ \ EMPIRES OF THE STEPPES: A HISTORY OF THE NOMADIC TRIBES WHO SHAPED CIVILIZATION by KENNETH W. HARL (historical nonfiction)\ \ Progress: 117/410\ \ For the early portions of this, I've been using The Horse, the Wheel, and Language as a supplementary reference because it goes into much greater detail on the archaeological evidence and the development of Proto-Indo-European (PIE) languages. Not that this one isn't packed with detail, it's just much more brisk and sweeping.\ \ I've been irritated by the formatting (which is just massive paragraphs with no subheadings) and how Rick from Walking Dead voice HAAAARL will jump around the timelines within the same topic, but the information is excellent. I loved the section on the Scythians and Xiongnu and as I mentioned yesterday, will be doing some Scythian content regarding their conflicts with the Persians. So basically it's flawed in execution, but great with insight so far.\ \ AUGUSTUS by JOHN WILLIAMS\ \ Progress: 121/305\ \ The only thing that could make this better is if it were a little sluttier, because the Romans, especially the men, were nothing if not enormous, messy sluts. By that I mean I'd love a bit more raunchiness and humanity in these communications between characters. That said, I understand why that's not a realistic ask. This is, after all, a novel assembled from letters, diary entries, and official decrees ("epistolary" is the fancy term), so there's only so much room for that sort of thing. A man can dream though.\ \ Anyway I'm a meme of a man because the least predictable thing has happened; I'm loving it. I wouldn't jump into this without any previous knowledge of the period but if you fw ancient Rome you'll probably love it too.\ \ PREVIEW\ \ Once I finish these I'll likely go right to the Fiction/History Sickos Book Club picks, which will be a re-read of The Spear Cuts Through Water and And AND And the Band Played On.\ \ EVERYTHING ELSE\ \ I finished my Breaking Bad re-watch, and I'm gonna rank the seasons 5 > 4 > 2 > 3 > 1. There's a stretch in those last two seasons that's just f'n elite. I watched El Camino to cap it off and I've been using Better Call Saul as my background show while I rotate between games like Disco Elysium, Old World, and Tropico 6.\ \ My build for Disco Elysium this time around is a communist, druggie, Disco superstar. Old World I'm only just learning as I'm hoping it takes away some of the pain of Civilization VII bombing. Tropico 6 is yet another run through the core missions and DLC as we await a Tropico 7 release date. If you've ever wanted to be a dictator of a small island (and whomst amongst us hasn't?), Tropico is your game.\ \ It's officially Aggressive Cut Szn so if I'm miserable in the Discord just blame it on the 1500 calories a day during the week. K bai\ \ Upgrade for $5 or login

Weekly Checkpoint - What I'm Reading/Watching/Playing/Doing!

6 books

Kist Reads\ \ Kist\ \ • May 31

[Sickos! The June votes have finished and we are ready to rock on our June picks for the Fiction & History Sickos Book Clubs.\ \ After two rounds of voting and twelve books to choose from, the Fiction Sickos will be reading:\ \ The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez\ \ This is an ambitious and unique standalone, adult fantasy story that ranks among my all-time favorites regardless of genre. This is very much an all-or-nothing type book, but I've found that the people who are able to find their footing early on typically consider it top tier stuff. The reason it can be difficult to get into at first comes down to the 2nd person POV and the storytelling device it uses to make it a story within a story. It's f'n brilliant but it does take getting used to. My advice: don't do this as audio only, at least at first. The best way is to immersion read it (physical + audio) or go straight eyeball reading.\ \

The people suffer under the centuries-long rule of the Moon Throne. The royal family—the despotic emperor and his monstrous sons, the Three Terrors—hold the countryside in their choking grip. They bleed the land and oppress the citizens with the frightful powers they inherited from the god locked under their palace.\ \ But that god cannot be contained forever.\ \ With the aid of Jun, a guard broken by his guilt-stricken past, and Keema, an outcast fighting for his future, the god escapes from her royal captivity and flees from her own children, the triplet Terrors who would drag her back to her unholy prison. And so it is that she embarks with her young companions on a five-day pilgrimage in search of freedom—and a way to end the Moon Throne forever. The journey ahead will be more dangerous than any of them could have imagined.\ \ \ \ This will be a re-read for me but I haven't read it in a few years so I'm pretty jazzed up to give it another go and discuss it with y'all!\ \ The History Sickos will be reading:\ \ And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic by Randy Shilts\ \ This barely edged out Carthage Must Be Destroyed (which I'll probably be re-reading later in the month anyway), and was a suggestion from our comrade Whimsical Judge Theo. I know nothing about it other than the subtitle so here's what's labeled on the tin:\ \ An international bestseller, a nominee for the National Book Critics Circle Award, and made into a critically acclaimed movie, Shilts' expose revealed why AIDS was allowed to spread unchecked during the early 80's while the most trusted institutions ignored or denied the threat. One of the few true modern classics, it changed and framed how AIDS was discussed in the following years.\ \ As always, the discussion forums for these are in our Discord and to unlock those channels you'll need to be at the Sicko plus tiers.\ \ OTHER STUFF...\ \

I recently reviewed Parable of the Sower/Parable of the Talents on YouTube\ \
A Complement of Scoundrels' Kindle version is on sale for $3.99\ \
We believe we've found the perfect audiobook narrator for A Complement of Scoundrels, will update when I can there\ \
Hoping this is the week I can announce the second acquisition for our Kist Reads publishing imprint\ \
Monday Updates will be back tomorrow\ \
Expect some history content regarding my read of Empire of the Steppes soon](https://kistreadsbooks.binderybooks.com/item/lCv1ubxlCAn6nCL0qegG/)

June Fiction/History Sickos Book Club Picks! + Other Stuff

7 books

Kist Reads\ \ Kist\ \ • May 28

\ \ Upgrade for $5 or login](https://kistreadsbooks.binderybooks.com/item/qWpdpL1LPQyVJM6iIbog/)

(EARLY ACCESS VIDEO) Parable of the Sower/Parable of the Talents Review!

2 books

Kist Reads\ \ Kist\ \ • May 23

Sickos we got a few quickies to cover in this one and lots of pictures that have the words I am lacking as I write this (my morning White Monster is still kicking in).\ \ DA SALE\ \ First, you're not gonna get a better deal than the $3.99 Kindle sale on A Complement of Scoundrels by S.V. Lockwood.\ \ \ \ That's unless of course you signed up for the Sicko tier in time and are going to get the free, early digital copy, or if you did the same thing but as a Mega Sicko and will have a physical copy in your hands soon. Barring that, if you still haven't pre-ordered it and you read books with your eyeballs on a Kindle screen, wtf are you waiting for?! All the Fall 2026 Bindery titles are on this sale so go nutso.\ \ ISA BUNDLE\ \ We're also doing a bundle campaign thingy for A Complement of Scoundrels to reward the folk that have pre-ordered it. Again, me write bad, pictures good:\ \ \ \ Here's the form you can submit that pre-order/TBR adding proof to: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeVh-GIdB26YXOY-jzxGXJR1dh7GEzTJFRKNx4A5feUlQxZZg/viewform\ \ BOOK CLUB FOR JUNE STUFF\ \ The lovable crazies in our the Discord put me under a queer siege and the only way they'd lift it is if I had one of the clubs be super gay for Pride Month. I've got 12 books to vote on for the Fiction Sickos based on all their amazing recommendations. I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to do that but it's probably going to be a multi-phased vote.\ \ The History Sickos will be voting between the following:\ \ Carthage Must Be Destroyed: The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Civilization by Richard Miles\ \ America, América: A New History of the New World by Greg Grandin\ \ And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic by Randy Shilts\ \ A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea by Masaji Ishikawa\ \ Those votes will be up later today, and to be in all that join the Discord and be a Sicko plus subscriber.\ \ DICTATOR MODE\ \ As per usual, when I concede something to the proletariat it usually means I'm atoning for or scheming up a dictatorial power play. In this case it's picking the History Sickos book for July ahead of time, which is going to be Not Built in a Day: How Slavery Made the Roman Empire by Emma Southon. So, go ahead and pre-order that, or, get it if you're in the UK because it's out already as "Servus".

Book Club Updates + Scoundrels Kindle Sale & Pre-Order Bundle Campaign

6 books

Kist Reads\ \ Kist\ \ • May 18

Sickos! I'm back from BookNet Fest in Orlando and ready to give y'all the goods with this Monday Reading Update. Let me know what you've been reading and plan on reading this week in the comments and let's boogie!\ \ READING\ \ REVIEW\ \ LONDON FALLING: A MYSTERIOUS DEATH IN A GILDED CITY & A FAMILY'S SEARCH FOR TRUTH by PATRICK RADDEN KEEFE (narrative historical nonfiction)\ \ Progress: Finished\ \ My opinion from last week still applies here as the second half didn't alter my view of it much. I still prefer the stakes/subject matter of Empire of Pain and Say Nothing, I still found the mystery bit to be a bit gimmicky but engaging (big true crime fans may feel differently), and it was still a solid, superbly researched and woven together read that I quite enjoyed. I did love the quote "three bullshit artists, selling air" and felt that could've been part of a great subtitle.\ \ The History Sickos loved this once based on the reviews I see in the Discord, and while I'm a touch lower than their consensus at 4.0 stars, PRK remains an auto-buy author.\ \ WE DO NOT PART by HAN KANG (historical fiction)\ \ Progress: 237/256\ \ I went back and re-read the first two chapters of this one as I was surprised by how lyrical Kang went with the prose here. Maybe that's because I haven't read The White Book, which is supposed to be her most poetic. I'd wager We Do Not Part sits between The White Book and Human Acts re: lyrical prose and emotional, historical devastation, but instead of feeling like a mash-up, it's still very much doing its own thing. This really started to click for me in the second half and I feel much more connected to it all so I'm glad I stuck with it. So close to the end so you'll hear more about my experience with this next update!\ \ CARTHAGE'S OTHER WARS: CARTHAGINIAN WARFARE OUTSIDE THE 'PUNIC WARS' AGAINST ROME by DEXTER HOYOS (academic historical nonfiction)\ \ Progress: 115/192\ \ Didn't make much progress on this but I am enjoying intentionally slowing things down for this academic style of book. It will likely be my priority while I'm lounging on the coach again now that I'm home from Orlando. While out of town though my go to earball listen was the Fall of Civilizations episode on Carthage. I'm getting re-obsessed with this topic and may make a YouTube video out of all the stuff floating around my brain ball about it.\ \ PREVIEW\ \ Haven't budged much on the next reads since last week, so Parable of the Talents will definitely be up next, The Roman Empire in Crisis will be the next academic historical nonfiction, and I'm feeling the urge to re-read the excellent Carthage Must Be Destroyed but I may throw that in the next History Sickos vote to see if y'all wanna do that with me.\ \ PUBLISHING IMPRINT NEWS\ \ Any minute now I'm hoping that an email hits that gives me the final green light on our second acquisition. I'll have some cool stuff for A Complement of Scoundrels posted here and on social media on Thursday, but also we are currently doing bundle giveaways for ACoS, those details are here.\ \ EVERYTHING ELSE\ \ Today is the last day to enter the giveaway for The Devils by Joe Abercrombie!\ \ Beaking Bad is still my go to re-watch right now because old dog new tricks and all, we're up to S4E6. I've also been catching up on Daredevil with the eldest. Last night we watched a couple episodes that we're pretty damn good plus the Punisher special which was insanely bonkers.\ \ As I mentioned, I was in Orlando this past Friday/Saturday for BookNet Fest, which was an absolutely blast. I felt I did well on my three panels, game night was a hoot, and the send-off party was all good vibes. Can't wait to go back next year.\ \ While I was in Orlando I snuck off for a quick climbing session and lemme tell ya, I feel good about the grading at my home gym because this one felt much more commercial and soft. I was flashing V4's no problem followed by fighting for my life on V4's this morning at my local (sent 'em tho!).\ \ Upgrade for $5 or login

Weekly Review/Preview - What I'm Reading/Watching/Playing/Doing!

8 books

Kist Reads\ \ Kist\ \ • May 12

[Good news! I have been sent yet another copy of The Devils by Joe Abercrombie. This time it's the new paperback edition. Seeing as I already own two other copies, I'd love to find this one a new home with a second giveaway of this tremendous book from one of my favorite authors. In return all I ask is that you consider upgrading your sub while you're here to support the publishing imprint, but either way I appreciate y'all :D\ \ To enter the giveaway, be a "Kist Reads" Follower, Sicko, Mega Sicko or Sicko Society tier in the US or Canada and leave a comment on this post (it can be an emoji or whatever you like, it's just so we can expedite the winner selection & shipping). And yes, I cover the shipping costs. Terms & conditions* at the bottom. Here she is:\ \ \ \ Since I'll be at BookNet Fest this Friday & Saturday, this is gonna run a little longer than usual. I'll randomly draw the winner by 5/21 and reach out via email if you've won. Good luck!\ \

Holy work sometimes requires unholy deeds.\ \ Brother Diaz has been summoned to the Holy City, where he is certain a commendation and grand holy assignment awaits him. But his new flock is made up of unrepentant murderers, practitioners of ghastly magic, and outright monsters. The mission he is tasked with will require bloody measures from them all in order to achieve its righteous ends.\ \ Elves lurk at our borders and hunger for our flesh, while greedy princes care for nothing but their own ambitions and comfort. With a hellish journey before him, it's a good thing Brother Diaz has the devils on his side.\ *No purchase necessary. Open to legal residents of the United States and Canada, 18 years of age or older. Void where prohibited by law.\ \ How to enter:\ \ Open to all “Kist Reads” Bindery members – any tier (including free “Follower” members). Comment to enter (limit 1 entry per person).\ \ Prize Value: $19.99\ \ Timing: Runs 5/12/26 - 5/18/26\ \ Winner Selection & Notification:\ \ Winner will be selected at random and notified via email within 3 days of the giveaway’s end. The winner must respond within 3 days to claim their prize.\ \ Canadian Requirement:\ \ If the selected winner is a Canadian resident, they must correctly answer a time-limited skill-testing question to claim the prize.\ \ Other Details:\ \ By entering, you agree to these rules and all applicable federal, state/provincial, and local laws. No cash substitute. Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, or misdirected entries or for delivery issues. Any applicable taxes, duties, or customs fees are the responsibility of the winner.\ \ Sponsor:\ \ Kist Reads, Sun City Center, FL\ \ Kistreadsbooks@gmail.com](https://kistreadsbooks.binderybooks.com/item/l0H9ubNE31Ysd3gZ0tKn/)

GIVEAWAY! The Devils by Joe Abercrombie (new paperback edition)

1 book

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Kist Reads\ \ Kist\ \ • May 11

Sickos! Monday's are for updates so let me know what book cheeks you're spreading this week (or what you finished last week) in the comments and let's get to what I've been up to..\ \ READING\ \ REVIEW\ \ PARABLE OF THE SOWER - [Parable #1] by OCTAVIA E. BUTLER (dystopian speculative fiction)\ \ Progress: Finished\ \ I picked up Parable of the Talents last week while finishing this, so that should tell you how much I loved our Fiction Sickos pick for this month. This is a grimdark, dystopian fan's dream, and the Discord forum was full of people commenting on how it just continues to get more dark and bleak. It's unrelenting; at no point does anything feel safe. I gotta write up my full review (I may do it w/Talents included) but yeah, this was exactly what I'd hoped it would be and I'm jazzed for Talents (which I heard is, somehow, darker).\ \ LONDON FALLING: A MYSTERIOUS DEATH IN A GILDED CITY & A FAMILY'S SEARCH FOR TRUTH by PATRICK RADDEN KEEFE (narrative historical nonfiction)\ \ Progress: 168/331\ \ PRK just has a knack for weaving together multiple angles of a story and making it all work and flow. While I think I prefer stakes and subject matter of Empire of Pain and Say Nothing at this point (I'm not sure I care yet why a narcissistic, pathological liar ate it in the Thames), it's still fun watching PRK lay out this web of deception and everything around it. I do feel like PRK is leaning into the mystery bit of it with the way he's slow dripping info that could've been revealed earlier. Either way it's still a very solid read at this point and the final half may change my mind on the stated issues.\ \ CARTHAGE'S OTHER WARS: CARTHAGINIAN WARFARE OUTSIDE THE 'PUNIC WARS' AGAINST ROME by DEXTER HOYOS (academic historical nonfiction)\ \ Progress: 93/192\ \ The Punic Wars are an obsession of mine but how Carthage became a superpower in the Western Mediterranean leading up to that often gets breezed through. Just finished their near 40 years of jockeying and warfare in Sicily with the tyrant Dionysius I of Syracuse (what a scamp). Despite several dramatic swings, it amounted to not much changing in re: territory. Ultimately though Carthage achieved its main goal of maintaining the east/west divide in Sicily, preventing Dionysius from dominating it. The next section covers their conflict with the fratricidal, tyrant-slayer Timoleon of Corinth who, IIRC, hail mary ass pounds all of Sicily.\ \ I shared a snippet with in the history/nonfic Discord channel yesterday as I thought this Nicomo Cosca-coded moment was humorous:\ \ \ \ WE DO NOT PART by HAN KANG (historical fiction)\ \ Progress: 43/256\ \ Super early doors but I'm not surprised to already feel like I'm in a fever dream with a Kang book (see: The Vegetarian). This ties into the Jeju Massacre where the South Korean government, along with support from the U.S. military, violently suppressed an uprising. So I expect it to also feel somewhat like Human Acts (which was about the later Gwangju Uprising) too as we get further in while still having this eerie, poetic quality to it.\ \ PREVIEW\ \ I haven't given much thought to what's next other than Butler's Talents but I have sampled some of The Roman Empire in Crisis and may make that my next nonfiction read. I'm curious how Mike Duncan will be able to mold this same period into something for a general audience because there's so many challenges around writing a complete narrative around it. I trust 'em though.\ \ PUBLISHING IMPRINT NEWS\ \ Getting close to knowing more about a second potential book acquisition, should know how it's trending sometime this week.\ \ UPDATE: As soon as I published this, I checked my email, and OUR SECOND BOOK IS A GO! Final terms are agreed upon but the contract is still being finalized so I have to keep all the details confidential, but still, HUZZAH! Can't wait to share everything about this one with y'all!\ \ Also, have you pre-ordered A Complement of Scoundrels yet?! And if you missed it, yes, the audiobook is in development!\ \ EVERYTHING ELSE\ \ I put on Breaking Bad in the background as I started reading the Carthage book and now I'm already at S3E3. So, I guess we're doing a second re-watch. It's one of those shows, like Mad Men or Game of Thrones, that I can randomly put on and gobble through it. Game of Thrones is kind of on hold as I usually watch it at night (don't need the wee emperor seeing all the floppy dong and breasts flapping about every 5 minutes) and despite my Flyers predictably getting bounced by the Hurricanes, I'm still all in on hockey playoffs.\ \ Hope all the moms out there had a wonderful Mother's Day! Me and the boys got a Switch 2 for my wife so she's now hooked on that, and I may sneak in some game time on it this week.\ \ Got my ass kicked two sessions in a row at the climbing gym but my finger tendons are recovered and I'll hopefully be back to projecting more V4/V5 later this week.\ \ FINAL REMINDER that I'll be at BookNet Fest in Orlando, May 15-16! Get your tickets and swing through!\ \ Upgrade for $5 or login

Weekly Review/Preview - What I'm Reading/Watching/Playing/Doing!

9 books