Help Me Choose My 21st Birthday Present!

[The Blue Meanie]

Hello everybody! Well, I thought I'd turn to the community for reccommendations. Here's the situation:

My birthday is on the 22nd of October, this coming weekend. My parents have pitched together and after talking with me, they've decided that for my birthday, I'm going to be getting $1,400 NZ dollars to spend on books. Which is FANTASTIC. So happy.

Anyway, I want to make maximum use of the money, and am going to do most of my shopping at second-hand bookstores and find other ways to get lots of good books cheap.

But, I'm trying to compile a lit of books I want to buy. So, I thought you guys might be able to help!

Here's what I'm interested in:

History, especially ancient, medieval, mainly european but also medditeranean. Also some modern history. Especially, I'm looking for important documents, like the Canterbury Tales, Anne Frank's Diary of a Small Girl, etc. But, history books as well. Some WWII stuff, and also early modern history.

Philosophy, especially older works like Aquinas, Machiavelli, etc: basdically anything I can use to apply to my history.

Great works of literature, the classics. I want to build a decent collection for reference.

So: Fire away! Help me fill my birthday bookcase!

[towarmforacoat]

Just the first thing that popped into mind...
Dante's Inferno
The Communist Manifesto

[The Blue Meanie]

Dante's Inferno[/b]
FABULOUS! That's EXACTLY the type of suggestion I was asking for. Great suggestion! The communist manifesto is also a must-have. Great suggestions, I'll add them both to my list. Keep 'em coming, guys and girls!

[sargentpepper882]

ehy, happy birthday

do you knwo roughly hw omuch the conversion rate of NZD to USD is?

well, ot that it matters, i dont think i have that many books in mind

but, yea, dante's inferno is definetly a must.

as are all teh major religious doctrines;bible, torah, qu'ran, etc.


waht you should look into is at my house, we have a classic literature collection, i forget what it is called, but it has dantes inferno, the communist manifesto, teh diary of Darwin, adn other important reads. It looks nice as well



also, i recommend the epics; the Illiad, The Odessy

i also believe you can buy a complete works of shakespeare.

but, for som emore hadns on learning, there are som egreat historically accurate adn geographically acurate board games, focusing on WW! adn WW!!.

my favorite, is Diplomacy. I imagine itll be hard to find in New Zealand, seeing how it was very hard to find here in teh states, but it is posibly the most educative, intense, fun board game ever. Its similar to risk, but WWI Europe. also, theres no luck.

umm...... another game is Jutland, a WWII board game.

both of these are produced by Avalon Hill


happy birthday

[The Blue Meanie]

Thanks, man. The conversion rate? NZ$1400 is equivalent to US$930.

I already have a copy of the NRSV Bible. But, I'd like to get a copy of the Qu'ran, and also the Torah and Talmud. What is the difference between the Old Testament and the Torah, by the way? I've never been able to figure that out entirely...

The Diary of Darwin is a GREAT suggestion, and one I'll definitely look into. As with the Illiad and the Odessey. I already have an (old) complete works of shakespeare. It's definitely old, but, I think it's accurate. I also intend on getting a dual language version of Beowulf, if I can hunt it down.

Thanks for the suggestions, man, much appreciated.

[Tsen]

Yeah, Darwin's Origin of Species is a good read.
Anyway, I'd recommend
War of the Rats (If you haven't read it, it is an AMAZING WWII book. Technically fiction, but based heavily in fact. It's based on the stories of a group of Soviet snipers)
Hunt for Red October (More modern, but definitely good--It's a Tom Clancy book on subs if you haven't heard of it, but you probably have. By the way, lots of Clancy's books are good reads)
Don Quixote (A classic. If you don't have it, GET IT. I laughed through the whole book--it's an amazing read.)
I'll have to look for more later, I've got a whole shelf full of books, I'll pick out more you might like.

[The Blue Meanie]

I've read Red October... I like some of Clancy's stuff, I liked that for instance, but I'm not a totaly fan of some of his books.

I'll pick up a copy of War of the Rats if I can find one, sounds like a good read.

As for Don Quixote: PERFECT. See, these are good examples of medieval and early modern literature which I KNOW about, but just need reminding about. Good ideas, Tsen!

[Amethyst Star]

Well, being the person I am, I could start a laundry-list of Russian authors and what they've written. I would honestly say that no collection is complete without Dostoevskiy's "Crime and Punishment" and/or "The Brothers Karamazov."

There's also Tolstoy's "War and Peace" (if you have a number of months to dedicate to it). That's actually considered to be one of the best accounts of the wars that took place between Russia and France... history books cite it as a reference.

Nikolai Gogol is one of my favorites, though he tends to write more "short" stories. Russians aren't known for making "short" stories short though.

"We" by Yevgeni Zamyatin is one of, or the first utopian/dis-utopian novels ever and is a fairly quick read.

If you care for poetry, there is absolutely no doubt that Alexander Pushkin is the most famous and beloved poet of Russia, with his most famous works being "Yevgeni Onegin" and "The Bronze Horseman." He wrote various types of poetry including political poems, romantic poems, fairy tells in verse, etc. And on a side note, Tsar Nikolai I was practically Pushkin's personal censor.

(I seem to know more about Russian literature than American or English... shows how great my high school education was... (actually I was just lazy and I've forgotten a lot.))

If you like science fiction, one of the greatest authors of the genre is Frank Herbert, known primarily for his "Dune" series. I've read the first three books and they're not necessarily light reading, but they are enjoyable! Orson Scott Card ("Ender's Game") and Isaac Asimov - whom I haven't yet read - are also well known. And for fantasy, there's always Tolkien and C.S. Lewis... and while there are a lot of enjoyable authors, I can't think of any wildly popular and still serious-ish authors. So yah.


I already have a copy of the NRSV Bible. But, I'd like to get a copy of the Qu'ran, and also the Torah and Talmud. What is the difference between the Old Testament and the Torah, by the way? I've never been able to figure that out entirely...
[/b]

The Torah (or Torh) is basically the first five books of the Old Testament, considered "The Law."

[sargentpepper882]

the diifference between teh old testament and the torah is well, nothing

They are essentaily the same.

I am jewish, my mothers family is jewish, and my dad is episcoalien, so i know a little bit of both.

In Christain ased religions, the core texts are teh old testament, and the new terstament.

teh old testament can lterally be defined as teh plight of teh jews

the new testament is based on eh life and teachings of Jesus Christ.


I know there are specifc places fore this, so ill just leave my opinion out

If looking for classic american literature, i can poin tyou to Ernest Hemingway. I love hsi stories.

also, teh diary of Lewis and Clark, teh guys who explored teh western half of the us, and "officially" discovered teh Pacific Ocean. Not something you woudl be interstd in prolly, but just tryin to help

[The Blue Meanie]

There's also Tolstoy's "War and Peace" [/b]

Amé! Tsk, tsk, what kind of a person do you take me for? Of course I've already read the greatest work of literary fiction ever written, in ANY language!

/me pulls out his shurikens and waves them menacingly at anyone who would dare deny the assertion of FACT he just made.

[Jimmie Lynne]

Livy's History of Rome

Utopia by Thomas Moore . . . it's not so much history as social commentary

Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters are must haves for any fiction literature collection as well as charles dickons and the complete works of Poe.

The flowers of evil is a collection of the weird works of a strange french poet named Baudelaire. Both bizarre and classic.

If you're looking into fiction for fun reading at all, I'd suggest Marion Zimmer Bradley. She wrote several fictional books about the British Arthurian legend from the perspective of Arthur's sister Morgana. They aren't historical but if you're into european history you might find them entertaining. The Mists of Avalon especially was very highly acclaimed by critics.

Homer and Virgil. . . Thoreau. . .

H. P. Lovecraft. . . he followed in the footsteps of Poe. . . very weird stuff

The Arabian Nights would also be a good choice

Careful which version of the Canterbury Tales you pick up. If you don't mind trying to decifer OLD old English get an original copy. If you'd rather it be easier to read there are several "translations" (they modernize the spelling and cut out words that are no longer used in english in favor of more modern ones. the original version is still readable but can sometimes be very difficult to comprehend. I have a copy of each so if I run up to a section I don't understand in the old version I can just refer to the translated version). If you do choose a translation, pick a later one rather than an early one. It'll be more likely to have kept the original theme of the story intact. Chaucer was seen as a bit pornographic in his day and some of the earlier "translations" cut some of the racier chunks out of his work.

Good luck with your purchasing! It sounds really exciting. :)

[Amethyst Star]

Amé! Tsk, tsk, what kind of a person do you take me for? Of course I've already read the greatest work of literary fiction ever written, in ANY language!
[/b]

Well, I don't know what you've read :doh: .... um, I thought this was a, um, list of books that... everyone should get. Yah. So I just put it down.

...глупый кролик...


:ninja:

[Courtney Mae]

To get the best for your money, I'd look for "complete works of..." books or those big gigantic books with various books inside of them (as confusing as that is)

I would seriously suggest a secondhand copy of the complete works of Shakespeare, and you couldn't go wrong with some Edgar Allen Poe

[The Blue Meanie]

Oh, BTW Amé, I've been meaning to get some Pushkin and Dostoevskiy for a while now, so thanks for those suggestions... my Russian history lecturer is also professor of Russian literature, and he mentioned a lot of literature in a few of his lecturers.

I've also read the Dune books (most of them) and also the preludes written by somebody else. To be honest, I don't rate the Dune series. The writing isn't all that fantastic at times, and the whole series stinks of a great author in need of a decent editor to tighten it up, cut out the crap, and give a bit of guidance... the same problem with JK Rowling nowdays.

Also, good suggestion with the Asimov, I need that for my bookcase. I already have tolkien, but need to get Lewis. I also need to pick up a copy of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.


I would seriously suggest a secondhand copy of the complete works of Shakespeare, and you couldn't go wrong with some Edgar Allen Poe
[/b]
I've already got the complete works of both. But, that's along the lines of what I'm looking for, so great! Any other suggestions?

[Burns]

The conversion rate? NZ$1400 is equivalent to US$930.[/b]

damn, that's a nice birthday gift! :mrgreen:

[The Blue Meanie]

Livy's History of Rome

Utopia by Thomas Moore . . . it's not so much history as social commentary
[/b]
AWESOME. Will get.


Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters are must haves for any fiction literature collection as well as charles dickons and the complete works of Poe.
[/b]
Oh... this is embarassing, but for a guy, I am a MASSIVE fan of Jane Austin like you would not believe. Reading Miss Austin makes me go all soft inside. :D My fave is Mansfield Park. I have the complete collection.

The Bronte sisters I know of, but not about, so I'll definitely look into that. I have Poe, but I must say, I'm NOT a massive dickens fan, for some reason. I will, however, try to get a "complete works" simply because it's part of the literary canon that I feel I must have, regardless of whether or not I like it.


The flowers of evil is a collection of the weird works of a strange french poet named Baudelaire. Both bizarre and classic.

If you're looking into fiction for fun reading at all, I'd suggest Marion Zimmer Bradley. She wrote several fictional books about the British Arthurian legend from the perspective of Arthur's sister Morgana. They aren't historical but if you're into european history you might find them entertaining. The Mists of Avalon especially was very highly acclaimed by critics.

Homer and Virgil. . . Thoreau. . .

H. P. Lovecraft. . . he followed in the footsteps of Poe. . . very weird stuff

The Arabian Nights would also be a good choice
[/b]
Noted, noted, noted, noted and noted. THANK YOU. I'll definitely add those to my list. I've been meaning to get some of Lovecraft's stuff for a while... he's way more bizarre than Poe though. Poe is just disconcerting, but Lovecraft is surreal.

As far as the Canterbury tales: Thanks for your reccommendations. Like Beowulf, I intend on getting a dual-language version, with original Old English and modern in one edition. I'm actually very good at deciphering obscuyre dialects of english, for a layman: My mum's family comes from Black Country england, which has a sort of dialect that has survived to a certain extent which I'm quite proficient at reading... I have tried to read Old English before, with a reasonable amount of success. I actuall enjoy figuring it out...

I'm going to print out this thread when it's finished and use it as a reference. THANKS for your replies guys, keep 'em coming!!!

[Tsen]

By the way, have you read/do you like The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy? It's some great writing, though a bit bizarre.

[MisterPlow]

hmm...well i just have to say...my own list of books to read is growing. Thx :)

[The Blue Meanie]

By the way, have you read/do you like The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy? It's some great writing, though a bit bizarre.
[/b]
Yuppers. Read all five books in the trilogy. But, I thought the quality kinda dropped off after the third... any other suggestions, guys? Some of your ideas havfe been GREAT...

[Barbizzle]

You might want to pick up:

The Art of War by Sun Tzu
1984 by George Orwell
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

[Neruo]

Cool that you are spending you money cool actual usefull/inteligent stuff and not on porn and video-games.

I would :)

-

Can someone explain me what 'dante's inferno' is? Is it a book, movie or television soap? ^__^

[Keeper]

DUNE!

All 6 of the originals and the prequils and sequils by the guys son

... I dont consider them to be in the same universe, but they are okay.

oh, Dante's is a play (if i remember correctly) about what heaven and hell are like in the old english peoples minds, involving many unscriptural references to satan tourchering everyone, and there being "cirlces" in hell.

rubbish in reality.
A good book to read for the fiction.

[braha_kahn]

Hey if you don't know where to spend your money on I can give you a list with books I want lol :D

happy bday btw!

I can't give any suggestions since I hardly read fiction books... I was a big Isaac Asimov fan but I doubt that is what you are looking for

[Amethyst Star]

Usually when I read I read for escapism and enjoyment. I'm not much of a critic :P

The Divine Comedy by Dante is actually an allegory in verse (a long poem with meanings/morals). There are three parts: Inferno, Purgatory, and Paradisium (Paradise). It is essentially a journey by Dante through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. I've read most of all three volumes and it was interesting, albeit bizzare. If you've ever heard of the "Nine Circles of Hell," it's from Inferno; and consequently there are varying stages of Purgatory and Heaven.

As my professor put it, one really should read all three because at the end of Inferno you're looking up at the *ahem* hind-end of Satan, and at the end of Paradisium you are looking into the face of God.

Enjoyable? Eh... I probably wouldn't have read it on my own. It is a good read and you'll often hear people quote parts of it, particularly the first line.

[Keeper]

what is the first line?

[AlternateReality]

that is alot of books
i recommend this (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812976568/103-0510819-9143855?v=glance&n=283155&n=507846&s=books&v=glance)

[The Blue Meanie]

The Art of War by Sun Tzu
1984 by George Orwell
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
[/b]
Already have The Art of War, and a REALLY nice copy of it too. But, I'll certainly see if I can pick up a complete works of orwel. Never heard of a Brave New World, but will look it up. Thanks Bizz! :D


I can't give any suggestions since I hardly read fiction books... I was a big Isaac Asimov fan but I doubt that is what you are looking for
[/b]
I'm not just looking for fiction. ANY suggestyions you have fire away!

[Tsen]

Have you thought about getting some more scientific books? Perhaps some stuff from Stephen Hawking?

[The Blue Meanie]

Have you thought about getting some more scientific books? Perhaps some stuff from Stephen Hawking?
[/b]
Got Brief History AND universe in a nutshell. The purrrrdy glossy illustrated versions too!

But, as enjoyable as I found Hawking, Science isn't my forté. Never been that great at it. I'm looking more for works of history, and literature. Anything medieval/early modern dark ages, whatever.

OH

That reminds me. I need to get a copy of the Mabinogion. I used to have a great version illustrated with celtic artwork, but I can't find it now.

[Jess]

OMG $1,400 NZ dollars to spend on books! That's a lot of books!

Fiction (classic works of literature, some lesser known, most either with a philosophical or historical slant)
Houseboy by Ferdinand Oyono
The Suns of Independence by Ahmadou Kourouma
Man's Fate by André Malraux
The Plague by Albert Camus
Becalmed by Joris-Karl Huysmans
Salammbo by Gustave Flaubert
Three Tales by Gustave Flaubert
Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre
The Human Race by Robert Antelme

Plays by Samuel Beckett and Eugene Ionesco are good too.

[BeautifulDreamer]

All Quiet ON The Western Front is a great read, and a true story. Then there's Mien Kamfp, you might need to know german though.

[Jess]

All Quiet ON The Western Front is a great read, and a true story. Then there's Mien Kamfp, you might need to know german though.
[/b]
Could get the translation - My Struggle.

[The Blue Meanie]

All Quiet ON The Western Front is a great read, and a true story. Then there's Mien Kamfp, you might need to know german though.
[/b]
Ahhh! Thanks again. Perferct. I only have a smattering of german, not enough to tackle Mein Kampf. I'll probably get a translation. And, I'll CERTAINLY get "all quiet". Also, thanks Jess, I don't have any of those books, I'll look 'em up and take your reccomendatiosn if I like what I see on Amazon (I use it for book research)

[Gwendolyn]

Happy Birthday, Matt!!! WOOOO!!! There are so many awesome books. The books Maus 1, and Maus Vol 2 by Art Speigalman. They are graphic novels, BUT, they are about the Holocaust, and I really don't think you'd regret it. They are awesome. Anyway, you should also consider my favorite book, A Fine and Private Place by Peter S. Beagle...

[The Blue Meanie]

MAUS! Oh, wow, how had I forgotton about those?! I used to read those back in high school in the library. Kinda disturbing, but good!

[Gwendolyn]

MAUS! Oh, wow, how had I forgotton about those?! I used to read those back in high school in the library. Kinda disturbing, but good!
[/b]

Anyway, they are great. I had a young adult lit class this summer you may remember hearing about....We were required to read them, and I loved them.

[Coolv]

Maybe the Aenids... But they're 12 books. Maybe get a combined translation.

Someone said The Inferno, I would also reccomend that. Then get Purgatorio and Paradisio, maybe (they're part of the Divine Comedy). The last two of the series may be a tad hard for some to understand, so it may take time (making it a good deal).

I'll tell you some more ideas when they pop into my head.

[Courtney Mae]

So far looks like we've got...
Dante's Inferno
The Communist Manifesto
Qu'ran Bible
Torah Bible
Talmud Bible
The Diary of Darwin
Illiad and the Odyssey
Dual Language Version of Bewoulf
War of the Rats
Don Quixote
Alice and Wonderland
Through the Looking Glass
Livy's History of Rome
Utopia by Thomas Moore
The Canterbury Tales
H.P. Lovecraft
Flowers of Evil
Thoreau
1984 by George Orwell
The Mabinogoin
All Quiet on the Western Front
Maus

[irishcream]

what about HG wells? Not sure if it was mentioned before, but The Time machine and War of the worlds is supposed to be good.

I also read a book by him called 'Ann Veronica' at least, i think that's what it was called.
Oh, and regards the bronte sisters. You really should get 'Wuthering heights' by Anne Bronte and 'Jane Eyre' by Charlotte.

Other classics you could read might be 'Rebecca' by Daphne du Maurier, fab book.

Also Ray Bradbury, 'Farenheit 451' very much in the tone of George Orwell's '1984' but concerning books rather than human thoughts.

[The Blue Meanie]

Heh! thanks Courtney for the list! Awesome, that makes it so much easier!


what about HG wells? Not sure if it was mentioned before, but The Time machine and War of the worlds is supposed to be good.

I also read a book by him called 'Ann Veronica' at least, i think that's what it was called.
[/b]
Already have Time Machine, War of the Worlds, and The Invisible man in a beautiful old leatherbound edition. Good suggestion, though...

Have never heard of Ann Veronica though. I'll check it out, thanks.


Oh, and regards the bronte sisters. You really should get 'Wuthering heights' by Anne Bronte and 'Jane Eyre' by Charlotte.
[/b]
I'll get both... Personally, I'm a bit ashamed I haven't read either already. :( And, thanks heaps for the other suggestions. :D

[Jess]

Hello Laziness - Why Hard Work Doesn't Pay by Corinne Maier

And why don't you buy all the books on lucid dreaming ever published?? No one's mentioned this!

[Courtney Mae]

Hello Laziness - Why Hard Work Doesn't Pay by Corinne Maier

And why don't you buy all the books on lucid dreaming ever published?? No one's mentioned this!
[/b]


Lol.
Matt & that book?

heh.

[Coolv]

Lol. Thanks for ignoring my suggestion.

[Alucinor Architecton]

oh man tbm this is like the coolest topic ever. i seriously envy your library-to-be.
my suggestions, since a lot of what i would suggest is already written down, would be Sirens of Titan and Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. in case you haven't read those, and now that im on some classic science fiction you might want to consider The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke. It's not like the stuff you've been recommended so far, in that it's not as famous, but its definately worth looking at just to see if you're interested.

oh and btw, Don Quixote > War and Peace ;)

[jacobo]

tom jones by henry fielding

the blood meridian by cormac mcarthy (american western)

the devil in the white city by eric larson (american 1890 non-fiction with a twist of story telling)

any ayn rand

any fyodor dostoevsky

[The Blue Meanie]

Lol. Thanks for ignoring my suggestion.
[/b]
LOL! Damn, I'm sorry... I'm not, but I had to leave the house on short notice just as I was reading this thread. Family shit.

Anyways, now I'm back: Dante's Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradisio are now officially on my list. I think somebody else suggested them, but, that's exactly up my alley.

12 Books of the Aenids? Urm... mebbe. I'll see what I can get second-hand, I might get lucky. I'm also going to try to get dual-lanbguage versions of everything.

Jess: All the LD books? A no-brainer, can't believe nobody pointed that out already. Thanks! :doh:


oh and btw, Don Quixote > War and Peace ;)
[/b]
:evil: HERESY!!!!! BURN HIM!!!!!! :evil:

(That said, I haven't read the former, but, meh. War and Peace is God.)


tom jones by henry fielding

the blood meridian by cormac mcarthy (american western)

the devil in the white city by eric larson (american 1890 non-fiction with a twist of story telling)

any ayn rand

any fyodor dostoevsky
[/b]
Well, most of those probably aren't quite what I'm looking for, American literature, for the most part, doesn't fit into my "era"... I'm looking, mainly, for ancient, medieval and early modern european literary works and histories.

That said, dostoevsky's already on my list of must-gets, and Ayn Rand is a suggestion I'll look into. So thanks...

Any other suggestions, anybody? *poke* come on! :D

[Dream Catcher NYC]

So: Fire away! Help me fill my birthday bookcase!
[/quote]

SUN TZU ART OF WAR
48 LAWS OF POWER BY ROBERT GREENE *****
PIMP BY ICEBERG SLIM
ANY STEPHEN BOOK, ETC. THE CELL

[The Blue Meanie]

SUN TZU ART OF WAR
48 LAWS OF POWER BY ROBERT GREENE *****
[/b]
Got both. Well, actually, I don't have the second, but I have another book by the same author. He's okay... I tend to shy away from self-help books, but some of his stuff is quite good.

Sun Tzu's Art is one of my all-time favourite books. I quote from it all the time in my essays, a number of his verses are just hugely applicable to history.


PIMP BY ICEBERG SLIM
ANY STEPHEN BOOK, ETC. THE CELL
[/b]
The first of these just isn't at all interesting to me... sorry... As for Stephen King, I have some of his books. Some are good, but some are a little same-ie. I'm looking more for ancient, medieval, and early modern literature, a few important "classics", and works of history. Stuff I can use for reference in my university studies rather than recreational reading... but, maybe I'll get out some stephen king books over the holidays... thanks!

[Cyrus]

Hm..the types of books you're looking for? Got a few suggestions:
(sorry if some have already been included but I have not read through this entire thread)

Here are some good examples of classic literature:

The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Dunno if you're interested in military history? If you are, The Seventy Great Battles in History (by Jeremy Black) is a great read.

That's pretty much all I've got off the top of my head If I come up with some others I'll post them here.

[The Blue Meanie]

The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Dunno if you're interested in military history? If you are, The Seventy Great Battles in History (by Jeremy Black) is a great read.
[/b]
All good suggestions, I'll DEFINITELY pick up a copy of Monte Cristo in particular.

Mainly what I'm looking for, are works of literature and history from the ancient, medieval and early modern periods. Like, Beowulf, the Canterbury Tales, the Mabinongion, that sort of thing. More "modern" classics I'm not SO interested in (I'm majoring in history rather than literature) but there's definitely a few I DO need to pick up. But, thanks for your suggestions. Monte Cristo and Miserables probably rank up there with the "modern" classics I DO need to get.

[jacobo]

Well, most of those probably aren't quite what I'm looking for, American literature, for the most part, doesn't fit into my "era"... I'm looking, mainly, for ancient, medieval and early modern european literary works and histories.

That said, dostoevsky's already on my list of must-gets, and Ayn Rand is a suggestion I'll look into. So thanks...

Any other suggestions, anybody? *poke* come on! :D
[/b]

tom jones is european. about 1750's if i recall.

rand however is very american.

[The Blue Meanie]

I think that's right.

But Rand is Russian by birth, I believe. Not sure how much of her life she spent there, though.

EDIT: Okay, according to Wikipedia, she emmigrated to the states at age 21.

[Amethyst Star]

What about Faust?

(The idea just popped in my head all of a sudden.)

Another one that is currently popular in Russia is by Mikhail Bulgakov entitled "Master and Margarita." I started reading it and I've enjoyed it so far, and everyone I've talked to has loved it. The main jist of it, as far as I know, is about the Devil in Russia. An interestins side-note is that the author wrote this during the Soviet regime but was unable to publish it until the 90s after the fall of Communism.

[NeAvO]

Happy Birthday! :party: :banana: :breakitdown:

So what books are you going to get then?

[Howie]

Cool that you are spending you money cool actual usefull/inteligent stuff and not on porn and video-games.

I would :)[/b]

I agree . :thumbup: to you. What a great present. I am a bit envious, I must admit.
I don't know if this has suggested. Have you thought of any magazines that fit your interests?
They don't really build a great library but a monthly subscription to something you like has an always updated view on things and ever changing related topics.
I Like Scientific AmericanMinds and readers Digest to name a couple.

[Alucinor Architecton]

I agree . :thumbup: to you. What a great present. I am a bit envious, I must admit.
I don't know if this has suggested. Have you thought of any magazines that fit your interests?
They don't really build a great library but a monthly subscription to something you like has an always updated view on things and ever changing related topics.
I Like Scientific AmericanMinds and readers Digest to name a couple.
[/b]

ooh ooh! Discovery!!

[Lyla]

Happy Birthday! :bravo:

I don't read too much, but a book I really liked and which I strongly recommend is "The Leopard", the only work of Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa.

"Il Gattopardo (The Leopard) is a novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa that chronicles the changes in Sicilian life and society during the Risorgimento. Published posthumously in 1958, it became the top-selling novel in Italian history and is considered one of the most important novels in Italian literature." (wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Il_Gattopardo ) .
Its main idea is a bit similar to the one in "Gone with the wind", the fall of a world, only here that world is the Sicilian aristocracy.

[The Blue Meanie]

I agree . :thumbup: to you. What a great present. I am a bit envious, I must admit.
I don't know if this has suggested. Have you thought of any magazines that fit your interests?
They don't really build a great library but a monthly subscription to something you like has an always updated view on things and ever changing related topics.
I Like Scientific AmericanMinds and readers Digest to name a couple.
[/b]
Now, see, that's a good idea. Maybe I might see if there's a decent historical magazine in circulation in NZ. But, most annuals and journals I could get from the university library, or online (outr libratry has access to JSTOR, a FANTASTIC online archive of pdf scholarly journals)


"Il Gattopardo (The Leopard) is a novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa that chronicles the changes in Sicilian life and society during the Risorgimento. Published posthumously in 1958, it became the top-selling novel in Italian history and is considered one of the most important novels in Italian literature." (wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Il_Gattopardo ) .
Its main idea is a bit similar to the one in "Gone with the wind", the fall of a world, only here that world is the Sicilian aristocracy.
[/b]
Never heard of it, and it's not exactly what I'm looking for... but, you've piqued my iterest. Thanks! I'll look into it. (I have a long list of books now that I'm gonna look up on Amazon.com)

[PhowaBoy]

Happy B-day TBM!

That's quite the library you're going to have. I'm not sure if anyone has already suggested it, but perhaps some lighter reading is in order.

I would highly recommend "The Hitchhickers Guide to the Galaxy" Trilogy by Douglas Adams. It's actually 5 books in the trilogy if that gives you any indication of what you are in for.

Hope you have a great Birthday!

P.S. Also you may want to look into books by Wade Davis (a Canadian Ethno-botonist). He has amazing stories of cultures and places throughout the world (The Clouded Leopard, and The Serpant and the Rainbow - to name a few).

[Coolv]

LOL! Damn, I'm sorry... I'm not, but I had to leave the house on short notice just as I was reading this thread. Family shit.
[/b]

It's okay, I was just joking, and trying to get you to notice my suggestions...

[Amethyst Star]

*Psst!!*

(post #53) ...... not sure if you saw it.

[The Blue Meanie]

Oh! Sorry. :oops:


What about Faust?
[/b]
Fantastic idea! But... which version? There have been so many retellings of the Faust tale...

[Jess]

I think you'd like this book. Its less than 100 pages long too so you won't waste a lot of time reading it if you don't like it.

The Politics of Obedience: The Discourse of Voluntary Servitude by Etienne de la Boétie

Etienne de la Boétie was a sixteenth-century political philosopher and close friend of Montaigne. He laid the ground work for the concept of civil disobedience with his proposal that people could cut the bonds of habit and corruption that kept them obedient and complacent. This classic work of political reflection seeks to answer the question of why people submit to the tyranny of governments, and as such, has exerted an important influence on the traditions of dissidence from Thoreau and Ralph Emerson, to Tolstoy, to Ghandi.

Boétie's Discourse is a highly significant essay on the ultimate source of political power, the origins of dictatorship, and the means by which people can prevent political enslavement and liberate themselves. The Discourse should have a prominent place in the history of political theory, and also of the development of the power analysis in which the technique of non-violent struggle is rooted.
Gene Sharp, author if The Politics of Nonviolent Action

[La Boétie's] analysis of tyranny and his insight into its psychological foundations ought to be one of the central documents in the library of anyone concerned with human liberty. It is ironic that the works of Machiavelli, advisor to rulers, should enjoy widespread currency, while the libertarian La Boétie is muted. Hopefully, publication of his 1550 Discourse, with its superb introduction by Murray Rothbard, will right the imbalance.
Stanley Milgram, author of Obedience of Authority

[Coolv]

Oh, by the way get the Fitzgerald translation of the Aenids...

[The Blue Meanie]

Thanks, Coolv, noted. :bigteeth:


I think you'd like this book. Its less than 100 pages long too so you won't waste a lot of time reading it if you don't like it.

The Politics of Obedience: The Discourse of Voluntary Servitude by Etienne de la Boétie

Etienne de la Boétie was a sixteenth-century political philosopher and close friend of Montaigne. He laid the ground work for the concept of civil disobedience with his proposal that people could cut the bonds of habit and corruption that kept them obedient and complacent. This classic work of political reflection seeks to answer the question of why people submit to the tyranny of governments, and as such, has exerted an important influence on the traditions of dissidence from Thoreau and Ralph Emerson, to Tolstoy, to Ghandi.
[/b]
Interesting. This sounds like a sort of antithesis to Machiavelli. Personally, I LOVE Machiavelli's "Il Principe", I rank it alongside Sun Tzu's Art of War. I'll definitely consider getting this. :bigteeth: Thanks!

Any other suggestions, guys? I know it's past my birthday already, but I haven't started buying books yet, and won't untill exams are finished... so, until then I'd like to keep this thread open to gather as many more suggestions as possible. So, fire away!

[Identity X]

Romance of the Three Kingdoms

This is an epic written in the 13th century by a brilliant Chinese author called Luo Guanzhong. It's about the fall of the Han dynasty 180-266 AD. It's huge and sweeping, with plenty of action and intrigue and lots of noteworthy characters with a lot of depth. And, for all the violence, it's somewhat uplifting and occasionally humorous in it's details (Zhang Fei, Mi Heng etc.)

Having played Dynasty Warriors before reading the book I already knew 'what happens', but the read has been brilliant all the same.

[Xisdence]

Romance of the Three Kingdoms

This is an epic written in the 13th century by a brilliant Chinese author called Luo Guanzhong. It's about the fall of the Han dynasty 180-266 AD. It's huge and sweeping, with plenty of action and intrigue and lots of noteworthy characters with a lot of depth. And, for all the violence, it's somewhat uplifting and occasionally humorous in it's details (Zhang Fei, Mi Heng etc.)

Having played Dynasty Warriors before reading the book I already knew 'what happens', but the read has been brilliant all the same.
[/b]

Well i think ur already 21, but i hope you bough current issues of Ralph and FHM :D

Those girls,,,,.....ohhh

[The Blue Meanie]

Romance of the Three Kingdoms

This is an epic written in the 13th century by a brilliant Chinese author called Luo Guanzhong. It's about the fall of the Han dynasty 180-266 AD. It's huge and sweeping, with plenty of action and intrigue and lots of noteworthy characters with a lot of depth. And, for all the violence, it's somewhat uplifting and occasionally humorous in it's details (Zhang Fei, Mi Heng etc.)

Having played Dynasty Warriors before reading the book I already knew 'what happens', but the read has been brilliant all the same.
[/b]
Thanks, IdentityX. European history tends to be my main interest, but, that was a brilliant pitch you just gave, it's DEFINITELY going on my list.

EDIT: It sounds like a Chinese equivalenty to War and Peace, or along the same lines? I like, I like, thank you so much.

[Burns]

So Matt, do you know which books you're going to buy for sure yet?

[The Blue Meanie]

Ehhh, I'm still in the middle of exams, so, no. But the day after I finish (this coming sunday, maybe sooner) I'll compile a list. But still, keep the suggestions coming guys! :D

[Pastro]

I know one you will love!

Its called "The Da Vinci Code" By Dan Brown..........JK Blue I know you hate it :wink:

[The Blue Meanie]

*Terrifyingly evil stare*

(I couldn't find a scary enough smiley)

The Da Vinci Code?

THE DA VINCI CODE?

Okay, okay, I'm done... calm down, Matt, calm down...

[gregash]

How about "Paradise Lost" by Milton?

Oh, and my favorite novel of all time "Sartor Resartus" by Thomas Carlyle, kind of a prophetic tale of modern life and society written in 1833. It almost reads like the journey of a soul seen through the eyes of a novel. It blew my mind when I first read it.

I know Goethe's version of "Faust " is a pretty good one. Also, Goethe's "The Sorrows of Young Werther" and "The Apprenticeship of Wilhelm Meister" are interesting reads too. By coincidence, I think Carlyle's translations of Goethe are great because he keeps the language powerful and rich.

[Pastro]

Haha Ive so got your number Blue :wink:

[Burns]

Haha Ive so got your number Blue :wink:[/b]

You did that on purpose! You knew he'd bust a nut at the very mention of The-Book-That-Must-Not-Be-Named!

[Tsen]

Yay! Somebody who finally agrees with me about The DaVinci Code!
Seriously Blue, I agree whole-heartedly. That book SUCKED. Interesting background info, but ye GODS, how the writing and plot structure sucked! It hurt my brain trying to read that thing.

[Amethyst Star]

Oh, if you're looking for a history of Russia, a great book that pretty much covers every major (and often more minor) event in Russia is "A History of Russia" (duh) by Nicholas V. Riasanovsky. His history is one that any Russian historian would know and it's well written, too, and even goes so far as to occasionally describe the art (iconography), music, poetry, etc. of the day.

[The Blue Meanie]

Thanks gregash for the suggestions on Faust, etc. I'll note that down in the versions I look for.


Oh, if you're looking for a history of Russia, a great book that pretty much covers every major (and often more minor) event in Russia is "A History of Russia" (duh) by Nicholas V. Riasanovsky. His history is one that any Russian historian would know and it's well written, too, and even goes so far as to occasionally describe the art (iconography), music, poetry, etc. of the day.
[/b]
Completely agreed, Amé!

So much so, that I already have the book you're talking about, the Sixth Edition, which I believe is the most recent. It was reccommended to me by my Russian History Lecturer, and I bought it, and it HAS been of IMMENSE use.

Also, I think there's heaps of works of literature on this list... how about important references for history? Ideas? :bigteeth:

[Pastro]

You did that on purpose! You knew he'd bust a nut at the very mention of The-Book-That-Must-Not-Be-Named!
[/b]


Yeah, but normally Blue is so calm, he bottles up his emotions. I just assisted him in letting out some rage, without me dv would would have to deal with huge ass cap rants on a regular basis.

If anything I deserve a medal!

[The Blue Meanie]

:bigteeth:
EDIT: Have I mentioned how much I like that little smiley? :bigteeth: I wanna adopt him...

[Pastro]

Thats right blue keep smiling.....no need to freak out......caugh*caughDANBROWNcaugh*caugh :bigteeth:

[Keeper]

looked but didn't find: Anne MacCaffry's books

i.e. Pern

[JaphyR]

Hume - Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion
Bhagavad Ghita
Flatland - commentary on society as well as multiple dimensions

Happy lifelong reading!

[The Blue Meanie]

Hume is a must-get, for sure. One of my favourite philosophers besides Heidegger.

Come on! I'm compiling a list of books TOMORROW! (I've finished uni for the year today) Suggestions!!!!!! History books especially!

[The Blue Meanie]

Okay, now that I'm on holiday:

<div align="center">Non-Fiction:[/b]
Modern and Late Renaissance Historical and Philosophical Beevor, Anthony, Stalingrad, LGF, 2001.
{Account of Russian part in Nazi Germany's defeat, relying on many primary sources}


Darwin, Charles, The Origin of species, Signet Classics, 2003.
Darwin, Charles, The Descent of Man, Reprint Edition, Penguin Classics, 2004.
{Version of Darwin's writings is not terribly important}
Darwin, Charles, The Voyage of the Beagle: Journal of Researches into the Natural History and Geology of the Countries Visited During the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle Round the World, New Ed Edition, Modern Library, 2001.
{Make sure you get an unabridged edition}
Figes, Orlando, A People's Tragedy: The Russian Revolution: 1891-1924, Penguin (Non-Classics), 1998.
{Account of Russian Revolution. Good Pop History}
Frank, Anne, The Diary of Anne Frank: The Revised Critical Edition, 2003.
{Includes unabridged dary, commentary, and Anne's Short Stories}
Hitler, Adolph, Mein Kampf, Reissue edition, Mariner Books, 1998.
{Or another edition?}



Marx, Karl and Friedrich Engels, The Communist Manifesto, Penguin Classics, 2002.
{Penguin edition contains a good intro}
Smith, Adam, The Wealth of Nations, Bantam Classics, 2003.
{Edition not terribly emporant}


Medieval and Early Modern Historical and Philosophical Aquinas, Saint Thomas, Summa Theologica (Translated by the Fathers of the Dominican Province), New Ed Edition, Christian Classics, 1981.
{5-Volume Set}
Cervantes, Miguel de, Don Quixote, trans. Edith Grossman, Reprint Edition, Harper Perennial, 2005.
{Grossman's translation is by far the most literal, modern, readable and faithful}

Machiavelli, Niccolo, The Prince, Reissue Edition, Bantam Classics, 1984.
{Appears to be best trranslation available}

Ancient Historical Livy, Titus Livius, Livy: The Early History of Rome (Books I-V), trans. Aubrey De Selincourt, Rev Ed edition, Penguin Classics, 2002.
Livy, Titus Livius, Rome and Italy: Books VI-X of the History of Rome from its Foundation, trans. Betty Radice, Penguin Classics, 1982.
Livy, Titus Livius, The War with Hannibal: Books XXI-XXX of the History of Rome from its Foundation, trans. Aubrey De Selincourt, Reprint edition, Penguin Classics, 1965.
Livy, Titus Livius, Rome and the Mediterranean: Books XXXI-XLV of the History of Rome from its Foundation, trans. Henry Bettenson, Reprint edition, Penguin Classics, 1976.
{Not sure of translations or editions - pick and choose if neccessary on instinct}
Biblical Unknown, The Qur'an: Text, Translation & Commentary, ed. and trans. Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Reissue Edition, Tahrike Tarsile Qur'an, 1987.
{Best translation, most accurate, commentary, with original arabic version}
Unknown, Tanach: The Stone Edition/Black: The Torah/Prophets/Writings: The Twenty-Four Books of the Bible Newly Translated and Annotated, trans. Nosson Scherman, 1st Ed Edition, Mesorah Publications, 1996.
{Best translation, good commentary, with original Hebrew}
Unknown, The Talmud - The Steinsaltz Edition, trans. Adin Rabbi Steinsaltz, Steinsaltz American ed Edition, Random House, 1989.
{There are other editions. Also, this is a huge multivolume set, may be hard to trach down}
Asimov, Isaac, Asimov's Guide to the Bible: The Old and New Testaments, Reprint edition, Wings, 1988.
{Two Volumes}


{This is a huge book, multiple volumes. Will be hard to track down.} <---not sure where comment from

[sargentpepper882]

howbout some viking stufff


vikings are always fun


hooray for raping pillaging and burning,

and a couple decades of farming in england on land acquired by rape, pillage, and burn tactics

then more raping and burning!

[The Blue Meanie]

Awesome. I have viking blood, after all. Any suggestions?