25 August 2011

Booking Through Thursday: History




Sometimes I feel like the only person I know who finds reading history fascinating. It’s so full of amazing-yet-true stories of people driven to the edge and how they reacted to it. I keep telling friends that a good history book (as opposed to some of those textbooks in school that are all lists and dates) does everything a good novel does–it grips you with real characters doing amazing things.


Am I REALLY the only person who feels this way? When is the last time you read a history book? Historical biography? You know, something that took place in the past but was REAL.




I LOVE history. I’m a history major and life-long history buff. I’m also an English Major, and an avid reader. For these two things to never cross paths is insane, so of course I’ve read and still read non-fiction historical biographies.

These books are exactly like the novels the rest of the population cracks open on a daily basis. There’s a plot, characters, twists, and an outcome that once shocked the world. Only it’s real. Why would you not want to read something so fantastic and groundbreaking, and be able to look back and know it was real?

The last non-fiction books I read that truly stood out were Playing the Enemy, Robert’s Ridge, and The King’s Speech.

4 comments:

  1. I enjoy reading history :)

    Over my vacation, I purchased a little volume about Charlie Chaplin at a used book shop, and just devoured it. Same with a larger book on Lon Chaney Sr. I love learning the history of film :)

    What is your favorite historical topic?

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  2. Oh my gosh, Lon Chaney and his son are two of those people that seriously need to be admired for the brilliant names in film they are. What was the name of the book you read?

    It's so hard for me to point to an area in history that I love above all others. Any title can pop out at me, but I love European History, Military History, and books that focus on lesser-known events. (Or at least lesser known until the book is publish/the film is released, lol)

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  3. Becca, you've made my day! It's so wonderful to know of someone else who really appreciates the Chaneys for their work in films :):):)

    The book I read was called "A Thousand Faces: Lon Chaney's Unique Artistry in Motion Pictures" and was written by Michael F. Blake. A GREAT book for learning about the films Chaney starred in. It talks about the films themselves, and details about his performances, plus pictures :)

    This is how I found out about one of my favorite Chaney films, The Unknown. If you haven't seen it, you should totally check it out. That and Ace of Hearts.

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  4. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I can't wait to check this book out. I'm such a huge fan but they seem to be overlooked when it comes to film.

    The Chaney's did in film what no one else could. I look at the movies today with all their fancy computer graphics and then I see their work in films and I can't believe more people don't admire them as much as they deserve. They were just brilliant.

    Thank you again!

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