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Tom Holland

Recommended Books

Tom Holland is an award-winning historian, biographer and broadcaster.
47 books on the list
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The Earth Transformed book cover
The Earth Transformed
An Untold History
Peter Frankopan - 2023-04-18
Goodreads Rating
A revolutionary new history that reveals how climate change has dramatically shaped the development—and demise—of civilizations across time...
Tom Holland
2023-03-05T10:21:02.000Z
I finish @peterfrankopan’s new masterpiece, The Earth Transformed: a book of titanic sweep, & more than deserving the many laudatory reviews it has received. Looking forward to tomorrow, when we will be recording an episode of @TheRestHistory with him on CLIMATE APOCALYPSE…      source
Pax book cover
Pax
War and Peace in Rome's Golden Age
Tom Holland - 2023-09-14
Goodreads Rating
Pax is the third in a trilogy of books narrating the history of the Roman Empire. The series that began with Rubicon, and continued with Dynasty, now arrives at the period which marks the apogée of the pax Romana. It provides a portrait of the ancient world's ultimate superpower at war and at peace; from the gilded capital to the barbarous realms b...
Tom Holland
2023-03-02T08:22:27.000Z
Settling down with a good book… #WorldBookDay      source
Interregnum book cover
Interregnum
The People’s Republic of Britain
Anna Keay - 2022-03-03
Goodreads Rating
‘The execution of the king took place on a bleak, bitterly cold afternoon in January. As the executioner landed the single blow that severed Charles I’s head, the crowd let out a deep collective moan. Within weeks both the monarchy and the House of Lords were abolished. The future was in the hands of the people.’...
Tom Holland
2023-02-23T17:01:12.000Z
Reading @AnnaLandmark’s wonderful book on the English Republic, The Restless Republic, I cannot help but smile at her account of “the many misadventures of Mr Prick, the unfortunately named minister of Denham.”      source
The War on Heresy book cover
The War on Heresy
R. I. Moore - 2012-03-15
Goodreads Rating
The great war on heresy obsessed medieval Europe in the centuries after the first millennium. R. I. Moore's vivid narrative focuses on the motives and anxieties of those who declared and conducted the war: what were the beliefs and practices they saw as heretical? How might such beliefs have arisen? And why were they such a threat?...
Tom Holland
2023-02-07T08:22:03.000Z
If you want to know more THE WAR ON HERESY, then no better place to start than @RIMooreHistory’s book. “Startling, unsettling, and revelatory,” as some bloke said.      source
The Golden Mole book cover
The Golden Mole
Katherine Rundell - 2022-10-20
Goodreads Rating
Discover the wonders and mysteries of the natural world in this enchanting book that will leave you in awe. The Golden Mole is a beautifully illustrated collection of the most remarkable creatures on Earth. From the quickness of a swift's flight to the longevity of a Greenland shark's life, Katherine Rundell captivates readers with her witty and persuasive writing style, inviting us to appreciate the breathtaking beauty and fragility of our planet. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to fall in love with nature all over again.
Tom Holland
2023-01-15T10:54:37.000Z
Katherine Mundell, in her beautiful but sad book on the wonders of the living world, The Golden Mole, introduces me to the concept of ‘extinction speculation’: collecting the body parts of animals in the expectation of selling them for astronomical sums when they go extinct.      source
Empire of Booze book cover
Empire of Booze
British History Through the Bottom of a Glass
Henry Jeffreys - 2017-02-01 (first published in 2016)
Goodreads Rating
An engaging and full-bodied history of Britain and the Empire told through the fascinating and improbable stories of how the world's favorite alcoholic drinks were born. From champagne to whisky, this book follows the rise of Britain to global power and the drinks that symbolized its imperial history. Filled with fascinating trivia and recommendations for how to enjoy these drinks today, Empire of Booze reminds us that Britain's alcoholic innovations are some of its greatest gifts to the world.
Tom Holland
2022-12-26T08:57:12.000Z
You will not read a more entertaining book on alcohol than @HenryGJeffreys' History of Booze, which advances the splendid theory that the country which has most influenced its history over the past few centuries is none other than Britain.      source
Beef And Liberty book cover
Beef And Liberty
Roast Beef, John Bull and the English Patriots
Ben Rogers - 2003-01-01
Goodreads Rating
Discover the fascinating history behind the connection between British identity, meat, and power in this engaging and illuminating book. From the ancient beliefs about the power of blood-rich meat to the modern-day controversies over British beef, author Ben Rogers explores how beef became a symbol of freedom and masculinity. Rogers takes readers on a journey through time, uncovering the stories behind iconic British images like John Bull, bull dogs, and butchers. Through vivid historical detail and humorous anecdotes, Rogers paints a picture of food nationalism that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. Illustrated with prints and drawings by famous artists, Beef and Liberty is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of British identity and nationalism.
Tom Holland
2022-12-19T22:43:53.000Z
A brilliant book, which I commend to all with a love of beef, or liberty, or both.      source
The Japanese book cover
The Japanese
A History in Twenty Lives
Christopher Harding - 2020-11-05
Goodreads Rating
Explore the rich history of Japan through the fascinating stories of 20 exceptional individuals in this captivating book. Delve into the lives of shamans, warlords, poets, revolutionaries, scientists, artists, and adventurers- each offering a unique perspective on this extraordinary place. From the earliest written accounts of Japan to the current empress, Masako, this book provides an entertaining and informative introduction to Japan. Whether you are new to Japan or deeply involved with it, this book is full of surprises and pleasures.
Tom Holland
2022-12-09T07:56:32.000Z
Although, for reasons of space, we were obliged to limit @drchrisharding to six lives, his brilliant book - THE JAPANESE: A HISTORY IN TWENTY LIVES - covers the full sweep of this most fascinating of countries. It's a wonderful book!      source
I Judge No One book cover
I Judge No One
A Political Life of Jesus
David Lloyd Dusenbury - 2023-03-15
Goodreads Rating
This philosophical reading of the four gospels explores the life of Jesus and why he was put to death for a political crime despite saying "I judge no one." Author David Lloyd Dusenbury examines the clash over the significance of Jesus's sayings and death between pagan and Christian philosophers in the first centuries AD, as well as the opinions of modern philosophers such as Immanuel Kant and Friedrich Nietzsche. With original perspectives on this enigmatic figure, Dusenbury suggests that Jesus's double claim against pervasive human judgements and the human experience of love led to his political death and revealed that our highest desires are beyond the political realm.
Tom Holland
2022-12-06T13:02:39.000Z
I loved this book.      source
The Burgundians book cover
The Burgundians
A Vanished Empire
Bart Van Loo - 2018-12-21
Goodreads Rating
Discover the epic thousand-year history of Burgundy, a fabulously wealthy and turbulent region situated between France and Germany, with Bart Van Loo's fascinating narrative. Follow the decline of knightly ideals and the rise of individualism and cities, and witness the struggle for dominance in northern Europe through bloodshed and bad marriages. Learn about the evolution of art, architecture, and music amidst the chaos and tension of rival dynasties. This popular and scholarly masterpiece is comparable to great narrative historians like Barbara Tuchman, and has sold 230,000 copies in Europe.
Tom Holland
2022-12-03T08:23:48.000Z
And if you enjoyed @bartvanloo on our podcast, and haven’t yet read his insanely enjoyable book on the rise & fall of the Dukes of Burgundy, again, you have a great treat in store!      source
Magnificent Rebels by Andrea Wulf
The Last Emperor of Mexico by Edward Shawcross
The Enlightenment by Ritchie Robertson
This Sporting Life by Robert Colls
History Has Begun by Bruno Maçães
The Northumbrians by Dan Jackson
Dress in the Age of Jane Austen by Hilary Davidson
Fifth Sun by Camilla Townsend
Ghostland by Edward Parnell
Escape from Rome by Walter Scheidel
Digging Up Britain by Mike Pitts
The Missing Lynx by Ross Barnett
The Moon by Oliver Morton
The Emergence of the English by Susan Oosthuizen
The Greek Experience of India by Richard Stoneman
Our Place by Mark Cocker
On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder
Angels with Dirty Faces by Jonathan Wilson
Fashion Victims by Alison Matthews David
The Fortunes of Francis Barber by Michael Bundock
Nothing is True and Everything is Possible by Peter Pomerantsev
The Secret History of the Roman Roads of Britain by M. C. Bishop
George Orwell by Robert Colls
Gabriele d'Annunzio by Lucy Hughes-Hallett
Winter King by Thomas Penn
Grave Concerns by Kai Roberts
The Last Wolf by Jim Crumley
The Hindus by Wendy Doniger
The Command of the Ocean by N. A. M. Rodger
The Many Lives of Marilyn Monroe by Sarah Churchwell
The Histories by Herodotus
Moses the Egyptian by Jan Assmann
The Beginnings of Rome by T. J. Cornell
Remus by T. P. Wiseman
The Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell
The Hot-Blooded Dinosaurs by Adrian J Desmond
Green Smoke by Rosemary Manning