Books by Alistair Horne
“In The Price of Glory, Alistair Horne really brings to the page the ordinary human experience of Verdun. It’s just hell on earth. It’s this dystopian, mad landscape of destruction. And I think if John Keegan, in The Face of War, explains what battle feels like, this book explains how entire societies are pulled in to try and win what looks like a hopeless situation. Because that’s what happens. It’s what happens with the Soviet Union at Stalingrad in the Second World War. You manage to rouse the nation by declaring, ‘This is an existential threat. We could lose the country and be overrun if we are defeated.’ Verdun is, I think, the turning point for France. It saved the country in the Great War.” Read more...
Iain MacGregor, Military Historians & Veteran
“I’m very struck now that if you read French historians, or any historians writing about the Algerian War, we are so crippled by a kind of political correctness that we will often start out with huge discussions about vocabulary and whether one can use the word ‘European,’—is that not an essentialized, racialized category. And it’s always quite refreshing to read Alistair Horne who is magisterially politically incorrect.” Read more...
The best books on Modern French History
Richard Vinen, Historian
Interviews where books by Alistair Horne were recommended
The best books on Modern French History, recommended by Richard Vinen
The social and political development of France has been strongly contested ever since the country finally became a republic for good in 1870. Here, Professor Richard Vinen of King’s College London recommends five books that will help you understand modern France, all written in a golden age of French historical writing.
The best books on Terrorism, recommended by Audrey Kurth Cronin
It’s hard to remember when in the midst of one, but terrorism campaigns do always end. Audrey Kurth Cronin, author of How Terrorism Ends, recommends the best books on terrorism.
The best books on Battles, recommended by Iain MacGregor
The weapons and tactics of war may change, but the human experience of battle does not, argues Iain MacGregor, author of Battle: The Moments that Transformed Warfare from Ancient Greece to Ukraine. He highlights five books that bring that experience to life, from the ordinary soldier at Agincourt to the brutal realities of the Pacific War and the Falklands.
The Best History Books for Teenagers, recommended by Alex (age 16)
It’s tricky finding history books for teenagers at an age when they are too old for children’s books, but not yet ready to read long, weighty tomes with lots of footnotes. Alex, a UK-based history fan who previously chose books for us age 10, returns to Five Books to recommend his selection of the best history books for teenagers.
The best books on The End of The West, recommended by David Marquand
The former British MP says the myths we have perpetuated about the West are dangerous and need to be revised. He tells us what we should read to understand the changing world order
