Books by William McNeill
“He emphasizes the importance of seeing Venice as a hinge, as a connector between realms, the two easts, the Orthodox east and the Islamic east, and the Latin west. It’s a history of connectivity. And I think that was a really important shift that, although it’s a famous book, has not penetrated mainstream historiography as much as it ought to.” Read more...
The best books on The Venetian Empire
Georg Christ, Historian
Plagues and Peoples
by William McNeill
William McNeill explores the historical context of the spread and effects of various diseases, smallpox in Mexico, the bubonic plague in China, typhoid in Europe and (in a later edition) AIDS. He looks at the political, demographic, ecological and psychological impact of these diseases on societies, essentially offering a fresh interpretation of world history, viewed from the impact of disease on culture. The book was hailed as an instant classic on its publication.
Interviews where books by William McNeill were recommended
The best books on Viruses, recommended by Dorothy H. Crawford
Many of us have developed a new fascination for viruses and virology during the global COVID-19 crisis. Here, Dorothy Crawford, professor of medical microbiology and the author of Viruses: A Very Short Introduction, selects five of the best books on viruses for the general reader.
Arthur Ammann recommends the best books on the HIV/Aids Plague
When dealing with epidemics, science does not have all the answers and relying on a new miracle drug is not always the solution. We must also learn the lessons of history, argues the veteran doctor of the HIV/Aids epidemic, Arthur Ammann. He picks the best books on ‘plagues.’
The best books on Technology and Nature, recommended by Daniel Headrick
The historian explains how the power of technology has affected man’s relationship with the rest of nature, and tells us what determines why some civilisations succeed and others fail
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1
Venice: A Documentary History 1450-1630
by Brian Pullan & David Chambers -
2
The Military Organization of a Renaissance State: Venice 1400-1617
by John Rigby Hale & Michael E. Mallett -
3
Venice: A Maritime Republic
by Frederic Chapin Lane -
4
Venice: the Hinge of Europe
by William McNeill -
5
The Venetian Empire: A Sea Voyage
by Jan Morris
The best books on The Venetian Empire, recommended by Georg Christ
The best books on The Venetian Empire, recommended by Georg Christ
The Venetian Republic was one of the mightiest empires of early modern Europe, with its Terraferma dominions on land and a maritime empire, the Stato da Màr, that stretched across the Mediterranean. Its unique strength lay in long-distance trade and, as historian Georg Christ explains, in some ways, it resembled a company more than a state. Here, he recommends books to better understand the Venetian empire, what it was and how it grew.