“I originally found this on Google Books, and thought it so good that I bought a non-virtual copy. This is the best annotated bibliography I've ever had the pleasure to read, and I've read a lot of them. Adams apparently read every history book that had been written before 1889, or at least all the ones he could find. His annotations for each book include the biases (if any) of the author, the literary quality of the writing, the accuracy of the history, the depth of the research, and the intended audience. He's not afraid to call the emperor naked, and also reveals a marvelous dry sense of humor occasionally. In addition to the annotations for each book in various sections - e.g. ancient, european, english, french, and american categories - he proposes a general reading plan at the end of each section. As an added bonus, all of the books mentioned are out of copyright and most of them (believe me, I've looked) are also available for full preview and download on Google Books. If you're at all interested in history predating the 20th century, then this is the place to start.”
baum wrote this review Monday, July 6 2009.
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